Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
by John Storey, Martha Storey
Book Summary Information
Author: John Storey, Martha StoreyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09-01
ISBN: 1580172024
Number of pages: 576
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Book Reviews of Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
Book Review: So you want to live in the country. . .
Summary: 4 Stars
The astonishing amount of information in this book scratches the surface on most every aspect of country living. It is a terrific primer for someone considering a move to the country with the idea of developing a certain amount of self-sufficiency, but is also a great reference for someone in the country who is interested in taking on the occasional new project. This is great place to start. I won't be building an old-fashioned woodshed or digging a well (!) but if I wanted to do either of these or hundreds of other things from making curtains to cheese, butchering game to canning garden produce, building a fence or a root cellar, it's all here. Even though this is a yellow pages sized book, there is such a wide variety of topics, the information can only go so far. It is far enough, however, to satisfy the curiosity and/or get you started. Obviously if you intend to keep cattle, for example, and have little knowledge on that subject, you'll need to learn more than this book offers, but there's enough here to get you thinking.
I found the information on gardening to be the most useful and feel some level of comfort that I have a place to look should I want to take on other projects or look for tips of various sorts, like how to discourage bugs naturally or what tools to use for what, what to look for when buying a tractor or tackling weed problems. There is a very good index at the back so looking up a topic is easy and there's also an index of more detailed books on various subjects if you want to go to the next level. There are plenty of illustrations to make things clearer. I don't see myself needing most of the topics (need to know how to sheer a sheep?), but you never know. A local hunter recently gave me a goose he'd shot and guess where I looked to learn how to clean it. That was something I never expected to do. Whether you're just daydreaming about country life or trying to determine what you can and cannot undertake yourself, this book has value and a lot of good information.
Summary of Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
This is the book for anyone who wants to become more self-reliant, from suburbanites with 1/4 of an acre to country homesteaders with several. The information is easily understood and readily applicable.More than 150 of Storey's expert authors in gardening, building, animal raising, and homesteading share their specialized knowledge and experience in this ultimate guide to living a more independent, satisfying life.
Readers will find step-by-step, illustrated instructions for every aspect of country living including:
Finding and buying land
Buying, building, and renovating a home
Developing water sources and systems
Understanding wiring, plumbing, and heating
Using alternative heating and energy sources
Vegetable, flower, and herb gardening
Traditional cooking skills such as baking bread and making maple syrup
Preparing and preserving meat, fruits, and vegetables
Building and maintaining barns, sheds, and outbuildings
Caring for common farm and ranch animals, and pets
General Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in General Books
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II ('Xin ling ji tang-shao nian hua ti', in traditional Chinese, NOT in English)by Jack Canfield
Chen Xing; Published: 2000-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $20.95
Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Griefby Martha W. Hickman
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 1999-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.79
Price in other shops:
How to Survive the Loss of a Loveby Peter McWilliams, Harold H. Bloomfield, Melba Colgrove
Prelude Press; Published: 1993-10; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.81
Price in other shops:
One ChildAudio CD; Book
Best price: $61.06
Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communications of the Dyingby Patricia Kelley, Maggie Callanan
Bantam; Published: 1993-03-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.98
The Compassionate Samurai: Being Extraordinary in an Ordinary Worldby Brian Klemmer
Hay House; Published: 2008-01-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops:
The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Bookby Dan Poynter
Para Publishing; Published: 1997-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.99
Price in other shops:
Dealing With Dragonsby Patricia C. Wrede
Turtleback; Published: 2002-11-01; School & Library Binding; Book
Best price: $15.95
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst The Rwandan Holocaustby Immaculee Ilibagiza
Hay House; Published: 2006-03-15; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $14.10
Price in other shops:
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul : 101 Stories of Life, Love and Learning (AUDIO CASSETTE)by Jack Canfield
Health Communications; Published: 1997-05; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!Storey Publishing, LLC; Published: 2009-02-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.06
Price in other shops:
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)by Steve Solomon
New Society Publishers; Published: 2006-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.95
Price in other shops:
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third EditionSkyhorse Publishing; Published: 2008-04-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.65
Price in other shops:
Handy Farm Devices And How to Make Themby Rolfe Cobleigh
Lyons Press; Published: 2008-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.20
Price in other shops:
Country Wisdom Almanac: 373 Tips, Crafts, Home Improvements, Recipes, and Homemade Remediesby Editors of Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom Bulletins
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; Published: 2008-02-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.71
Price in other shops:
Survival Wisdom & Know How: Everything You Need to Know to Thrive in the Wildernessby CC The Editors of Stackpole Books
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; Published: 2007-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.57
Price in other shops:
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live Itby John Seymour
DK Publishing; Published: 2009-08-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.72
Price in other shops:
Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cowsby Gail Damerow
Storey Publishing, LLC; Published: 2002-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.99
Price in other shops:
The Encyclopedia of Country Livingby Carla Emery
Sasquatch Books; Published: 2008-07-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops:
Country Wisdom & Know-Howby The Editors of Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom Boards
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers; Published: 2004-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops: