The Self-Sufficiency Handbook [Paperback]

Alan Bridgewater (Author), Gill Bridgewater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2007

Anyone considering a shift to a greener way of living must get this inspirational and practical guide. With easy-to-read layouts and simple text, it runs the full ecological gamut, from geothermal heating to crop rotation to soap making. The Bridgewaters, well-regarded garden writers, help readers answer questions such as how much land they really require, whether or not to depend entirely on natural forms of energy, and which farm animals will best meet their needs. There’s practical information on building an insulated flue-pipe chimney, identifying edible wild plants, and composting with worms. In addition to recipes for jams, rhubarb wine, and other delicious foods, three A-Z sections offer planting and harvesting instructions for vegetables and salad crops, fruits, and herbs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gill and Alan Bridgewater have gained an international reputation as producers of highly successful gardening and DIY books on a range of subjects, including garden design, ponds and patios, stone and brickwork, decks and decking, and household woodworking. They have also contributed to several international magazines. Alan and Gill live in Rye, East Sussex.


Alan and Gill Bridgewater have gained an international reputation as producers of highly successful gardening and DIY books on a range of subjects, including garden design, ponds and patios, stone and brickwork, decks and decking, and household woodworking. They have also contributed to several international magazines. Alan and Gill live in Rye, East Sussex.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (November 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602391637
• ISBN-13: 978-1602391635
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Inroduction to the Self-Sufficient Lifestyle, April 29, 2008

By 

John J. Browne "bookaholic" (Brooklyn, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Self-Sufficiency Handbook (Paperback)

In these times of international and domestic unrest, rampant increases in food and fuel prices and general discontent, the thought of leaving the rat race and setting up a small farm doubtlessly has appeal to nearly all of us. Before you do so however, I strongly recommend that you read this book. The authors having been living a self-sufficient lifestyle for decades and are well qualified to share their experience.

The book covers a wide range of topics and while certainly not exclusive (there have been entire books written on areas which they cover in a few pages) they do provide a nice overview of topics such as location selection, alternate energy options and water supplies as well as tasks such as home soap making, candle making, beer and wine making etc. The greater portion of the book is devoted to crop growing and a wide variety of crop choices and planting styles are covered. The specific care needs of each plant are covered as are harvesting requirements. The raising of farm animals, including though not limited to cows, chickens, goats, ducks and pigs are also discussed. Most helpful I think are the A-Z checklists for various herbs and crops and the "Planning the Year Calendar" which outlines the various farm related activities which must be done throughout the year.

While the Bridgewaters are residents of England and their book has a somewhat UK centric focus their helpful address section has many American companies and their advice is readily applicable to prospective self-sufficient types in the USA.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars SAVE YOUR MONEY!, September 12, 2009

By 

Clovermom (Dallas, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Self-Sufficiency Handbook (Paperback)

This is NO WHERE NEAR a "complete" guide! It gives you an overview, but you could never achieve self suffiency with this book alone. There is simply not enough detail in any of the areas. For livestock you get about 2 pages, maybe 3 that give no where near enough info. If you are just wondering about some basic stuff, it could be a interesting read. But if you are planning on trying to "live it out" skip this book altogether. One of the BEST is Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living. Now with that, you can become almost 100% self sufficient!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Not so Complete Guide......., February 22, 2009

By 

Scoleman (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Self-Sufficiency Handbook (Paperback)

I bought this book as a source book for self sufficiency ideas, what I found was a book with a lot of ideas but not enough substance to even warrant the purchase. This book was written as an introduction to the basic concepts of farm and off grid living. The topics are covered in such a limited fashion that the detail needed to implement the concepts is not in the book. This book needs more technical information and needs to be about one hundred pages longer to cover all that is in the table of contents.