Customer Reviews

Joey Green's Incredible Country Store: Potions, Notions and Elixirs of the Past--and How to Make Them Today

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fun little book of pure nostalgia. You COULD make up some of the products for which detailed instructions are rendered but, in all honesty, this book is much more for personal reading entertainment and (non-fiction) escapism for folks who were born in the 40s and 50s.

What all is in this 2004, 356-page work? It's bulging with old remedies, cleansers, perfumes, cures (sort of the snake-oil types in many cases), and other sundry items. There are also discussions of "Strange Facts," Snopes-type trivia. The histories of many commercial enterprises are conveyed (Tinkertoys, Campbell's Soup, J.C. Penny, etc.) which makes for pleasurable light reading, but there's nothing particularly authoritative in here which one could use for academic research.

In fact, it's quite clear that this book was pretty much published on the cheap -- some of the page numbers are so near the edges as to be cut off, (Rodale, Inc. publishing)! The photos and illustrations are all conveyed in black-and-white.

Is the book worth the price? It depends on what you want it for. If you actually wish to fabricate your own pine cleanser, massage oil, or potpourri, then I would say that this book is indispensable. The author even directs you to where you can supposedly obtain the necessary ingredients for his many and various concoctions, although most local drug stores carry very little of this stuff these days. (Other vendor addresses are provided in the latter section of the book, just in case you can't obtain them nearby.)

But the Ripley-ish sorts of "strange facts" and other appurtenant useless trivia can be effortlessly garnered from thousands of free and very accessible websites, (which is probably where the author gleaned his own information.) Joey Green has corralled quite a bit of reflective minutiae here but it's a real hodge-podge of information.

Recommended if it works for you!

a great litte book that you can't put down, brings back many memories of the past and shows how to recreat them. The author takes a lot of time explaining how things were made, I'm real happy with the book and have ordered one for my brother and one for my daughter. They both think it's a great book and have shared it with others.

Thanks.

This is a fun book with all kinds of trivia, stories about forgotten favorites (Erector Sets) and hard to find goodies (old fashioned candies). It has a huge variety of home recipes for lotions, soaps, balms, antacids and more and the recipes appear to be fairly simple. It's light, full of photos and easy to read.

I picked it up for the recipes but have found it kind of hard to resist. I recently read it out loud to my husband on a trip to the ER -- trying to distract him and keep us both awake while we waited for him to be admitted (he's fine now). After we got home, he swiped it and is reading it himself.

If you like places like Cracker Barrel's old country stores, you'll really get a kick out of this book!

I.MUST.OWN.THIS.BOOK! PERIOD! This is one of those little treasures that takes you back in time, where life was simpler & no worries. I simply get lost in the pages, remembering a by-gone era and marveling at how many of these products have stood the test of time and are still with us today. If you ever wondered where 'Chiclets' or 'Burt's Bee's' or 'Watkins Red Liniment' or 'Tiger Balm' or the 'Slinky' came from, you will find it here, along with many, many others. Some of which you just may have forgotten about and catch yourself saying, "Oh, yeah! I remember!" Lots of research and fun facts. So much I didn't know! Look at magazine ads from yesteryear! I normally don't review non-fiction, but figured as long as I'm at Amazon to buy the book, I might as well tell you how much I love it. Highly recommended. :)

this book i bought for my husband and it was a great hit. its packed full of information.
very enjoyable reading. very glad we have it and others want to barrow it

I absolutely love this book. I bought one for myself and one for each of my 2 adult children. So many good ideas and facts. Fun and interesting reading. Many helpful ideas that I can try. Many good subsitutions for things that cost too much. I like natural remedies and this has many. I refer to it many times. Very helpful book, to add to my collection.

This is a fun book to own.It is a blast from the past for so many of us.I checked this out from the library and knew I had to own it myself.
This book is a great read and has lots of information .

About: Recipes, facts and history about famous and nostalgic products.

Pros: Interesting, easy read, short chapters. Includes resources and bibliography

Cons: Writing can be repetitive. Brand names are used ad nauseam, which leads me to wonder if Mr. Green was being compensated by the trademark owners.

Grade: B

I was very pleased with my purchase, and the timeliness in receiving it.