Your favourite 'ish flavoured book

[bryony]

I know what you mean, it's quite an intense read. true what you say about different threads- i've spent a good few years studying philosophy, so its right up my street! Though am very much looking forward to the ish bible appearing under the tree this christmas... after all that theory i need something more practical!

Really enjoying everyone's posts on this subject- i'm always looking for book recommendations.

thanks!
bryony

[howie]

Obviously John Seymour's Self Sufficiency, but also John Seymour's 'Blueprint for a Green Planet' was way ahead of its time.

[Percy]

Taking all comments as a recommendation i have been on to amazon site and ordered the 'Seymour' book.

Thanks

[oldfella]

John Seymour's Self-Sufficiency bought in 1979, and through out the years read and reread as an escape from my life in London, and working all hours to save the money to buy my own Five Acres. Well I made it, and I am sitting here looking at my old book, a little grubby and tattered, but like an old friend giving me a comfortable feeling knowing we made it together, Thanks John.

[Green Aura]

I forgot one - probably because I tend to use the online info, even though it's all in the book.

Plants for a Future - Ken Fern (?) - too late to look on the bookshelf.

[janemiss]

Well I was given £20 by my dad for xmas yesterday so dashed off to w h smiths after work today, couldnt decide between the John Seymour book or the ish bible, but after consideration, and the fact that the ish bible was £10 over my budget i settled on John seymours complete self sufficiency, so after a long soak in the bath im going to settle down witha pre-xmas tipple & my new book, i cant wait....Also picked up my pre-ordered copy of "precycle" by Paul peacock.

[MuddyWitch]

JS's is my fav too, but I'm on my third(!) copy (small child & fruit juice killed the first one & I wore the second one out!) He also wrote The Self-Sufficient Gardener, for smaller scale SS...An ideal ISH book. There's a kids' one too....

Precycle, P Peacock is a great book for newbies & old hands alike. We gave several as xmas pressies.

MW

[Clara]

Has anyone else come across John Lane's "Timeless Simplicity: Creative Living in a Consumer Society"? I found it really inspiring. It's not as practical as the already mentioned (and excellent) John Seymore, but it's all about improving life through living simply, as written in the blurb: 'the restoration of wealth in the midst of an affluence in which we are starving the spirit". A really good read, (especially at the moment, with everything gearing up the the christmas consumer madness!)

I have a copy of this in good condition if anyone fancies a swap - particularly looking for cloth nappies and babylegs right now, but whatever, make me an offer.

[mamos]

I have a 1978 corgi edition of John Seymour's book and I do love it

I was given a fantastic book for Christmas though. DIY 12 Volt Solar Power by Michel Daniek.

I have read it from cover to cover already and now I am going trough it again trying to really understand each bit.

What a fantastic book. It is only 120 or so pages so you can read it in one sitting but it is crammed full of really practical, easy to understand and impliment projects and information that has really opened my eyes to what can be done.

I have been living with 12 volts for the last 7 years and I didn't know most of this stuff. The bit on building a sun tracking solar panel is worth the cover price of the book in itself.

Genius

mamos

[Clara]

Mamos - Solar Michel, as we call him, is a friend of mine, he really is a very clever man, what a delight to find his book recommended here!

[becks77]

I like the Carol Klein's Grow your own veg book very easy to follow, just what I need, Also fancy getting "Lost Crafts" too
Becks

[mamos]

Mamos - Solar Michel, as we call him, is a friend of mine, he really is a very clever man, what a delight to find his book recommended here!

I have always been more drawn to wind power but reading this book has opened my eyes to solar

I will be building some projects in the new year so I will post some pictures up here for you to see

Please thank Michel for me

mamos

[janemiss]

Been working quite a lot lately but have managed to find some "me" time to read some of JS's book. I think i made a very good choice. There is some really useful info in there. Also had a quick glance through the "precycle" and found some brilliant ideas in there. I had loads of stuff on my shopping list for yesterday to get (eg. borax, bicarb etc) BUT couldnt locate them anywhere. I finally had to nip into nearest supermarket on way home & hey presto they stock all of them, even soda crystals. I hated the fact that i had to buy them in a supermarket but ive now got a good stock and hopefully the products i can make from them will save me loads of money and last me for ages yet.
Ive also treated myself to a pre-ordered copy of "its not easy being green" in paperback as a reward for all my hard work over xmas. BUT i think that is the last of my spending for a while, I just cant resist a good book !

[Nomada]

I love love love the John Seymour self sufficiency book, my bloke bought it for me for Yule about two years ago, it's got a little of everything. I picked up a copy of a book called Garden Wisdom (Charlie Ryrie) from The Works ages ago which has got a lot of nice little bits of info in it from soils, weather, basics of growing and propogating, plant care, pests and natural pest control, culinary and medicinal herbs and how to prepare them and so on. It has a bit of a pagan feel to it in places, talks abit about gardening by the moon and such. Since I've lived in my tiny flat I found a book called self sufficiency in a flat by Joy Spoczynska useful, very ambitious. Don't know how she had room, she even had runner beans on the go. The self sufficientish bible is also proving interesting and useful!

[pureportugal]

one of my most well-used books (apart from john seymour) is "the kitchen pharmacy" by rosie elliot and carlo de paoli

a couple of my favourite recent purchases are

how to prune by john cushnie

the seeds of kokopelli - fantastic seed catalogue come seed saving handbook with fab photos

* i've linked the above to ecoliving portugal's amazon account, so if you do buy them a small commission will go towards sustainable living projects and tree planting in central portugal.