The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series),   ISBN:9781934170014

Customer Rating: 

I got into preparedness back in the mid-60s when we were living in Arlington, VA and the air raid siren went off in the middle of the night. I expected to be vaporized at any moment. Of course, it wasn't a nuclear attack, but it instilled in me a mind set of preparedness and self reliance.

Since then, I've read everything I could get my hands on about those topics. Some are good, some are rehashes of the same old stuff. This has information that is sometimes obvious, but there are lots of real gems here. The plans on making a self watering planter was, to me, worth the price of the book. Many times I found myself saying, "Oh, yeah, I could make this worm composter! Oh wow, I never thought of that! Yeah, I could do this!"

I live in arid Southern Arizona in a house with a decent sized lot. I do a little bit to live more independently--I hang laundry, inefficiently collect rainwater, use the laundry rinse water on plants, try to grow a few veggies, have a compost pile--but this book has galvanized me to do so much more, and tells me how. There are so many "little" things that I can do, to not only save money but to make me more independent.

It doesn't matter if you are a lefty liberal who wants to save the planet or a right wing survivalist/conspiracy nut (I'm both), this book has a wealth of ideas along with a great appendix of websites for further information.

I love this book.

Customer Rating: 

A lot of green living books assume you have control over use of your surroundings. If you live in a condo or apartment, have a landlord or a housing association watching you, a lot of those books ignore the problem. They also brush off financial limitations. This book's underlying philosophy is "Do what you can where you are." There are things I can't do in an apartment that does monthly inspections. I found a lot that I could manage on a tight budget, and others that I could do by saving up a bit (maybe $5 a week).

One of the reviews criticizes that the authors don't go into much detail on a lot of the how-to's. That is true. The authors in some cases do go on about a project they have done and thus have practical suggestions for. Other sections are brief and refer to a better resource. I prefer that honesty over blathering just to increase the word count. If I decide to go for any major project I would go to the library to do a little research of my own.

How much did I like this book? After reading it I donated it to the 1-room library and saved up to get another for myself.

Customer Rating: 

If you're just starting out on the road to self-suffiency, this is a great start. It gives you ideas on where to start and what you can do, without owning much in the way of acerage.

Customer Rating: 

Simply put, this is s great book. I have read a ton of material recently about urban farming and this book is simple, straightforward and filled with good common sense advice. It is written by real people and not some kind of Martha Stewart-esque couple living on a big spread in the Hamptons. If you live in a city, have a small yard and lots of close neighbors and thought you could never have a farm, read this book and you'll be on your way!

Customer Rating: 

So far, I've only had the chance to thumb through this. But, it was the second part of my secret Santa gift and I really love this one. From what I've read, I feel like I'm being talked to by a friend. I like the tone and the content and I can't wait to really read and study it. Great book and would have bought it myself, had I not received it as a gift.

A great book for the younger generation.