The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery

[William_Montgomery]

I'm planning on purchasing a copy of this book as a gift and thought I'd run it by the BCUK community to see if anybody has read it and, whether or not they have found it to be a useful resource.

The recepient is somebody who is interested and active in self sufficiency, poultry keeping, growing fruit/veg, foraging, preserving, fermenting etc, as well as traditional crafts. She was a 'bushcraft' instructor and so has an interest in all that good stuff too.

It seems well reviewed, but I'm curious about how comprehensive it is. I'm looking for something fairly meaty which can provide some inspiration as well as useful techniques.

 

[Toddy]

I have a copy....there are multiple editions.....it was originally written and posted out as excerpts and eventually compiled.

It's an interesting ramble of a read. It's full of stuff, full of every kind of country skill and craft.

If your friend is that way inclined, then yes, it's worth it. It is very American though, and sometimes that doesn't work well for us.

On balance, if it's a reasonable price, I'd still say it's a good present.

M

 

[William_Montgomery]

I have a copy....there are multiple editions.....it was originally written and posted out as excerpts and eventually compiled.

It's an interesting ramble of a read. It's full of stuff, full of every kind of country skill and craft.

If your friend is that way inclined, then yes, it's worth it. It is very American though, and sometimes that doesn't work well for us.

On balance, if it's a reasonable price, I'd still say it's a good present.

M

I didn't clock that it was American. I expect that affects the information to some degree, hopefully the majority is fairly universal though.
Cheers, Toddy.

 

[Toddy]

I didn't clock that it was American. I expect that affects the information to some degree, hopefully the majority is fairly universal though.
Cheers, Toddy.

You could have a nosey through this before you buy ?

The Encyclopedia Of Country Living by Carla Emery

The Encyclopedia Of Country Living by Carla Emery

www.academia.edu

 

[William_Montgomery]

I have a copy....there are multiple editions.....it was originally written and posted out as excerpts and eventually compiled.

It's an interesting ramble of a read. It's full of stuff, full of every kind of country skill and craft.

If your friend is that way inclined, then yes, it's worth it. It is very American though, and sometimes that doesn't work well for us.

On balance, if it's a reasonable price, I'd still say it's a good present.

M

Received it and it looks great. I think it will go down well. Thanks for the input @Toddy

 

[British Red]

I've had it, it's...okay. For the UK there are better books in my view. We made a video on the ones that we rely on if it helps?

 

[GNJC]

John Seymour's 'Self Sufficiency' is regarded as a classic. He also wrote a couple about old crafts, rural and domestic, which were later combined into one volume - no idea how much was left out, if any.

 

[William_Montgomery]

I've had it, it's...okay. For the UK there are better books in my view. We made a video on the ones that we rely on if it helps?

Cheers, Red. I'll have a look at that. Reckon there will be some good recommendations in there.

 

[William_Montgomery]

John Seymour's 'Self Sufficiency' is regarded as a classic. He also wrote a couple about old crafts, rural and domestic, which were later combined into one volume - no idea how much was left out, if any.

That looks perfect, and most probably better than the one I mentioned. I'll add that to the list. Just looked him up and seems he was pretty local to us. Thanks for putting me onto him.

 

[TeeDee]

I think i may have a copy - but if I remember correctly its quite steep price wise.

 

[British Red]

I think i may have a copy - but if I remember correctly its quite steep price wise.

It's a good work for dreaming. He wrote better books for actually living the life in my view

 

[GNJC]

It's a good work for dreaming. He wrote better books for actually living the life in my view

Hmm... he was a strange fellow in many ways. I came across his self-sufficiency book indirectly, having first bought old copies of his 'forgotten' arts and crafts books. I liked them and so I bought the other... yet, as a farmer, I find a lot of it to be eccentric at best.

I think it is alright, and I can see a definite attraction in it for many people, but I think it is probably best as a guide to choosing which aspects of such a lifestyle one may like best - it's not a case of giving up work to do it, but rather enjoying free time more with some of what it introduces.

 

[Toddy]

Pantry Fields | John Seymour | Self-sufficiency

John Seymour. The life and work of the father of Self Sufficiency. Book extracts, biography, bibliography, obituary.

www.pantryfields.com

 

[GNJC]

Pantry Fields | John Seymour | Self-sufficiency

John Seymour. The life and work of the father of Self Sufficiency. Book extracts, biography, bibliography, obituary.

www.pantryfields.com

Interesting, I only knew a little of that. His old place is about half an hour from here, right by a friend of Mrs GNJC. The only thing you could fault around here with is the amount and the spread or the rainfall.

I think he was an 'idealist', which isn't necessarily a bad thing; but he comes across from that bio' as sometimes a bit of a brat, even a prig. His views on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ignore the vast, vast numbers of highly likely allied and Japanese civilian casualties had the bombs not been used.

But, that aside, I think he did a great deal of good; and not least by inspiring many people to try things they might not otherwise have done, and to understand what food really is and what it takes to produce it. And he was a fair historian too.

 

[Toddy]

I think he was of his time. I think his views and writings were very much those of the people involved in those 'movements' of that time.

That his writings still inspire, encourage and inform, is no bad thing

He and Sally and the work they did, still seem relevant to many today, even with all the advances in electronics, etc., solar power, heat pumps and the like.

My copies of their books are so old that they ended up being re-glued and fabric covered just to hold them together.

I don't think he made enough mention of the reality of the mud involved in that kind of small holding life though

 

[GNJC]

...I don't think he made enough mention of the reality of the mud involved in that kind of small holding life though

Is 'mud' a euphemism because BCUK is a family forum...?

 

[Toddy]

I didn't actually mean it as a euphemism, but ...you have a point

 

[British Red]

I think it is alright, and I can see a definite attraction in it for many people, but I think it is probably best as a guide to choosing which aspects of such a lifestyle one may like best - it's not a case of giving up work to do it, but rather enjoying free time more with some of what it introduces.

I think that very much depends on the life that people want. I did give up work for a very different life. Of course we still work, be we work for ourselves and we measure life differently. When working for others full time the questions were "how much money do I have and what shall I spend it on?"

Now we do "odd jobs" for actual money the question is more "do I really need that thing and am I prepared to earn enough to get it". The answer is often no.

I think that lockdown was a"lightbulb moment " for many people. They realised that they really did want to give up working 9 to 5 (which really means 7 to 7)

 

[GNJC]

I think that very much depends on the life that people want. I did give up work for a very different life. Of course we still work, be we work for ourselves and we measure life differently. When working for others full time the questions were "how much money do I have and what shall I spend it on?"

Now we do "odd jobs" for actual money the question is more "do I really need that thing and am I prepared to earn enough to get it". The answer is often no.

I think that lockdown was a"lightbulb moment " for many people. They realised that they really did want to give up working 9 to 5 (which really means 7 to 7)

That's fair comment; but I think lockdown wasn't the real test it may have seemed for some, in the sense that there was money coming in regardless for many.

For myself... I made up my mind when I was a teenager that I wasn't going to do anything I didn't like if I didn't have to; but, that if I had to do something, it was pointless whinging or moping about it, regardless of how much I disliked it.

It's worked out pretty well so far.