Country Wisdom & Know-How [Paperback]

The Editors of Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom Boards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Reminiscent in both spirit and design of the beloved Whole Earth Catalog, Country Wisdom & Know-How is an unprecedented collection of information on nearly 200 individual topics of country and self-sustained living. Compiled from the information in Storey Publishing's landmark series of "Country Wisdom Bulletins," this book is the most thorough and reliable volume of its kind. Organized by general topic including animals, cooking, crafts, gardening, health and well-being, and home, it is further broken down to cover dozens of specifics from "Building Chicken Coops" to "Making Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt" to "Improving Your Soil" to "Restoring Hardwood Floors." Nearly 1,000 black-and-white illustrations and photographs run throughout and fascinating projects and trusted advice crowd every page.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Storey Publishing, located in North Adams, Massachusetts, is one of the most respected and trusted publishers in the categories of country living, crafts, pets, and animals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 488 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579123686
• ISBN-13: 978-1579123680
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 1.3 x 13.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Reference
  • #9 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Home Improvement & Design > How-to & Home Improvements > Do-It-Yourself
  • #21 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Hiking & Camping > Instructional

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 123 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, very thorough, great reference April 30, 2005

By Harold McFarland HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

If you could gather up the wisdom of the many generations of farmers, ranchers, outdoorsmen, homesteaders, and mountain-men and put it into a book you would end up with a book like this. While this is not as thorough as the multi-volume sets like the older Foxfire series, it is one of the most complete single-volume works available. The text is small in order to cram all the information into this oversized almost 500 page book but it is still readable and very interesting. The book is divided into the six major sections of animals, cooking, crafts, gardening, health and well-being, and home. Each of these major divisions is subdivided into multiple more detailed sections. For example, the animals section includes information on attracting desirable animals such as humming birds, building bird shelters, feeding birds while preventing squirrels from robbing the feeder, getting rid of problem animals, taking care of your pets, herbal treatments for dog problems, rabbit husbandry, horsemanship, raising chickens and ducks, beekeeping, and butchering. Each section is similarly detailed with the gardening section being particularly large. Country Wisdom and Know-How is an indispensable reference volume for anyone interested in country living and is highly recommended.

77 of 84 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag September 14, 2009

By Jolene Pirrone

Format:Paperback

I originally intended to leave a scathing review, but held off until I was in a better mood. There is a lot of good information in this book - printed in tiny text on very large pages. This is not a problem for my 20/10 vision, but may be an issue for some. I really like the info about cheese and yogurt making. The gardening and animal sections are good solid starting points although leaning a little more towards conventional methods. There are lots of good recipes. (Perhaps a few too many.)

My problem is that in between the good information, there are a lot of perfectly useless topics such as training your cat, feeding birds, stenciling, busy-work crafts, etc. These are not awful subjects to read about, but this text devotes way too much time to such superfluous pursuits. Before you think I'm cold-hearted, consider the fact that there is 3 times as much material about feeding birds than there is on raising chickens. Then consider the title of the book and you tell me...

Great if you are looking for a overview of many subjects to get started with.

83 of 91 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Full of Fascinating Information April 14, 2006

By Amalfi Coast Girl

Format:Paperback

This is an odd book for someone to buy that lives in a major metropolitan area. However, if you are interested in how things used to be done, and/or are looking for more control over the products that affect your family this is an interesting read.

PROS:
1. Nice collection of feline information. From building a cat tree, to giving your cat pills, and teaching your cat tricks.
2. Very detailed information on gardening.
3. How to make homemade candy including salt-water taffy. Who knew?
4. Significant section on Preserving, pickling, canning and distilling.
5. Natural Home Remedies for many common ailments.

CONS:
1. The print is very, very, very small. Expect to use reading glasses.
2. I would have preferred a hardback, but that wasn't an option.

Overall, a highly recommend for those that are lacking in how to do things that our parents and grandparents took for granted.