Pros: Lots of details and links to more information. Gives you the basics on just about every homesteading topic.

Cons: not enough pictures and diagrams (but with as much information as there is, you can’t expect there to be. It’s an encyclopedia, not a manual).

Lots of information on farm life, canning, recipes, cheese making etc…

Lots of good information in here. I’ve just begun to learn.

Absolutely the most complete book I’ve ever purchased. Has literally every subject you would want to know about for country living/ homesteading, and an unexpected number of recipes in every chapter.

The 2020’s have not been kind. If you aren’t already trying to be more self sufficient, then you might want to get on it. Though I imagine you are, if you are sniffing through books like this. This is an encyclopedia, by design it isnt all inclusive but its an impressive start. Are you old enough to remember encyclopedias? Little bit about everything, right? You can expect that here, except for a little more detail PLUS relevant links and addition resources. So would say it is a pretty good resource. I have lots of books, and I am super pleased with this so far. I am not at all disappointed. Very glad to have added it to my “prepper library”. Because you know what? If power goes out, all digital resources become unavailable. So have an assortment of books. Use this as a solid starting point, learn what you can, add mote books to your library, print some info out and stuff into a binder, take notes, etc. But, if you ONLY had this book? It is going to make you more confident in having a go-to resource for a whole slew of information across all the things you may need to do in a self sufficient lifestyle.

Neat little add on: there is a short “achievement checklists”. 25 or so tasks that you may come across, and you can check if you have done them. Not all relevant to your situation, but it could be a starting point to see where your abilities and comforts are, and what you need to work on. If you havent done them, but want to.. maybe scout out your community and see if anyone is willing to show you. Volunteer to learn these skills!

Then, ” a final exam for you”, which asks about what you learned. ie, What is basic bread recipe? How do you make cottage cheese? How do you plant potatoes?

It’s jam packed full of into. Small-ish print, so get out your glasses, a good light, and a notepad and sticky notes since you will want to jot down info or make bookmarks to special info. That being said, the info jumps out easily. It is well organized looking, and I can take it a paragraph, or section at a time. I think the lay out is good. You have no idea how many cruddy books I have because I bought them online and couldnt look at them first. I am really drawn to this books. All pages appear to be there.

Each section has a quick list of what it covers, then its own specific table of contents. The beginning of the book has a general table of contents. Each section can be easily found because there is a darkened color to the page, like a tab. Then at end of book is the usual appendix, and some other bits of info.

Learn now, research now, take down notes now, ask questions now, watch videos now, buy supplies now, stock your pantry now. Best $22 I have spent. My book came in excellent condition, no problems.

Exalant book

The book ingrate I found out about this book after reading your review that was talking about the book The Lost ways and they basically boiled it down to The Lost ways is nothing more than a series of I recommend this product and doesn’t have hardly any information as Dual Survival living off the land and the reviewer of the Lost ways book said it was basically crap mentioned they used to get this book instead and I got to be honest I’m glad I did the writer of this book is a great source of information. I like this book it’s a hell of a lot thicker than I expected and I’ve hardly had time to crack it and read a bunch into it but I have read the introduction to the offering stuff and I like how she and her husband got their start into homesteading in self-reliance the only other couple boats I can think of other than this one a couple books I got one and I really need it because it’s really helpful to raise animals and it’s call butchering by Adam Danforth and it’s for butchering poultry rabbit lambgoat and pork and it’s a comprehensive photographic guide to Humane slaughtering and butchering because trust me butchers are expensive the only other one that I need to get is for butchering cows and I don’t know if this encyclopedia country living has it in it but if it doesn’t I’d suggest buying a book on how to build a salt room smoking room for curing meat that does not have to be refrigerated and also a book on digging a root cellar my grandma grew up without Refrigeration and electricity whenever they were kids her and my PawPaw both taught me alot but it always helps to have some written documentation as well to refer to in the event power is going to be off for an extremely long extended periods of time. But this Encyclopedia of country living is a very large book I’d say it’s at least 2 in thick and it’s got a lot of information like how how to get started in homesteading play the very first few pages it describes what kind of land and locations which will be different for everybody based on what you’re trying to go for. but it’s a great book I am definitely damn sure glad I bought it!!! for twenty bucks or however much I spent on it, the value against nation in it is definitely more valuable. and the husband and wife the wife wrote the book but they were both living in the city and they decided that they wanted to go and live and enjoy homesteading so anybody can do it basically but it is a lot of hard work but rewarding work