THE LOW TECH LIBRARY

The Low Tech Library consists of books about the necessary skills for getting by if the extremely complex - and potentially fragile - global high-tech economy comes temporarily (or permanently) unraveled.

This is very much a work in progress, and suggestions for additional titles are more than welcome. Contact me at mezla@hotmail.com with your suggestions.. Please include author, title, publisher, place and date of publication, whether it’s currently in or out of print, and a sentence or two explaining why this book belongs in the library.

Books marked with an asterisk (*) are particularly recommended, and in print. Those marked with two asterisks (**) are also in print, and should probably be in every home in North America.

Books in the Library are listed alphabetically by subject:

• APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
• CRAFTS
•  FOOD STORAGE AND PREPARATION
•  FORAGING
• GARDENING AND FARMING
• HERBAL MEDICINE
• HOMESTEADING
• LIVESTOCK
• OUTDOOR SKILLS
• URBAN SURVIVAL
• WILDERNESS SURVIVAL

Campbell, Stu, Build Your Own Solar Water Heater (Charlotte, VT:  Garden Way, 1978).
    From the man who brought composting into backyards across America, a practical hands-on manual for building a solar hot water heater. A hundred years ago these were common all over the Sun Belt; ten years from now, when the cost of heating water is high and climbing, you'll wish you had one. OP.

Rick Fisher and Bill Yanda, The Food and Heat Producing Solar Greenhouse (Santa Fe: John Muir, 1976).
    Put up a greenhouse on the south side of your house, make a few other modifications, and you've got year-round harvests and a cheap source of heating as well. This is the classic book on how to do it. OP.

Jenkins, Joseph, The Humanure Handbook: A Guide To Composting Human Manure (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, nd).
    Joe has been using, and refining and testing the results of his methods for twenty years. This is a must-have for the topic of using human manure ("humanure") to close  the nutrient cycle which is broken by flush toilets - or any method which treats human "waste" as just something to be disposed of. A pollutant is just a resource in the wrong place...

*Mazria, Edward, The Passive Solar Energy Book (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1979).
    "Passive solar" means heating and cooling with no moving parts, just intelligent design and sunlight. It's efficient, cheap, and tested. This is the book on the subject. IP.

Olkowski (1979): see URBAN SURVIVAL.

Rainbook: Resources for Appropriate Technology (NY: Schocken, 1977).
    Rain was one of the brightest stars of the mid-70s alternative technology movement, a magazine of ideas and sources for appropriate technology. This anthology is mostly an idea book and a reference to hundreds of useful but out-of-print books. OP.

Szczelkun, Stefan, Survival Scrapbook #1: Shelter (NY: Schocken, 1972)
    English hippie funk. More an idea book than a practical manual, but the ideas are usefully counterintuitive (especially to American minds) and some of  the material is quite good. OP.

Szczelkun, Stefan, Survival Scrapbook #2: Food (NY: Schocken, 1972).
    More English hippie funk, putting the food on the table with a healthy serving of working-class radicalism. OP.

Szczelkun, Stefan, Survival Scrapbook #3: Energy (NY: Schocken, 1973).
    Still more English hippie funk. Solar, alcohol, wind, fire, the weirder powers of the mind, and red-hot Situationist political rhetoric  to add to the mix. If you can read this book without getting at least one new idea your brain is probably turned off. OP.

Todd, Nancy Jack, The Book of the New Alchemists (NY: E.P. Dutton, 1977).
    Among the most creative of the appropriate technology groups of the 70s, the New Alchemists pioneered an extraordinary array of relatively low-tech solutions to survival problems. This book is more of an overview than an in-depth handbook, but it's a good place to fish for ideas. OP, but available in photocopy reprint (see Resources page).
 

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Dye Plants and Dyeing (NY: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1964).
    An anthology of practical articles on dyeing cloth with herbal dyes. Useful, but long OP.

Buchanan, Rita, A Dyer's Garden (Loveland, CO: Interweave, 1995).
    A good practical handbook of herbal dyes for handmade cloth. Maybe not an essential, but nice to know, IP.

**Henley's Formulas for Home and Workshop (1927; repr. NY: Avenel, 1979).
    Take a copy of Henley's, a random handful of ingredients, and some kitchen pots, and most of 1900-era technology is in reach. An amazing book. Looking for recipes for root beer, toothpaste, shoe polish, peach extract, handmade photographic papers, glycerine soap, or a cure for foot itch in chickens? Look no further. Unfortunately OP.

Hylton (1974): see HERBAL MEDICINE.

Hobson, Phyllis, Tan Your Hide! (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1977).
    Everything you need to know to start turning animal hides into useable leather and furs. IP.

*Kroll, Carol, The Whole Craft of Spinning (NY: Dover, 1981).
    Short, detailed, and packed with useful information. Includes simple methods of spinning (such as the drop spindle) for those who don't feel up to building a  spinning wheel from scratch. If you're going to make cloth, you have to have something to start with...IP.

Wigginton (1972): see HOMESTEADING.

Young, Jean, Woodstock Craftsman's Manual (NY: Praeger, 1972).
    Serious hippie funk. Some of the sections aren't going to be of much use in the middle (or the aftermath) of a crisis, but it includes good practical instructions for crocheting, organic leather making, pottery, weaving, and a good deal more. OP.

Young, Jean, Woodstock Craftsman's Manual (NY: Praeger, 1972).
    More serious hippie funk. Less of this one deals with crafts that you can do without an industrial civilization next door, but the sections on sandalmaking, quilting, and making a tipi are still worth the shelf space. OP.
 
 

Angier (1961): see OUTDOOR SKILLS.

Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1950).
    Betty Crocker cookbooks from the days before they turned into marketing tools for General Mills packaged foods are a trove of information on all subjects concerning food. This edition was recently reprinted, so IP; anything else from the early 50s might be worth looking at.

*Bubel, Mike and Nancy, Root Cellaring (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1979)
     Once upon a time, every house in the country had a root cellar, which could be used to keep many foods in fine condition for months at a time. This is the best book on how it’s done. IP.

Carroll, Ricki and Robert, Cheesemaking Made Easy (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1982).
     I forget who it was that said, “Cheese is milk’s leap toward immortality.” It’s also an excellent way to preserve milk for future reference. The authors of this book are co-owners of the New England Cheesemaking Co., probably the most important supplier of home cheesemaking equipment. IP.

*Dickey, Esther, Passport To Survival (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969).
    The bible of long-term survival food storage, this book shows how to eat well on wheat, powdered milk, honey and salt - four foods that keep nearly forever, and provide everything you need to survive. IP.

Eastman, Wilbur F., The Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking of Meat, Fish & Game (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1975).
     By most accounts, the book on the subject, full of necessary information. Includes detailed instructions for building and using a smokehouse out of available materials (e.g., an old refrigerator). IP.

Editors of Organic Farming and Gardening, Stocking Up (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, n.d.)
 A detailed handbook on natural ways to preserve the food that you grow. One of the standard books on the subject.

Firth, Grace, Stillroom Cookery (McLean, VA: EPM, 1977).
 A treasure, this book is full of old-fashioned knowhow and recipes, including a wide range of preservation methods. OP.

Geiskopf, Susan, Putting It Up With Honey (Ashland, OR: Quicksilver, 1979).
 Mostly oriented toward canning (which may become much less of an option once manufactured lids and rings stop being readily available) but with useful chapters on pickling and drying. IP.

Gewanter, Vera, and Dorothy Parker, Home Preserving Made Easy (NY: Viking, 1975).
 A good general guide to most forms of food preservation and storage, inspired by the crises and shortages of the 70s. OP.

Herdt, Sheryll Patterson, Nitty Gritty Foodbook (NY: Praeger, 1975)
 A product of early 70s commune life, this book tries to cover everything and spreads itself a little thin in the process. Still, some useful info. OP.

Hertzberg, Ruth, Beatrice Vaughan, and Janet Greene, Putting Food By (Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Greene, 1973).
    Good general handbook on storing and preserving food. OP.

Hobson, Phyllis, Making and Using Dried Foods (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1994).
    One of the standard guides to dried and dehydrated foods, with plenty of recipes. IP.

Jason, Dan and Nancy, Tom Perry, and Robert Inwood, Your Own Food (Vancouver, BC: Intermedia, 1973)
    Canadian hippie cheap food funk. As much a cultural artifact of a lost time as a practical handbook, it’s still not a bad place to start exploring alternatives for food. OP.

Kirschner, Heidi, Fireless Cookery (Seattle: Madrona, 1981).
    A little gem of a book that covers all phases of that forgotten device, the old-fashioned fireless cooker (aka haybox): a box lined with insulation, in which foods brought to a boil on the stove cook for hours by way of their own residual heat. Includes several different fireless cooker designs, tips for use, and plenty of recipes. OP.

MacManiman, Gen, Dry It - You’ll Like It (Fall City, WA: the author, 1974).
    I have no idea if this is available outside the Puget Sound area; Gen MacManiman runs a small local business producing very nice handmade dehydrators, and this book is an offshoot of that business. It’s still one of the better books on drying foods that you’ll find. Includes plans for one you can build at home, with some suggestions for non-electric use. IP.

Nilsson, Anne, The Art of Home Cheesemaking (Santa Barbara: Woodbridge, 1979).
    Translated from Swedish and focusing on Scandinavian styles of cheese. OP.

*Patten, Marguerite, We’ll Eat Again (London: Hamlin, 1985).
    A collection of recipes and articles issued by Britain’s Ministry of Food dring World War II, with a good deal of relevant information for any period of scarcity. IP.

Randolph, Mary, The Virginia Housewife (1860; repr. Richmond, VT: Avenel, n.d.)
    The first cookbook published in the South, with plenty of old-time recipes from the days before food came in cans and packages. OP.

Reavis, Charles G., Home Sausage Making (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1987).
    The title says it all. Sausage making, over and above its culinary virtues, can also be a good way to preserve meats. IP.

Schuler, Stanley, and Elizabeth Meriwether Schuler, Preserving the Fruits of the Earth (NY: Galahad, 1973)
    Very comprehensive, with chapters on most of the standard oldtime ways of preserving foods. Includes an encyclopedia section that gives details on preserving nearly every food grown, hunted, gathered, caught or raised in the United States. Unfortunately OP.

Simmons, Amelia, The First American Cookbook (NY: Dover, 1958).
    How they did it in Colonial times. This is a facsimile of the first cookbook ever published in America. IP.

Sloat, Carolyn, Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook (Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot, 1984).
    How they did it in Colonial times, continued. Plenty of information on cooking on an open hearth. IP.

Tyree, Marion Cabell, Housekeeping in Old Virginia (1879; repr. n.p.: Favorite Recipes Press, 1965).
    How they did it before and during the Civil War, in much more detail. Long OP.

Wells, Joyce, The Cheese Stands Alone (Seattle: Hancock House, 1978).
    A decent introduction to home cheesemaking, intended for the complete beginner. OP.

Whyte, Karen Cross, The Complete Sprouting Cookbook (SF: Troubador, 1973).
    A hippie classic, complete with the paper-bag-colored pages that were so popular in the early 70s. Includes info on sprouting and cooking with 25 different types of seed. OP.

Wickstrom, Lois, The Food Conspiracy Cookbook (SF: 101 Productions, 1974).
  This is a handbook for starting and operating a neighborhood food buying network by a founding member of the Berkeley Food Conspiracy. Some recipes included. OP.

Wigginton (1972): see HOMESTEADING.
 

Anonymous, Some Useful Wild Plants (Vancouver, BC: Talonbooks, 1972).
 A product of the once-thriving British Columbia hippy scene, this is an introductory guide to useful plants of the Pacific Northwest. Long OP.

Benoliel, Doug, Northwest Foraging (n.p.: Signpost, 1974).
 A good basic summary of wild edibles in the Pacific Northwest, illustrated with line drawings. IP.

*Brill, Steve, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places (NY: Hearst, 1994).
 An excellent book with an east coast focus, but plenty of information that almost any forager can use. IP.

*Brown, Tom, Jr., Tom Brown’s Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants (NY: Berkley, 1985).
 As you would expect from Tom Brown, a good introductory book with a lot of solid practical information. Mostly east coast focus, although he makes an effort to cover western species as well. IP.

Jason (1973): see FOOD STORAGE AND PREPARATION.

Medsger, Oliver Perry, Edible Wild Plants (NY: Collier, 1966)
 Attempts to cover the entire US and succeeds as well as anything ever has. Well worth adding to your collection if you can find it. OP.

Schofield, Janice J., Discovering Wild Plants: Alaska, Western Canada, the Northwest (Anchorage: Alaska Northwest, 1989).
 Detailed, comprehensive, and illustrated with color photos throughout, this is a must-have if you live in the northwest quarter of North America. Includes dozens of recipes for using wild plants as food. IP.

Sweet, Muriel, Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West (Healdsburg, CA: Naturegraph, 1962).
 A good basic guide, mostly focused on California plants but including plants that can be found over much of the West. OP.

Tilford, Gregory L., Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West (Missoula, MT: Mountain Press, 1997)
 Covers better than 250 species of wild plants that can be used for food and medicine. Focuses on the inland West from the Rockies to the coast ranges, but a good percentage of the plants covered also grow over most of temperate North America. Illustrated with photos. IP.

Turner, Nancy J., Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples (Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 1995).
 The best thing in print on Native American foraging along the northern Pacific coast, lavishly illustrated with color photos of plants. IP.

Wigginton (1972): see HOMESTEADING.
 
 

Bacon, Richard M., Growing, Gardening, & Cooking with Herbs (Peterborough, NH: Yankee Books, 1972).
    One of a series of books spun off by Yankee Magazine, this gives a good look at traditional methods of herb growing and use. OP.

*Bartholomew, Mel, Square Foot Gardening (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1981).
 This is the system featured on PBS some years ago, a space- and labor-saving approach to organic gardening. Very detailed and comprehensive. IP.

Bender, Wendy, Earth Market (Sooke, BC: Fireweed, 1975).
 As much a work of art as a book on farming, this little delight is about organic farming in maritime British Columbia, with a range of useful tips and charming linoleum-print illustrations. OP.

*Campbell, Stu, Let It Rot! The Gardener’s Guide to Composting (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1975).
 The book that launched a thousand compost bins. Everything you need to know about making compost - the best organic fertilizer there is. IP.

Campbell, Stu, The Mulch Book (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1991).
 Another standard ingredient in organic gardening, mulch has its supporters and its detractors, but mulch mavens seem to produce some of the best organic gardens going. Here’s everything you need to know on how it’s done. IP.

Capon, Brian, Botany for Gardeners (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1990).
 A little less hands-on in its approachthan other things in this Library, but vital if you want to understand what’s actually going on in your garden, this is an introductory textbook of botany aimed at people who actually grow things. IP.

Colebrook, Binda, Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest (Seattle: Sasquatch, 1999).
 Just about everybody who grows vegetables in the Puget Sound area has a dogeared copy of this book somewhere. (This is the new, expanded edition; the original came out in 1977.) If you live anyplace where the winters are soggy rather than snowy, it’s worth having - a detailed guide to putting fresh vegetables on your table throughout the cold half of the year. IP.

Foster, Catherine Osgood, The Organic Gardener (NY: Random House, 1972).
 Detailed and very comprehensive, with tricks for chemical-free gardening that most experienced organic gardeners don’t know. OP.

*Freeman, John, Survival Gardening (Rock Hill, SC: John’s Press, 1982).
 The subtitle is “Enough Nutrition From 1000 Square Feet To Live On - Just In Case!” The contents more than justify the billing. Packed with tables and solid info; the list of what vegetables provide what nutrients in what quantities are particularly useful. OP.

Fukuoka, Masanobu, The One-Straw Revolution (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1978).
    One of the classic texts of natural farming. Well worth revisiting. IP.

Harrison, John B., Good Food Naturally (Vancouver, BC:  J. J. Hunter, 1972).
 Another treasure for inhabitants of soggy climates, an early and excellent introduction to the philosophy and practice of organic farming. OP.

*Hart, Rhonda Massingham, Bugs, Slugs and Other Thugs: Controlling Garden Pests Organically (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1991).
 As a gardener, you’re in ecological competition with a lot of other life forms. This book is the best guide I’ve seen on how to win the competition without petrochemical poisons. IP.

Hartung, Tammi, Growing 101 Herbs That Heal (Pownal, VT: Storey, 2000).
    A good and thoroughly illustrated guide to growing your own medicinal herbs. IP.

Head, William, Gardening Under Cover (Seattle: Sasquatch, 1989).
 All about solar greenhouses, cold frames and cloches - tools you can use to extend the growing season by months. Pacific Northwest focus, but the information is good for nearly any maritime climate. IP.

Hill, Lewis, Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1977).
 One of the nice things about fruits and berries is that you don’t have to plant them all over again every year. Another is that they provide Vitamin C and several other important nutrients in horse doctor’s doses. There are plenty of other good reasons to get some fruit or nut trees or some berry plants growing in your garden. This book covers every phase of how to do it. OP.

*Hill, Lewis, Secrets of Plant Propagation (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1985).
    Comprehensive and very detailed. How to get your garden started without the help of a nearby nursery: sowing seeds, dividing plants, grafting, and much more. IP.

Hills, Lawrence D., Grow Your Own Fruits and Vegetables (London: Faber & Faber, 1971).
 A standard English handbook of organic gardening methods from one of the modern masters of the art. OP.

Hills, Lawrence D., Save Your Own Seed (Port Townsend, WA: Abundant Life Seed Foundation, 1989).
    Also available in a 1975 English edition, this little pamphlet is a good basic introduction to saving seeds from your own plants for the next season. IP.

Jacobs, Betty E. M., Growing and Using Herbs Successfully (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1981).
    Detailed and comprehensive, covering growing and preparing 64 important herbs. IP.

Jason (1973): see FOOD STORAGE AND PREPARATION.

**Jeavons, John, How To Grow More Vegetables (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 1974).
    THE book on biodynamic/French intensive agriculture, which produces the maximum results from the minimum space with effectively zero fossil fuel input. Clearly written and stuffed with critically important info. Permanently IP (thank heavens).

Jeavons, John, J. Mogador Griffin and Robin Leler, The Backyard Homestead Mini-Farm & Garden Log Book (Berkeley: Ten Speed, 1983).
    Another very useful volume from the folks who popularized biodynamic/French intensive agriculture, full of useful charts and tables. IP.

Kreuter, Marie-Luise, Macmillan Book of Natural Herb Gardening (NY: Collier, 1985).
    A decent introductory book on the subject, with basic requirements and hints for a range of herbs.

*Loewenfeld, Claire, Herb Gardening (London: Faber & Faber, 1964).
    Probably the best book on the subject, by the founder of a famous herb farm in England. Covers just about everything you need to know to grow most of the standard European medicinal and culinary herbs. IP.

Mollison, Bill, and Reny Mia Slay, Introduction to Permaculture (Tyalgum: Tagari, 1991); 98 pp.
    Permaculture is an innovative approach to growing food and raw materials using perennial plants and trees that don't have to be replanted every year, resulting in less work and more environmental stability. This is the standard introduction. IP.

Mollison, Bill, and David Holmgren, Permaculture One: A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements (Tyalgum: Tagari, 1987); 127 pp.
    More permaculture, with practical designs and details. IP.

Mollison, Bill, Permaculture Two: A Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent Agriculture (Stanley: Tagari,1979); 150 pp.
    Still more permaculture, focusing now on the bigger picture, and including urban possibilities. IP.

Mollison, Bill, Permaculture: A Designer's Manual (Tyalgum: Tagari,1988);. 576 pp.
    If you actually want to get to work with permaculture on a serious scale, here's your book. Big, hardbound, and packed with the details you'll need. IP, too.

Newcomb, Duane, The Apartment Farmer (LA: Tarcher, 1976).
     You live in an apartment, you say, and don’t have anywhere to plant a garden? Yes you do. Duane Newcomb, one of the pioneer figures of intensive gardening in America, shows how you can grow dozens of different crops on balconies, south-facing windowsills, and even less likely places. OP.

Newcomb, Duane, The Postage Stamp Garden Book (LA: Tarcher, 1975).
     One of the first American books on the biodynamic-French intensive gardening method, and still well worth having. Covers all aspects of the method. OP.

Newcomb, Duane, Small Space, Big Harvest (Rocklin, CA: Prima, nd)
     A guide to all aspects of intensive organic gardening on a small plot. OP.

Organic Gardening Magazine staff, The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1959).
    Immense, vastly detailed, and packed with information. Most serious organic gardeners have one of the many reprints and revisions of this 1200-plus page tome weighing down a bookshelf. IP.

Pest Publications, Shepherd’s Purse: Organic Pest Control Handbook (Summertown, TN: Book Publishing Co. 1987)
     A basic handbook of organic pest control. Includes good color illustrations of common agricultural pests. IP.

*Pleasant, Barbara, The Gardener’s Bug Book (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1994).
     This is the revised edition of Helen and John Philbrick’s The Bug Book, which has been the standby of organic gardeners since 1974. Covers just about everything you need to know to keep bugs at bay without chemical sprays. IP.

*Pleasant, Barbara, The Gardener’s Guide to Plant Diseases (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1995).
     An excellent and detailed guide to fifty-odd commpon plant diseases and what to do about them organically. IP.

*Pleasant, Barbara, The Gardener’s Weed Book (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1996).
    The third volume of Ms. Pleasant’s “pest trilogy” is just as useful as the other two, with information on identifying and getting rid of 70 common garden weeds. IP.

Preus, Mary, Growing Herbs (Seattle: Sasquatch, 1994).
    A good basic source of information on growing herbs in the maritime Northwest. Very useful. IP.

Raymond, Dick, Garden Way's Joy of Gardening (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1983); 384 pp.
    A classic general gardening book, unfortunately OP.

Riotte, Louise, Planetary Planting (San Diego: Astro Computing Services, 1975).
    The most detailed book in print on planting by the signs of the Zodiac. Superstition? Possibly, but many experienced gardeners and farmers swear it improves yields and discourages pests. Try it out for yourself. OP.

Rodale, J.I., Control Pests Without Poison Sprays (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1965).
    A good introductory pamphlet on organic pest control. All the same information can be found in later (and much larger) Rodale books. OP.

Rodale’s Chemical Free Yard and Garden (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1991).
    An encyclopedia of organic approaches to soil nutrition, plant diseases, and pest control. IP.

Rogers, Marc, Saving Seeds (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1990).
    By many accounts, the best book there is on saving this year’s seeds for next year’s garden. Remember, you may not be able to order from a seed company a thousand miles away! IP.

Ross, A. B., Big Crops From Little Gardens (NY: Minton, Balch & Co., 1925).
    A forgotten classic, this book shows how to make use of a trick many modern intensive gardeners never learned - planting crops that put out leaves at different vertical levels, produce at different times during the season, and/or have different needs for light, all in the same bed. The author’s “three story garden” includes corn, peas, pole beans, and tomatoes as the main crops, plus twenty-odd other vegetables as ground cover, producing five crops a year. Impressive...but OP.

Seattle Tilth, The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide (Seattle: Seattle Tilth, 1998).
    Useful advice on food gardening in the Seattle area, organized in a calendar format for ease of use. A little lightweight but worth having if you haven't done it before. IP.

Severn, Jill, Growing Vegetables in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle: Madrona, 1978).
 A good basic guide to the special demands and delights of vegetable gardening in the upper left corner. OP.

Seymour, John, The Self-Sufficient Gardener (NY: Dolphin, 1978).
    Another fine book on intensive gardening, with more details about more things than just about anything else in the field. Covers vegetables you've probably never heard of. Unfortunately OP.

Stout, Ruth, and Richard Clemence, The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book
    Covers Ruth's famous year-round mulch method of gardening. This process eliminates the need for sprays, weeding, hoeing or other toilsome garden chores.  Its completely tested gardening method, perfected during more than 40 years of experience, eliminates gardening strain and toil, and does it organically with no dangerous chemical fertilizers or toxic sprays. IP.

Tilgner, Linda, Tips For The Lazy Gardener (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1985).
 A very useful book of time- and energy-saving tips for the gardener. When you have too much to do and too little time for it all, this sort of “laziness” may be a lifesaver. IP.

Wigginton (1972): see HOMESTEADING.
 
 

Barney, D. Paul, Clinical Applications of Herbal Medicine (Pleasant Grove, UT: Woodland, 1996).
    From a relatively mainstream medical perspective, this useful little book covers a series of ailments and suggests herbal treatments for them. IP.

Bairacli-Levy, Juliette de, The Illustrated Herbal Handbook for Everyone (London: Faber and Faber, 1974).
    Useful although not really as comprehensive as the title suggests. Illustrations are line drawings. IP.

Balch, James F., Prescription for Nutritional Healing (Garden City Park, NY: Avery, n.d.)
    A practical A to Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs & food supplements.

Bartram, Thomas, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (Christchurch, Dorset: Grace, 1995).
    Many European countries are far ahead of North America when it comes to alternative methods of healing. This comprehensive guide to diseases and treatments needs some herbal background in order to use it effectively, but it's very thorough. IP.

**Buhner, Stephen Harrod, Herbal Antibiotics (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1999).
    A vital and desperately needed book. Right now an increasing number of bacteria - including Yersinia pestis, the germ that causes the Black Death - are becoming immune to antibiotics. Modern medical science has nothing in reserve...but herbal medicine does. Buhner covers a wide range of herbs that can be used to strengthen the immune system and wipe out hostile bacteria, and gives all the information you need to use them. IP.

*Buhner, Stephen Harrod, Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver (Pownal, VT: Storey, 2000).
    You haven't heard about Hepatitis C yet? You will. Highly infectious and (so far) incurable, it currently infects more than 500 million people worldwide. It causes cirrhosis and liver cancer, and medical authorities are suggesting that it will kill more people than AIDS in the fairly near future. It can be treated with herbs, and this book tells you how. IP.

*Cech, Richo, Making Plant Medicine (Williams, OR: Horizon Herbs, 2000).
    Richo Cech and his family operate Horizon Herbs, among the best sources of organically grown herb seeds and live plants you'll find anywhere. This handbook of herbal medicine making is full of detailed information on preparations, dosages, and uses. IP.

Chardenon, Ludo, In Praise of Wild Herbs (Santa Barbara: Capra, 1984).
    Herbal secrets from a legendary French practitioner. Includes treatments for a wide range of health problems. OP.

Coon, Nelson, Using Plants for Healing (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1979).
    Long before the current renaissance of herbal healing, Nelson Coon was out there gathering and using herbs. Many of the herbs covered in this book are native to the eastern half of North America. OP.

Crawford, Amanda McQuade, Herbal Remedies for Women (Rocklin, CA: Prima, 1997).
    Women have health care needs of their own,and many of them can be taken care of naturally with herbs. A good book on how to do it. IP.

Culpeper, Nicholas, Culpeper's Complete Herbal and English Physician Enlarged (Glenwood, IL: Meyerbooks, 1990).
    There's something to say for a medicinal herbal that's been available constantly since the seventeenth century. Should be used with care, and a few other good herbals. IP.

Dawson, Adele G., Herbs: Partners In Life (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts, 1991).
    A good general herbal with useful information on most phases of herbal practice. IP.

Evelyn, Nancy, The Herbal Medicine Chest (Trumansburg, NY: Crossing, 1986).
    This little book from Down Under has a surprising amount of useful knowledge on the practical application of herbal medicine. Focuses on a few specific preparations - salves, oils, teas, and tinctures - which is not a bad approach. IP.

Fischer-Rizzi, Susanne, Medicine of the Earth (Portland, OR: Rudra, 1996).
    Detailed profiles of 33 very common herbs, most of them weeds you've got in your back yard right now. Detailed, and stocked with recipes. IP.

Gladstar, Rosemary, Herbal Healing for Women (NY: Fireside, 1993).
    Gladstar is one of the pioneers of the modern herbal healing renaissance. This book covers herbal treatments for women's health problems. Extremely detailed and complete. IP.

**Gladstar, Rosemary, Herbs for the Home Medicine Chest (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1999).
    An excellent little manual by one of this country's foremost herbalists. What you need to know to deal with dozens of everyday health problems. IP.

**Green, James, The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook (Freedom, CA: Crossing, 2000).
    Don't mistake this for the little pamphlet with the same title by the same author that came out a decade or two earlier. That was good; this is so much better it pretty much renders most other books on the subject obsolete. A fantastically detailed guide to making your own herbal medicines by just about every known method. IP.

Green, James, The Male Herbal (Freedom, CA: Crossing, 1991).
    There are plenty of books on herbal treatments for women's health problems. There are very few about using herbs for men's health. Here you are. IP.

*Grieve, Maude, A Modern Herbal (NY: Barnes & Noble, 1996).
    The ultimate encyclopedia of herbs, Grieve’s tome is unwieldy to use in a hurry but a major resource if you’re willing to take the time to learn your way around herbal medicine. Covers just about every herb known to Western science in the early 20th century. IP.

Hartung (2000): see GARDENING AND FARMING.

Hatfield, Audrey Wynne, The Weed Herbal (NY: Sterling, 1983).
    Don't spray your weeds - harvest them and use them to heal your illnesses. Chatty and a little superficial in places, but still useful. IP.

Hobbs, Christopher, Handmade Medicines (Loveland, CO: Botanica, 1998).
    A nice introductory book on making herbal medicines. IP.

Hoffman, David, An Elder's Herbal (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts, 1993).
    You're going to get old, and the way things look right now, you're going to have to do it without modern medical care. Fortunately, there are effective alternatives. This book has 'em. IP.

Hoffman, David, The Herbal Handbook (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts, 1998).
    A good basic book on the subject, with plenty of how-to information on all phases of herbal healing. IP.

*Hoffman, David, The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal (Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element, 1996).
    Another good basic herbal, with plenty of illustrations and lots of details. If I were choosing a book to introduce herbal medicine to someone who didn't know anything about it, this book would be on the short list. IP.

Hylton, William H., ed., The Rodale Herb Book (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1974).
    Something on just about every possible use of herbs. The medicinal section is by the opinionated but very experienced Nelson Coon.

*Keville, Kathi, Herbs for Health and Healing (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1996).
    A very good basic introduction to herbal medicine, written for the beginner but not just "beginner's stuff." Another item on the short list of books to give the complete novice. IP.

King, Kurt, Herbs To The Rescue: Herbal First Aid Handbook (Hamilton, MT: Higher Ground, 1991).
    King is a student of John Christopher's school of herbal medicine, and much of the information in this book relies on Christopher's personal formulas - which is great if you follow the same approach. On the other hand, it also includes a long section on wild herbs you can gather and use in an emergency in the middle of nowhere - well worth having. IP.

*Lust, John, The Herb Book (NY: Bantam, 1974).
    The first herbal healing book to break into mainstream publishing, this is still a very useful book, crammed with information. IP.

*Mars, Brigitte, Dandelion Medicine (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1999a).
    There's a supermarket, complete with pharmacy, in your backyard right now - and you've probably been trying to eradicate it for the last twenty years, with zero success. It's called the dandelion. This useful little book is about turning this common "weed" into a resource for food and healing. IP.

Mars (1999b): see MEDICAL SELF-CARE.

Moore, Michael, Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West (Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico, 1989).
    Essential for those in the Southwest, this extremely detailed herbal covers a dizzying range of local wild medicinal plants. IP.

Moore, Michael, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West (Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico, 1979).
    The first (chronologically) volume of Moore's Western herbal trilogy, this should be required reading for anybody interested in wil medicinal plants in the inland West. IP.

Moore, Michael, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West (Santa Fe: Red Crane, 1993).
    The final volume of Moore's herbal trilogy, with huge amounts of information on wild medicinal plants along the Pacific coast. IP.

Page, Linda, How to be a Herbal Pharmacist: Herbal Traditions, Expert Formulations (Carmel Valley, CA: Healthy Healing, 1991).
    The title speaks for itself. Good general textbook of herbal medicine making and use. IP.

St. Claire, Debra, The Herbal Medicine Cabinet (Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 1997).
    Many other herbals will tell you what to use for different health conditions, but you need this book to teach you how to use the herbs. One of the better books we’ve seen on making different herbal preparations, packed with detailed instructions for just about every kind of medicine you can imagine making from herbs (and some you probably can’t). IP.

*Silverman, Maida, A City Herbal (Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree, 1977)
    An excellent guide to medicinal and edible plants that grow in vacant lots, backyards, and parks in the city. IP.

*Tierra, Michael, The Way Of Herbs (NY: Pocket, 1998).
    The latest edition of one of the classics. Michael Tierra has been a leading figure in the current herbal renaissance since before there was a current herbal renaissance. Much practical information. IP.

*Tilford, Gregory L., From Earth To Herbalist (Missoula, MT: Mountain, 1998).
    Detailed, illustrated, and comprehensive guide to wild plants and their healing powers. IP.

Williams, Jude, Jude's Herbal Home Remedies (St. Paul: Llewellyn 1992).
    Home health care, mostly herbal in nature. A little lightweight and not well organized, but contains many useful recipes. IP.
 
 

Bay Laurel, Alicia, Living On The Earth (NY: Vintage, 1972)
    An original hippie book by one of the original hippies, based on the author’s experiences with low-tech life on a rural commune, and hand-written and hand-illustrated throughout. Contains an astonishing range of info on an equally astonishing array of subjects. Recently reprinted and so IP, but old copies aren’t hard to find either. Recently reprinted, so IP.

Bee, Becky, The Cob Builder’s Handbook (Murphy, OR: Groundworks, 1997).
    Cob is a mixture of clay and sand, with straw as a binder, laid on by hand and used to sculpt astonishing housing-sculptures that last nearly forever. Right now, cob building is one of the hottest things in alternative circles, and this book is a good introduction to how it’s done. IP.

Bruyere, Christian, and Robert Inwood, Country Comforts (NY: Sterling, 1976).
    An amazing book of practical designs for homestead equipment, illustrated with photographs and very clear drawings. Sadly, OP.

Campbell, Stu, The Home Water Supply (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1983).
    You'll need water for your homestead, of course - and even before times get tough, you may have to provide it for yourself. This is the standard book on how to do it, safely and effectively. IP.

Cloudburst (Brackendale, BC: Cloudburst Press, 1973).
    Down home Canadian hippie funk: building a dome, digging an outhouse, designing and making a water wheel, planting by the phases of the moon, defending your beehives against bears, etc., etc. OP, but this and the next book were recently reprinted in a single volume (see below).

Cloudburst 2 (Brackendale, BC: Cloudburst Press, 1978).
    Yet more down home Canadian hippie funk, full of practical plans and designs for rural living. OP, but recently reprinted in a joint edition with the previous book (see below).

*Cloudburst : A Handbook of Rural Skills and Technology, ed. Vic Marks (np.: Hartley & Marks, 2000); 320 pp.
    The last two books combined and newly reissued. Don't miss it. IP.

**Emory, Carla, The Encyclopedia of Country Living (Seattle: Sasquatch, 1994); 858 pp.
    Everything - but everything - you wanted to know about homesteading but didn’t know which of them grubby-lookin’ hippies to ask. By all accounts, this massive and incredibly detailed book is the single best thing to have on your shelf if you're trying to make it in the country, or even thinking about it. IP, fortunately.

Hartley, Dorothy, Lost Country Life (NY: Pantheon, 1979).
    A book of everyday life in England in the Middle Ages, with plenty of details on everyday skills in an economy where practically everything had to be done locally, with muscle power (human or animal). OP.

Herdt (1975): see FOOD STORAGE AND PREPARATION.

Johnson, Jerry Mack, Down Home Ways (NY: Greenwich, 1984).
    The oldtimer tells all! This book covers a dizzying assortment of old-fashioned country living skills. OP.

Kahn, Lloyd, ed., Shelter (Bolinas, CA: Shelter Publications, 1973).
    A big floppy paperback full of ideas, experience, and lore. Almost impossible to use in a hurry; plan on reading it through several times, making notes. Recently reprinted, so IP.

Kahn, Lloyd, ed., Shelter II (Bolinas, CA: Shelter Publications, 1978).
    More of what makes Shelter such a resource. OP.

*Kains, M. G., Five Acres and Independence (NY: Dover, 1973)
    One of the standard back-to-the-land handbooks since its original publication in 1940, with information about nearly every phase of running a small farm. IP.

Margolin, Malcolm, The Earth Manual (NY: Houghton Mifflin, 1975).
    A classic handbook of how to tend wild or semiwild land. The section on erosion control is particularly good. IP.

Langer, Richard W., Grow It! (NY: Avon, 1972).
    A classic of the 70s back-to-the-land scene, with plenty of info on just about every aspect of homesteading. OP.

Massacrier, Jacques, Simple Living (NY: Links, 1975).
    Originally published in France, this is the European equivalent of Alicia Bay Laurel’s Living On The Earth, a hands-on handbook for hippy commune life. Contains a little information on a very wide range of topics. OP.

Oehler, Mike, The $50 and Up Underground House Book (Bonner’s Ferry, ID: Mole, 1978).
    This book launched a boom in outlaw housing; its wood-and-polyethylene approach won’t meet Code requirements, but it will keep you warm and dry in a cheap handmade earth-sheltered house. Lots of hands-on information.

Olkowski (1979): see URBAN SURVIVAL.

Robinson, Ed and Carolyn, The Have-More Plan (repr. Pownal, VT: Storey, 1973).
    Originally published in 1945, this falls somewhere between suburban commuter utopia and back-to-the-land - an odd relic of a time when people could seriously plan on a daily commute from a small farm to a city job and back. Still, it contains a remarkable amount of basic homesteading information. IP.

Roy, Robert L., Underground Houses (NY: Sterling, 1979).
    Another classic earth-sheltered house book. Covers a lot of practical details left out of others. OP.

Stoner, Carol Hupping, Goodbye to the Flush Toilet (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1977).
    If you're using the usual approach to your waste products, you're wasting water and soil nutrients as well. There are plenty of safe, tested alternatives. Here's an introduction to most of them. OP.

**Wigginton, Eliot, ed., The Foxfire Book (NY: Anchor, 1972).
    This and its many sequels (I've seen ten volumes so far) may be the best resource on Earth for hardcore homesteading in the temperate parts of North America. Assembled by Wigginton, a public school teacher in dirt-poor Rabun Gap, GA, and a couple of generations of his students, these books are crammed with articles and essays about the skills of getting by, Appalachian style. Build a log cabin, weave a basket, butcher a hog, make a wagon, tan a hide, hammer red-hot iron into something useful...take your pick (or do them all), the details are here. IP.
 

*Bairacli-Levy, Juliette de, Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1976).
 If you have livestock, you’ll need to be able to keep them healthy and treat their diseases, and herbs are your best (and in really hard times, perhaps your only) option. This is by all accounts the best book on how to do that. IP.

Belanger, Jerome D., The Homesteader’s Handbook to Raising Small Livestock (Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 1974).
 The best one-volume small livestock primer I’ve seen, this covers rabbits, chickens, turkeys, other birds, goats, sheep, and hogs. OP. You might want to supplement it with more detailed books on the livestock you particularly want to raise...

Belanger, Jerome D., Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way (Charlotte, VT: Garden Way, 1975).
 This one, for example. This classic manual has started nearly a quarter century worth of small goat farms. When I worked on a small farm with goats, this was the book we referred to all the time. IP.

Mercia, Leonard S., Raising Poultry the Modern Way (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1990).
 Another classic from the same series, full of the information you need to raise any type of poultry you prefer. IP.

*Mettler, John, Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game (Pownal, VT: Storey, n.d.).
    The US department of agriculture recommends this book as a "must-have". While the word of a government bureaucracy may not normally be something to rely on, in this case, they're right. Everything you need to know to turn animals into dinner. IP.

Olkowski (1979): see URBAN SURVIVAL.

Simmons, Paula, Raising Sheep the Modern Way (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1976).
    Yet another classic livestock guide. IP.
 
 

There are a range of approaches to taking care of your health in an emergency situation that don't rely on herbs. Here are some suggestions. Methods that do rely on herbs will be found back in HERBAL MEDICINE.

Balch (n.d.): see HERBAL MEDICINE.

Blate, Michael, The Natural Healer's Acupressure Handbook (NY: Holt, 1977).
    Natural healing using nothing but your fingertips. This book covers everything you need to know to use acupressure for first aid and routine healing. OP.

Gray's Anatomy (NY: Random House, 1977 (regularly revised).
    Basic anatomy text for the human body. IP.

Jarvis, D.C., Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health (NY: Holt, 1958).
    The book that introduced apple cider vinegar to natural healing circles across the country and around the world. Has a number of other useful tricks to offer as well. OP, but not too hard to find on the used-book market.

**Mars, Brigitte, Natural First Aid (Pownal, VT: Storey, 1999b).
    I don't think there's a book on the planet more likely to be of use in an emergency than this one. Covers first aid techniques, wilderness survival, stocking a first-aid kit, making and using herbal medicine, and so on. IP.

*The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Home Edition (NY: Pocket Books,1999).
    Useful in understanding medical  and health conditions and trying to determine what is causing them and what can be done. IP.

Parker, Page, and Lois N. Dietz, Nursing At Home (NY: Crown, 1980).
    Just about everything you need to know to give hospital-level nursing care at home. OP.

The Pill Book: Guide to Over-the -Counter Medications (NY: Bantam Books, 1997)
    This covers non-prescription medications, what is in them and how they work.

Rector Page, Linda, Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone (Carmel Valley, CA: Healthy Healing, n.d.)
    Good overview of alternative medicine and how to use it on a personal basis. Focus on diet, self medication - pro and con. IP.

Sehnert, Keith, How To Be Your Own Doctor - Sometimes (NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1975).
    Very highly recommended. Includes instructions on taking a pulse, using a blood pressure cuff, and doing other basic medical exam procedures. OP.

Symptoms: The Complete Home Medical Encyclopedia (NY: Avon, 1976).
    Helpful in diagnosis. OP.

U S Army Special Forces Medical Handbook - ST 31-91B (Boulder: Paladin Press, n.d.)
    Good on disease transmission and prevention of communicable diseases. IP.

**Werner, David, Where There Is No Doctor (Palo Alto, CA: Hesperian, 1977).
    The book to have when you're dealing with health care and there are no MDs in reach. Originally written for a health care cooperative in a remote area of Mexico, it covers every aspect of ordinary and emergency health care. IP.
 
 

Angier, Bradford, Wilderness Cookery (Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole, 1961).
    How to cook in the woods when you don’t have freeze-dried meals, MREs, or anything else except plain raw materials, a few utensils and a campfire. Excellent, but OP.

*Boy Scouts of America, Boy Scout Fieldbook (NY: Workman, 1967).
    If you were a Boy Scout, you know what's in here. If you weren't, get a copy and you'll soon start looking here first when you need to know something about outdoors activities. IP, but earlier editions are often more useful than the more recent ones.

Brower, David, ed., The Sierra Club Wilderness Handbook (NY: Ballantine, 1967).
    A good general summary of camping and hiking information from just before the age of camping as conspicuous consumption, edited by one of the great environmental activists of our time. OP.

*Brown, Tom, Jr., Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Living With the Earth (NY: Berkley, 1984)
    All of Tom Brown Jr.’s field guides probably belong in any reasonably complete low-tech library, but this one is particularly useful. Covers Native American approaches to meeting basic survival needs with naturally available materials. IP.

*Brown, Tom, Jr., Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking (NY: Berkley, 1983).
    You can’t learn tracking just by reading a book - but if you could, this would be the book. Extremely detailed and packed with practical exercises. IP.

Elliott, Charles, The Outdoor Eye: A Sportsman’s Guide (NY: Funk and Wagnalls, 1977)
    A good introduction to the art of seeing what’s in front of your face in the wilderness, this book focuses on the needs of hunters but can be used by anybody who wants to function effectively in wild settings. An earlier edition is titled The Outdoor Observer. OP.

Jaeger, Ellsworth, Wildwood Wisdom (NY: MacMillan, 1945)
    Jaeger was a student and friend of the great outdoorsman Ernest Thompson Seton and an important figure in Seton’s Woodcraft movement, an alternative to the Boy Scouts. This book is crammed with old-fashioned outdoors knowledge. Recently reprinted, so IP.

Kephart, Horace, Camping and Woodcraft (NY: Macmillan, 1916).
    One of the great figures in outdoor recreation in the early 20th century, Kephart packed this book with info on nearly every imaginable outdoors topic. A classic of the subject. Reprinted by Mother Earth News in the 1970s, but now unfortunately OP.

*Lentz. M.E. et al., Mountaineering First Aid (Seattle: The Mountaineers, 1973)
    The handbook on wilderness first aid recommended by nearly all serious mountaineers and backpackers, covering the things you can do when there isn’t an EMT team within three days’ hike. IP.

McFarlan, Allan and Paulette, Knotcraft (NY: Dover, 1967).
    There's a reason why Boy Scouts spend so much time learning how to tie different knots. In an outdoor setting, rope is one of the more useful things you can have, and knowledge of knotwork an essential if you're going to use rope safely and effectively. This book teaches you how. IP.

**McPherson, John and Geri, Naked Into The Wilderness: Primitive Wilderness Living and Survival Skills (Randolph, KS: Prairie Wolf, 1993).
    Welcome to the Stone Age! When all you’ve got are your bare hands and the things you can find around you in the middle of nowhere, you’ll wish you had paid more attention to this book. Very detailed. IP.

Meyer, Kathleen, How To Shit In The Woods (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 1994).
    The title says it all. When nature calls, you better be able to answer without flush toilets and rolls of TP. This book tells you how. IP.

Seton, Ernest Thompson, The Book of Woodcraft (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1926).
    Seton was the grand old man of American outdoors recreation, an astonishing and neglected figure. This book is one of the manuals he created for Woodcraft, his youth organization, and has plenty of practical outdoors material mixed in with games and Native American traditions. OP, but fairly easy to find.
 

**Brown, Tom, Jr., Tom Brown’s Field Guide to City and Suburban Survival (NY: Berkley, 1984)
 Most survivors of a collapse will not be out in the middle of the wilderness, which makes this book by legendary tracker and outdoorsman Tom Brown Jr. an essential guide. Covers the things you can do to survive when the resources you have are those settled areas provide. If you have one book in your survival library this should probably be it. IP.

Greenbank, Anthony, Survival In The City (NY: Harper & Row, 1974).
    474 pages of detailed information about surviving just about anything that a city can throw at you. Excellent...but OP.

Olkowski, Helga, et al., The Integral Urban House (SF: Sierra Club, 1979).
    This one is a hard book to fit into a category, since it's as much or more about urban homesteading as anything else, and it won't keep you alive if you wait until the crisis is happening before you start flipping through its pages. What it will do, if you read it (and put it to use) now, is a good deal more interesting. This is a handbook for putting together an urban homestead that produces most of the food needed by its owners, and wastes almost nothing. Gardening, rabbit and chicken raising, composting, and many other skills covered in detail. Invaluable...but OP.

Silverman (1977): see HERBAL MEDICINE.
 
 

Angier, Bradford, Living Off The Country (Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole,. 1956).
    One of the classics on the subject and still very useful, this old standby covers food, fire, shelter, orientation, safety, first aid, and survival gear. OP.

**Brown, Tom, Jr., Tom Brown’s Field Guide To Wilderness Survival (NY: Berkley, 1983).
    The first field guide by the legendary outdoorsman and tracker, this may just be the best wilderness survival guide in print. Brown walked into the Rockies with nothing but a knife and came out a year later in fine shape, which is pretty good evidence that he knows what he’s talking about. IP.

McPherson (1993): see OUTDOOR SKILLS.

**Olson, Larry Dean, Outdoor Survival Skills (Provo, UT: BYU, 1973).
    Comprehensive, detailed, and based on the assumption that you have nothing but the knowledge in your head. Recommended by many modern outdoorsmen as the best currently available book on the subject. IP.

*Survival, Evasion and Escape - FM 21-76 (US Gov't Printing Office, N.d.)
    The standard Army manual on the subject. With any luck you'll never have to know this much about escaping armed pursuers or traveling through hostile territory... IP.