Practical Self Sufficiency: The Complete Guide to Sustainable Living

If you're contemplating taking the road to self-sufficiency, or possibly have even began your journey, this is a must-have book. Full to the brim with every conceivable situation/aspiration you encounter or aspire to, you'll find the guidance you need here in a well laid out and informative manner, including loads of ideas you wouldn't have previously considered. It's a massive undertaking to try and cover 'everything' relating to self-sufficiency in one book, especially one which contains so many photos, but the author has done an outstanding job, full of practical advice and tips. There will be some who say that there isn't enough detail about such and such. Well, unless you want a book that costs hundreds and weighs 20 stone, that amount of information would be impossible. That's not the purpose of this book. The object is to demonstrate all the possibilities open to you and give suggestions in an informative and easy to understand way. If you aspire to a life of self-sufficiency, just want to dip your toe in the water, or have even taken that route but are looking for new ideas, then this is the book for you. I'd give it six stars if I could...brilliant!

I absolutely love this book. Everything is clearly explained and illustrated. Written by two people who actually live the lifestyle and have done for a long time. Packed full of advice and tips for making it work as well as the basics for setting it all up in the first place. The book covers self-sufficiency for a variety of contexts, for example, the urban homeowner, the rural garden and for those with a small holding. As well as some of the more obvious things you might expect to find, such as keeping chickens or bees, foraging and growing your own fruit and veg, there are step by step guides to making alternative energy by converting waste anaerobically into biogas, making charcoal, building a hydraulic ram pump and building a solar shower to name a few. There are even instructions on building your own compost loo! The section on traditional knowledge encourages you to think about the skills many of us have lost due to the convenience of modern technology, such as preserving foods, brewing, wine making, crafting with wood, mending old clothes and making natural remedies. Whether you want to dip in and try out a few ideas or go the whole hog, this book is a great place to start.

No matter how many books I read on the subject, I keep fingers di g more ideas and tips. This is up there with some of the best in terms of ideas and planning

Despite how many books I read on the subject, I always come back to this at least once a year. This book covers a variety of different subjects on self sufficiency. Easy to understand and well illustrated. Admittedly some subjects may not be relevant if you haven't got acres of land, but they are still an interesting read. If you are looking for a book about self sufficiency, this book is a must have.

I watched the Strawbridge family's journey to "Green" on the TV a year or so back, so I was interested to see their latest book that encapsulates all they had learned with additions and improvements. I was not disappointed. Anyone can give advice about buying expensive equipment to tap into solar/wind/water power, but it takes these two (Dick & James) to do it on the cheap with no loss of efficiency - "use a bit of old compost bag", "an old muck-spreader/water tank would do",etc., etc. What it does show, however, is that they have a good grasp of how things actually work and they make it understandable to anyone. What lifts it above other books of this nature to me is the idea that it should be fun - "If you're not smiling, you're doing it wrong!" Have bought copies for all my children and several of my friends (in the UK and even Australia) who are equally enthusiastic.

Bought as a gift. Very impressed with the quality of this book, very comprehensive, beautifully laid out and covers everything you need to know. Very good value for money

This is a good read, full of great ideas and examples. Not everything is covered in depth but most ideas have enough detail to allow the reader to do their own research if they wish to take things further. Personally I found this is an easy read with lots of great pictures to refer to as I progressed through the book however it should be noted that I started reading with little or no previous knowledge on the subject. This book covers ideas for various sized plots, from window boxes through to small holdings and several money/energy saving tips throughout.

We are playing with the idea of setting up a tiny smallholding and this book is brilliant in terms of giving us ideas and also specific instructions on what to do. It has a really good balance between doing what's best for the environment while also being realistic about how to maintain your quality of life and what you realistically can fit into a busy life.

Found out about this book when I started watching escape to the Château. Thrilled I found it

Great book

Super,was der Mann alles kann

Le livre a avoir aborde un peu tout les sujets mais il reste certain sujets à approfondir

Buy this book. Great tips for green living. Good ideas. A simple and entertaining read.