Book Review :: The Back to Basics Handbook

The Back to Basics Handbook: A Guide to Buying and Working Land, Raising Livestock, Enjoying Your Harvest, Household Skills and Crafts, and More
by Abigail R. Gehring




After a disappointing "homesteading" book a month or so ago, I really scoured the Internet reading reviews on other books of a similar nature. I was able to find this title at the local bookstore, Mountain Bookshop.

Wow! Just wow. I love the material covered in this book. Albeit, not every subject is covered in great detail, this book will give you the basics in everything from building your homestead and wind systems to livestock and fruit trees. It is crazy how much I have learned from this one book.

While buying or building on land doesn't apply to me yet, I really appreciate the thought that was given into this chapter. The author goes into how to raise a barn, tap into a water supply, and build various types of fences. Fences apply to everyone.

The chapter on gardening was also especially helpful. It gave detailed descriptions as well as handy little charts on natural pest control. I loved that. Who wants to buy expensive pesticides (not to mention contaminate your food) when you can use simple wood ash to get rid of common pests like aphids? This chapter also got me interested in home fish farming. Something I would have never thought of without this book. When you think of livestock it's the usual: cows, goats, sheep, horses, pigs. This book brings the underdogs into play: rabbits, fish, bees. Most people can only raise the underdogs and I appreciate that smaller homesteads were taken into consideration.

Butchering and preserving is always needed in a book like this and the author also thought to include maple sugaring and bread baking. I hope to put this whole section into use someday as we have access to a sugar maple tree. The book also covers fiber arts -spinning, dying, weaving- and the basics of making candles, soaps, and handwoven baskets.

Really, what else do you need to know? This book covers everything. I love any book that I can open right up and answer a question I have about this or that. It has also opened my eyes to other aspects of homesteading or self-sufficient living that aren't as commonly written about. Happy reading!



- Sarah

Book Review :: Modern Homestead

Book Review :: Modern Homestead: Grow, Raise, Create by Renee Wilkinson



This book is more of a compilation of summaries of a few things that can be done to start your homesteading efforts. Unfortunately, none of the chapters go into detail on any one subject.
It also seems a little off balance. The book begins with lots of ideas on homesteading in small rented spaces, but then has a whole section devoted to raising goats. If your focus is renters, why devote so many pages to an animal most renters can only dream of having?

I also found that the first chapter a little irrelevant. It is all about what renters can do in small spaces and how to organize community gardens.
Obviously if you bought this book you are interested in homesteading so you will be trying everything that you possibly can in whatever space you have. I'm not sure most people need to read thirty pages worth of different combinations and capabilities.

This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book however. I just wouldn't have spent $30 on it.
I did have a good time seeing the author's humor in print and the book was very easy to read. I was also inspired to keep goats myself from the chapter on animals. The sections on chickens, ducks, and bees were also very informative and helpful for those starting out with our winged friends. I appreciated listings of common and recommended breeds for goats, chickens, and ducks.

Being that I know little to nothing about canning and preserving, I enjoyed reading the chapter that covered the different methods. It did, however, leave me wanting more on this subject. I think the unnecessary thirty pages on community gardening could have been used for this much more useful purpose.

All in all, it's a great book for people who don't know if they are well suited for "homesteading", but maybe not for someone who has already gotten started. It will still have a place on my bookshelf.


- Sarah