A Practical Guide to Old-Fashioned Self-Sufficiency
Editor: Phillip Rodwell

Have you ever wished you could be less dependent on mass-produced items from the supermarket, less reliant on tradespeople for those around-the-home jobs or that your lifestyle was less stressful? "Back to Basics" is the self-help book that shows you how to combine modern labour-saving techniques with traditional skills to achieve a more rewarding way of life for your family.

Contents:
Houses:
Buying a rural property.
Building a house.
Stone, earth and pole houses.
Renovating old buildings. Additions.
Fireplaces.
Paving, fencing. Water supply.

Energy:
The energy efficient house.
Solar, wind, water, wood as a fuel.
Food and livestock:
Gardening and building healthy soil.
Organics and permaculture.
Flowers, vegetables, fruit, nuts, herbs.
Grains and grasses.
Raising livestock and poultry: sheep, goats, pigs, dairy cows, working horses, beekeeping, fish farming.

Harvests:
Preserving, bottling, freezing, drying. Baking. Beverages, home brew, wine making. Curing and smoking incl building a smoke house. Dairy products.

Skills and crafts:
Outdoor cooking.
Dyeing; spinning; weaving; basketry; candle making; decorative painting; rope and twine; paper making; soap; household recipes; cosmetics; preserving flowers and their scent; pottery.
Wood working and metal working with projects and diagrams.

Recreation:
Family pastimes.
Enjoying the outdoors.
Bushwalking
Camping
Canoeing and kayaking
Horseriding
Rock climbing and abseiling
Swimming and surfing
Fishing
Cross-country skiing
Large hardback, 1997, 464pages, very good condition