Amber Fauson

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns.

The Beekeeper's Bible is a substantial contribution to beekeeping. It has an amazing wealth of information, including beekeeping history and bee biology, and a plethora of honey and wax recipes, as well as stunning pictures. It really is a beautiful book. However, if you plan to keep bees you'll want to find a source of information on the sustainable apiary, as that information is, sadly, absent from this book. In addition, with only five entries, the table of contents is inadequate for a 416 page book. That said, if you're interested in bees at all, it's hard to beat this book.

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

If we are to live truly sustainably we have to learn to utilize human waste. The Humanure Handbook teaches us how to turn human waste into nourishment for our plants and for our planet. This book is witty and humorous, making the difficult subject matter approachable for everyone.

I give this book 9.5 out of 10 acorns.

Rocket Mass Heaters are brilliant. Who doesn't want clean and potentially free heat. This book teaches you how to do it. I can't wait to build my own. It was difficult not to give this book 10 acorns. I just wish it were a tad more comprehensive.

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

Mycelium Running is an excellent book about how to save the planet with mushrooms. It doesn't get much better than that. This book includes everything from mycology and restoration of habitats with mushroom, to medicinal mushrooms and mushroom cultivation. Definitely a keeper.

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

Fermented Vegetables is a well organized and educational cookbook. I have come to realize that Lacto-fementation is an important part of a healthy diet; and this book provides plenty of wonderful options. This book is full of useful tips and information, including troubleshooting, and how and when to ferment your vegetables

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

Nourishing Traditions is an excellent eat-well cookbook, loaded with thoughtful, well-researched health information and recipes. It does go against some mainstream health concepts; so prepare to scrutinize your own beliefs about healthy eating. I give this cookbook 10 acorns even though I'm vegetarian, as there are plenty of vegetarian and adaptable recipes; and Fallon certainly makes a fine argument against being strictly vegetarian. I'm no longer concerned about health consequences of eating eggs, and feel less guilty about eating fish eggs. I've also found a local dairy farmer to purchase raw milk from.

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns.

I had no idea there were so many perennial vegetables. I will definitely try to incorporate more perennials into my vegetable garden and landscape. In addition to the wonderful array of options to consider, with in depth information on each (including tolerances and preferences, and propagation and planting...), Perennial Vegetables also provides useful gardening information, (including diagnosing nutrient imbalances, diseases and pests, and design..). Sadly, as Toensmeier admits, many of the perennial vegetables covered are not currently easily available. Also, the climate map could have been more accurate.

I give this book 10 out of 10 acorns.

I read Wild Fermentation cover to cover and found it both fun and informative. I love cookbooks like that. It never occurred to me before reading this book that yeast was available from our environment and easily useable. This is probably my favorite cookbook.

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns.

The $50 and Up Underground House Book is an easy and inspirational read. If you're handy this book will provide you with enough information to build your own underground house. Of course, if you need to purchase land, if low or no cost building materials are unavailable to you, and if you find electricity and indoor plumbing a necessity you're looking at a significantly greater investment than $50. That said, I found this book very intriguing, and hope to someday use Mr. Oehler's techniques to build a house. I especially like the idea of earthen floors, and the uphill patio/greenhouse.

I give this book 8 out of 10 acorns.

I love how Botany in A Day makes plant identification fun and accessible. Pattern recognition is a wonderful way to introduce people to botany. And I love that the newer edition has color pictures. It's probably not the only book on botany that you should have though. And don't expect to actually be able to learn botany in just one day.