Building for Self-Sufficiency: Tools, Materials, Building, Heat, Insulation, Solar Energy, Wind Power, Water and Plumbing, Waste and Compost, Methan [Paperback]

Robin Clarke (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (June 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876639457
• ISBN-13: 978-0876639450
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,820,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Food for Thought, October 27, 2009

By 

Cole F. Petersburg (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building for Self-Sufficiency: Tools, Materials, Building, Heat, Insulation, Solar Energy, Wind Power, Water and Plumbing, Waste and Compost, Methan (Hardcover)

I don't think anyone had opened my library's copy of this book until 3 days ago. That's too bad - it's very well written and engaging.

Months before the oil shock of 1973, the author and 15 friends formed a do-it-yourself commune and learned a great deal about self-sufficiency, yet they disbanded within a few years. Read this book to find out: exactly how ridiculous was their attempt at homemade wind power? Were they able to collect enough groundwater and rainwater? Does a primitive solar water heater work in Wales? Why did they disband?

The book skirts around the "story" of their commune and concentrates heavily on homebuilding techniques and practical skills that well all could learn with a little practice. The content is almost like an academic thesis in that it describes their experimental methods, as well as results, in great detail.