Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living

I've only skimmed through the hands-on sections of this book, and though some of the projects are brief (as any all-encompassing homesteading book's are), this book is Amazing for various other reasons...I usually break things down into 3 categories: the WHAT, the HOW, and the WHY... In this case: "What" the book offers in the way of physical projects. "How" the book reads. And last, but very-much-not-least, "Why" the book was written and "Why" someone should start or continue down the homesteading path...The WHAT of this book, like I mentioned above, is far ranging while not going toooo far into details about anything... Which is good. This book would be 1000+ pages if it had. To learn about further resources on any of the subjects mentioned in the book, read the bibliography in the back... It's well categorized, and easy to follow.The HOW of this book is fantastic! Really a delight to read! It's a balanced collage of well-written texts, beautiful glossy photos, and informative diagrams aesthetically-placed throughout... Flip to any page or read it front to back, either way I loved it...The WHY behind this book is the most amazing of all... Because it's written from Rachel's background as a somatic psychologist, it is packed with ways-of-being that holistically help individuals make the transition from "mainstream" culture to a sustainable homesteader's way of life... And it's done well! ... I believe she wrote this book from a very deep place in her heart, and is here to assist our society's evolution into a new era of love, community, and happiness... A lot of the "stuff" that gets in the way of personal and societal change is explained in the beginnings of the book, and methods are brought to the light to learn better how to thrive in this new world... Toward the back of the book, Rachel's "Self Care" section really explains how we can nourish and be good to ourselves and those around us during the process... I feel all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking of the possibilities here... ; )All in all, I greatly recommend this book to young adults looking for a more wholesome and fun way to live, activists, newcomers of the homesteader's movement, and seasoned veterans who may need a boost in the WHY's and HOW's to go about continuing... (and anyone else with an inkling that there may be something more to this life than what's being offered by our consumerist culture.)HAPPY READING! -Benjamin

First, the good:The layout of the book is very well done and aesthetically pleasing, the photographs are exceptional and the quality of the book is top notch for a large-format paperback. There are no cut corners here.When it comes to content, I appreciated the authors' non-judgmental style, optimism and happy encouragement. Many other authors have talked about these issues without such restraint and acceptance of the beliefs and ultimate goals of their readers. I also especially liked that nowhere did the author advocate any illegal activity (unlike many other sources on the subject.) They attempted to address a broad width of topics and succeeded in hitting all the major components of urban homesteading.So, why the 3 stars?It is inevitable that the numerous topics would lack depth, but this puts the book squarely in the raw beginner market. After reading the other reviews, I expected more. The gardening chapters have advice that is very specific to Northern California's climate (I used to live there) but would be an disastrous failure in many other regions. They also missed some important components of biointensive gardening, particularly the need for a large amount of organic inputs. A better source for this kind of gardening is to go back to the original, Jeavons' "How to Grow More Vegetables."At least one of their food preservation recipes can kill you -- not a good sign. And not all urban areas are the kinda of high density environments they envision.Finally, I felt the last two chapters were particularly off-putting even though I was barely skimming the book by then. If gardening doesn't nurture your soul, than no amount of art projects and personal alters are going to make homesteading the right choice for you, and have nothing whatsoever to do with homesteading. They were, however, very evocative of a certain "hippy dippy" No Cal crowd, to borrow a phrase from another reviewer.In summary: if you are interested in a broad review of the topic, are a beginner, and live in VERY urban area with forgiving oceanic climate like Northern California, this book will be a great choice for you. For the rest of us... not so much.

lots of hints for gardeners.....especially newbies

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This is an awesome book, wrote with love ! They talk about everything you ask yourself is you want to change your lifestyle to a sustainable living !