Self-Sufficiency – A Complete Guide to Basic Life Survival Skills

Jun 18, 2011
Donald Reinhardt

Self-Sufficiency, A Great Book - Skyhorse Publication, photo by Donald Reinhardt

"Self-Sufficiency" is an outstanding, well-written and well-illustrated guide to survival and skills of life. This book is about greener and simpler living.

The green and simple life concept is captured in the essence, spirit and contents of the new, noteworthy and very useful book entitled “Self-Sufficiency” (ISBN 1-60239-999-0), a production of Skyhorse Publication. This clearly-written, amply-illustrated and well-edited book is a helpful, comprehensive 456 page guide to better simpler, self-sufficient living. The book is a survival workbook that reviews and teaches many basic life skills and tools for simpler living and enjoyment. The editor, Abigail R. Gehring, has done a notable job assembling all the elements of this book.

"Self-Sufficiency" – Six Major Book Sections – Each a View of Simple, Green, Homestead Living

There are 6 main parts or sections of “Self-Sufficiency” and these each are subdivided very nicely into practical subsection topics:

The Family Garden
The Country Kitchen
Canning and Preserving
Country Crafts
The Barnyard
The Workshop

All these subsections are nicely ordered and presented as we will show in the following section and subsection reviews.

Self-Sufficiency – Part 1 – The Family Garden

In this section, the reader will find the gardening basics of soil, water, light, nutrients, container gardening, herb, vegetable, berry and fruit tree gardening, raised beds, composting and fertilization. There is also a subtopic on "hydroponics" – growing plants without soil – with explanations how to do hydroponic farming. Included in this section are organic gardening basics and natural pest control. Food co-ops and farmers’ markets are explained and the Appendix of the book list states with co-ops.

Self-Sufficiency – Part 2 – The Country Kitchen

This chapter starts out with the basics of making and baking all different kinds of breads, biscuits, buns, cakes, cookies, and various aspects of maple sugaring and edible wild plants (e.g. asparagus, blackberry, chicory, dandelion, raspberry, etc.) and mushrooms such as corals, morels and puffballs. Also this chapter is a guide to sausage making, and curing and processing of hams. Butter, cheese and yogurt making procedures are reviewed.

Self-Sufficiency – Part 3 – Canning and Preservation

This is a very clear and comprehensive presentation of all aspects of canning for vegetables, fruits, bean salads. Included is basic, useful information and knowledge on acids, blanching, heating, sealing and cold pack, pressure-heat. Other methods of preservation covered in this section include making jams and jellies and drying and freezing preservation.

Self-Sufficiency – Part 4 – Country Crafts

The “Country Crafts” section marks the halfway point of the book and takes the reader into the simple and fun basic crafts that follow the seasons of the year – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. From wreaths, decorated eggs, mosaic flowerpots, homemade weddings, hammocks, berry ink, feather pens, potpourri, flower preservation, pine cone bird feeders knot tying, kites, boomerangs, sundial, candling, making soap, corn husk dolls, basketry, lampshades, quilts, pottery, bookbinding, handcrafted paper, scrapbook skills, rag rugs, toboggans.

Self-Sufficiency – Part 5 – The Barnyard

This section shows how to house, feed and care for animals of the barnyard: chickens, cows, ducks, pigs, rabbits, turkeys, goats, sheep, llamas. Included in this section are selected and best breeds and varieties of each animal type and butchering of pigs and cattle. One anomaly here is the subsection on beekeeping which probably best fits in the gardening chapter. However, since bees are managed and raised in special hives and are insects and animals and must be handled as animals they fit here in one way or another

Self-Sufficiency – Part 6 – The Workshop

This is the concluding and very significant chapter that covers: the basic tools of measuring, marking, cutting, holding tools as well as good and quality kitchen furniture (cupboards, pantries, spice boxes) and home furniture plus construction ideas for chairs, benches, sawhorses, hen coops, chicken runs, gates, fences, sheds, tool houses, linen chests, beds and bookshelves.

Self-Sufficiency – Appendices of the Book

Appendix 1 contains useful information on solar and windmill energy plus geothermal heat pumps. Appendix 2 contains a Food co-op directory of those major places found in the United States. There is also a good and useful index at the end of the book.

In summary, "Self-Sufficiency" is a book that gives the reader a running start on attaining useful and specific survival skills, knowledge and capabilities.