Back to Basics

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"Voluntary simplicity" has become a catch phrase for what seems to be a yearning for a simpler, more self-sufficient and economical way of living in the late 20th century. This book, first published in 1981 and recently updated, was probably many folks' first in-depth exposure to the idea of a simpler life, making things by hand, and enjoying a stronger sense of control over personal budgets, home projects, and lifestyles. Hundreds of projects are listed, illustrated in step-by-step diagrams and instructions: growing and preserving your own food, converting trees to lumber and building a home from it, traditional crafts and homesteading skills, and having fun with recreational activities like camping, fishing, and folk dancing without spending a lot of money. This book will have you dreaming and planning from the first page! -- Mark A. Hetts

Book Description

This how-to, user-friendly guide teaches self-sufficiency-covering all of life's essentials: shelter; alternative energy sources; growing and preserving food; home crafts; directions for making herbal remedies; and even home-grown entertainment.

Customer Reviews:

Back to the Land.......2007-05-13

Old skills brought to life and shared - provident living - do it yourself - from raising poultry, to making cheese- gardening and storage tips - make ice cream, build a house, all between the covers of one book.

Back to Basics.......2007-05-12

This book is great, in fact every household should have one. If you are interested in a selfsustaining lifestyle, living from the resources in your community, thereby supporting your community, this book show the way.

What a great book.......2006-08-26

I have owned this book for 18 yrs and am buying another copy because I wore the 1st one out.It covers Just about everything a tinkering homeowner could want.It has a great amount of info useful to the homesteader or anyone interested in the way things used to be done.I have used it for raising chickens,grapes,gardening and making maple syrup.I also like the firewood section.I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes to tinker.

Best book ever for diagrams and pictures.......2006-06-29

I loved this book. I'd previously read many homesteading style books and had only been happy with one of them (Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living). This book is different in it's own special way. I didn't have as much printed information but the diagrams and pictures were just what we needed to get a few things started that the encyclopedia missed.

I'm adicted it's brilliant.......2006-02-17

I own the book since 1980 or 1981 it's red tried and red again. It's an absolute must for every one enjoying to trial and error and sometimes suceed at skills that where so common once and now seem so difficult.

The Tomato Crop: A scientific basis for improvement (World Crop)

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The Tomato Crop: A scientific basis for improvement (World Crop)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0412251205

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Makes a Few Bold Admissions

Plants, Genes, and Agriculture
Maarten J. Chrispeels , and David E. Sadava
Manufacturer: Jones & Bartlett Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0867208716

Book Description

This textbook is intended for introductory courses in agriculture, plant biology, and economic botany. It is about plants, genes, food and people, and about the changing relationship between them. The purpose is to show how agriculture is changing throughout the world, and to discuss the role that genes and genetic engineering are playing in this change.

Customer Reviews:

Makes a Few Bold Admissions.......2005-03-21

This book contains twenty chapters plus a comprehensive index. Each chapter is written by a distinguished individual in his or her field. Each chapter consists of general opening remarks, detailed information about the subject of each chapter, a chapter summary at the end of each chapter, discussion questions and a list of references for further reading. The lead authors have created a text that would serve double duty as either an adequate text for an introductory lower division course on agronomy/plant sciences, or as a supplemental text for an upper division plant biology course which looks at the social and ethical dimensions of biotechnology and genetically modified organisms.

All the contributors share the belief that agricultural biotechnology in its current manifestation is merely an extension of biology in the natural world, and is but one consequence of Watson & Crick's monumental discovery. Chrispeels and Sadava, the two contributors responsible for compiling the text, boldly state that the biggest beneficiaries of the new GM technology will be those living in the developing countries, and as such reflects the standard party line of the pro-ag-biotech groups and organizations.

All inherent biases aside, the book is highly notable because of several bold admissions made throughout the text. First, the authors readily admit that agricultural biotechnology has no defensible place or justification in a world currently awash in plentiful food, but at the same time, they do believe that biotechnology will play an important role in tomorrow's world agriculture. Second, the also readily concede that distribution of food, and not its production, is the main culprit for hunger, but other issues do play an important role. Related to this is their admission that the ability to pay for food matters more than the supply of food itself; if people can pay for it, they will get it (here their words on the subject echo many of the thoughts put forth by Amartya Sen, and before him, Susan George). Third, they admit that most scientists working in the field of population and demography in the late 1960s and early 1970s made flat out wrong predictions about the infamous 'population bomb', and that predictions made today many not come to pass tomorrow- they are just guesses about the future. Here they appear to be backing away from the incendiary rhetoric of environmental luminaries such as Paul Ehrlich and Lester Brown. Fourth, and quite possibly the boldest admission of the text, was their concession that agricultural biotechnology has been oversold. Apparently, they saw fit to stop short of saying that ag-biotech has been and continues to be hyped into the stratosphere, but their very admission alone is satisfactory, as they later lay most of the blame for today's hysteria and urban myths surrounding ag-biotech and GM technologies upon the overselling of the technologies, where it justifiably belongs.

Indeed, the authors' concern for the overselling of the promise and potential of biotechnology is readily apparent in the final chapter of the book, where they address the myths and realities of agricultural biotechnology. However, even the authors can not resist the temptation to sell the reader on the potential benefits of an agricultural biotechnology, and the book includes chapters on integrated pest management incorporating the scientific advances of ag-biotech (Chapter 16), weed control strategies using biotechnology (Chapter 17), GM technology as a tool for promoting green agriculture (Chapter 18), and the use of plants as biological factories (Chapter 19).

Generally speaking, Chapters 1 through 5 lay down the rationale for incorporation of ag-biotech in food production, and chapters 6 through 15 explain the how to, the ins and outs of the technology and how genetic modification of crops is achieved. Also, chapters 6 through 15 cover all the standard topics one would find in a regular course on agronomy, crop science and plant biology, from plant cell and molecular biology, plant growth and development, seeds and seed technology, the ins and outs of photosynthesis and the physical, biological and environmental factors associated with it, soils and root zone systems, nitrogen cycling, to the historical basis for crop breeding (with some paleo-anthropological perspectives) and the gradual leap from breeding via classical techniques to modern, biotech based methods. Chapter 15 also looks at crop disease and its management from a molecular genetic standpoint, and strikes me as a means to include students in plant pathology.

Additionally, the authors paid considerable attention to the problems and challenges of agriculture in Third World countries, in an attempt to demonstrate the veracity of their belief that GM technology can do much to assist the inhabitants there. However, in the process, they belatedly demonstrate that these technologies have been developed to address symptoms of more complex and fundamental problems having an economic, environmental and/or socio-historical basis. Yet, the authors must be credited for admitting that the real need in developing countries is for more research support to address their specific physical and environmental conditions, and for demonstrating that in every single instance where consumer incomes rise and the socio-economic status of women advances, there is an inevitable decrease in birth rates, hunger and malnutrition.

Thus, the contributors freely admit that their research and scientific activities chase phantom problems and non-problems. They also admit, albeit obliquely, that ag-biotech in its current manifestation does not address the needs or the fundamental problems faced in the developing or the developed world. In fact, on the one hand, researchers have occupied themselves with testing the limits of GM technology, seeing what they can do, and exploring different directions, while on the other hand, government institutions and corporations have directed their efforts at technological developments for which they have proprietary control, and increasingly, total control over distribution and other supporting activities. Alas, the authors have chosen, perhaps unwisely, to offer any comments on this state of affairs, and what it may mean for everyone.

In sum, this book makes quite a few bold admissions, some directly, but most indirectly, and as such, is a necessary read for those interested in the topics of ag-biotech, genetic modification technologies, food production and safety, and crop science in general. It is definitely a good and comprehensive book, containing a level of honesty highly uncommon among textbooks on the subject(albeit couched among questionable pitches about potential benefits of ag-biotech), and its sources for further reading are indispensable. I highly recommend the text to anyone looking to place this contentious scientific topic within a social and ethical context.

Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement: Cereals, Volume 2 (Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Imporovement)

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Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement: Cereals, Volume 2 (Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Imporovement)

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849314321

Book Description

Summarizing landmark research, Volume 2 of this essential series furnishes information on the availability of germplasm resources that breeders can exploit for producing high-yielding cereal crop varieties. Written by leading international experts, this volume offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on employing genetic resources to increase the yield of those cereal crops that provide the main source of nutrition for two-thirds of the world. In thirteen succinct chapters, Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement: Cereals, Volume 2 focuses on wheat, rice, maize, oats, barley, millet, sorghum, and rye, as well as triticale: a wheat and rye hybrid with great potential. An introductory chapter outlines the cytogenetic architecture of cereal crops, describes the principles and strategies of cytogenetics and breeding, and summarizes landmarks in current research. This sets the stage for the ensuing crop-specific chapters. Each chapter generally provides a comprehensive account of the crop, its origin, wild relatives, exploitation of genetic resources in the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools through breeding and cytogenetic manipulation, and genetic enrichment using the tools of molecular genetics and biotechnology. Certain to become the standard reference for improving the yields of these critical grains, this book is the definitive source of information for plant breeders, agronomists, cytogeneticists, taxonomists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, and graduate students and researchers in these fields.

Genetic And Production Innovations In Field Crop Technology: New Developments In Theory And Practice

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Genetic And Production Innovations In Field Crop Technology: New Developments In Theory And Practice

Manufacturer: Food Products Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560221232

Book Description

Get cutting-edge information to improve crop breeding and productivity!

Crop improvement will become progressively important over the next few decades as the world's population is expected to top 10 billion people, with more than eight billion in developing countries alone. Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology: New Developments in Theory and Practice tackles this enormous challenge by detailing the latest available research and innovations for crop breeders and physiologists for the twenty-first century. Respected multidisciplinary scientists comprehensively discuss cutting-edge advances in field crop technology and genetic production as they keep an eye on the goal of providing nutrition to a hungry world.

Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology emphasizes an integrated approach to solve global crop production problems and increase crop productivity. Crop research experts review methods of globally improving crop yield, food product efficiency, and providing adequate nutrition in diet. The authors discuss various types of field crops, including corn, soybeans, winter wheat, cassavas, rubber, sunflowers, and barley, as well as review the exciting innovations on the food production horizon. The text is extensively referenced and includes useful graphs and tables to clearly present data.

Genetic and Production Innovations in Field Crop Technology presents:

visionary articles by authorities in agricultural sciences

statistical design axioms and modern plot techniques

discussions of integration of crop physiology and plant breeding

information on systematic collection and preservation of germplasm

explanations of genetic diversity in soybeans

corn breeding and production research—including the economics—in the United States

research on cassava breeding in less favorable environments to alleviate poverty

strategies for improving yielding potential of rubber in sub-optimal environments

information on fine-tuning wheat genotype-by-environment interaction methodology

reviews of QTL identification, mega-environment classification, and effective strategies for marker-based selection via GGE biplot analyses

research on statistical properties and practical usefulness of the Scheffe-Calinski and Shukla models relative to genotype-by-environment interaction

Book Description

The main objective of this book is to provide state-of-the-art knowledge of recent developments in the understanding of plant response to abiotic stresses in a single volume. Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants contains nine sections; Signal transduction, Temperature stress, Oxidative stresses, Phytoremediation, Osmotic stresses, Ion homeostasis, Nutrition, Structural responses, and Genetic diversity and development of biotechnology. Contributions in each chapter are prepared by leading experts in the respective fields and mirror the advancement in the approach. This book contains important future tasks of the particular fields and supplies extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter, as well as tables and figures that illustrate the research findings. Each chapter reflects how physiologists, biochemists and molecular biologists have caught up with the newer techniques to understand the basic problems of abiotic stress in plant species. All these make this book highly useful and a must read for students, researchers and professionals in botany, plant environmental stress studies, agriculture, plant physiology, cell biology and molecular biology, in both the academic and industrial sectors.

Biotechnology of Food Crops in Developing Countries (Plant Gene Research)

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Biotechnology of Food Crops in Developing Countries (Plant Gene Research)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3211832408

Book Description

Tropical crops such as cowpea, yam, plantain, and cassava are heavily underresearched but, in addition to rice, maize, wheat, and potato, are important as primary or secondary food staples in the developing countries. The modern tools of molecular and cellular technology offer the opportunity not only to make substantial gains in knowledge of these crops, but also they overcome some of the obstacles which presently restrain both the genetic improvement and the productivity of these crops in tropical farming systems. Increased nutritional value of these crops, reduced post-harvest perishability, and lower costs of production are some of the advantages taken from biotechnology. Engineered genetic resistance would also allow to drastically reduce employment of pesticides, which at present are expensive or unavailable for farmers in developing countries and may create environmental and health hazards. In this book experts present opportunities to improve the efficiency of plant breeding programs also taking into account the ethical and sociopolitical aspects of these technologies.

Crop Improvement: Challenges in the Twenty-First Century

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Crop Improvement: Challenges in the Twenty-First Century

Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Food legume crops: Improvement and production : based on lectures delivered at the first FAO/DANIDA training course for Africa and the Near East, held ... (FAO plant production and protection paper)

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Food legume crops: Improvement and production : based on lectures delivered at the first FAO/DANIDA training course for Africa and the Near East, held ... (FAO plant production and protection paper)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Manufacturer: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 9251004048

Genetic Improvement of Under-utilized And Neglected Crops in Low Income Food Deficit Countries Through Irradiation And Related Techniques: Iaea Tecdoc Series No. 1426 (Iaea Tecdoc Series)

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Genetic Improvement of Under-utilized And Neglected Crops in Low Income Food Deficit Countries Through Irradiation And Related Techniques: Iaea Tecdoc Series No. 1426 (Iaea Tecdoc Series)

Manufacturer: International Atomic Energy Agency
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9201136048

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