Book-Man Eco-Book #2: The Self Sufficient-ish Bible (An eco-living guide for the 21st Century)

The Self Sufficientish BibleFor the second entry we'll take something a bit more practical....

THE SELF SUFFICIENT-ISH BIBLE (AN ECO-LIVING GUIDE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY) BY: ANDY AND DAVE HAMILTON

When/Where Was It Written?:

2008... On a small semi-urban farm outside of Bristol

So, What's the Point (In Exactly 137 Words or Less)?: Andy and Dave are brothers... twin brothers... and they live together... and they do pretty much EVERYTHING together (or so one would surmise from their book). Which would maybe be a little bit sad... if it weren’t for the fact that they seem.... so, well... irresistibly cheery!

This 400 page, bright green, hardback book is their do-it-all-eco bible, chock full of examples, diagrams, pictures (with the two long-haired boys grinning ear to ear helping each other with their green chores... even riding each other piggy-back to pick cherries), practical tips and sign posting for more information on practically every aspect of green living that you can think of. It is a DIY book dressed up in a hemp smock and fed on a high fiber, low-carbon diet (drained with a glass of homebrew).

So, Why Should I Care:

I have spent years looking for this book! In my humble opinion, there are many others like it, but none quite compare. If you are looking for just one book that covers practically every aspect of green living... and can be given to ANYBODY- give this one a shot. This book really stands up compared to its imitators on 3 points:

1. Andy and Dave don’t just go the normal ‘gardening, recycling, double-glazing’ route of DIY green-living books. In this book you can find tips on anything ranging from: passive solar architecture, chemical free paints, organic bedding, hay box cookers, natural cleaning, making your own shampoo, seasonal cooking, bee-keeping, home brewing, natural medicines, ethical shopping, ethical/low impact travel, and sustainability for children. Its all there... and what isn’t there... they give you an excellent set of references in the back of the book.
2. It is fantastically well put together! The book itself is gorgeous. Bright colors, large type, easy to understand diagrams. It is incredibly readable and fun (especially compared to some other eco-living books which read more like blueprints or assembly manuals). Both the new-comer and the practiced “greeny" will find this book engaging, entertaining and informational. I have bought it as a gift for friends and family on a number of occasions.
3. But what really makes the book outstanding it’s broadly approachable philosophy- that to be ‘green’ you don’t have to renounce the ‘real’ world. Andy and Dave practice exactly what they preach, living a life that is both healthy, environmentally friendly, ethical, creative, self-empowered AND engaged with the rest of the world. Rather than perpetuating the ‘us and them’, ‘either you are with us or you are against us’, mentality of many of those on either side of the green/not so green divide, Andy and Dave try to find a common ground, suggesting that incremental change is the best change and that there many things that everybody can do which will improve both the quality of their lives and that of the natural world (not to mention keep some extra cash remaining in the wallet). We have to get out of the box and find ways to demonstrate that ‘green living’ is not about a particular set of ideological or political beliefs- it is just simply a common-sense, good-natured way of life. Rather than abject sacrifice it is about doing what you can with what you have right now. Hence, Self-Sufficient-ish:

READ, ACT, REPEAT!