Library
I usually give books the once-over at the library, or by interlibrary loan, before purchasing them. I don’t like to collect a lot of books that I won’t use. The following are books I have in my own sustainability collection at home. Most are what I’d consider reference books, with practical advice.
Sustainable Lifestyles
The Art of Being Minimalist: this is an e-book, so unless you print it, it will not kill many trees. This is a good motivational book not just for going fully minimalist, but for applying some minimalist ideas to your life.
Gardening:
- All New Square Foot Gardening
: this is the book that got us into organic gardening, and it has become very popular. It simplies the act of gardening, removing a lot of the barriers most people might feel.
- Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
: Great book about how to grow food when you don’t have all the modern resources on-hand.
- Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
: Excellent reference book on fruit trees and plants for every climate.
Food Policy/end of the petroculture:
- Eating Fossil Fuels: Oil, Food and the Coming Crisis in Agriculture
: This is a short book, but very interesting. Explains the extent of our dependence on fossil fuels in our agricultural system. After reading this, you will want to start your garden.
- Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
 : this book kind of distills many of the ideas that author Michael Pollan has presented in his previous books. A quick read, and helpful too. All good ideas.
Permaculture:
- Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
 : a good introduction to Permaculture
- Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
: more good Permaculture info, this one is kind of theoretical.
Water Harvesting/Storage:
- Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use–Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks
- The New Create an Oasis with Greywater: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systems – Includes Branched Drains
Housing:
- Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities
 : As noted elsewhere on this blog, I am interested in tiny houses. I love this book. It contains examples of many different styles of tiny homes, made from a variety of materials, in a variety of climates. The builders are very creative, and it is great to see their use of space.
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Suburban Shift» Blog Archive » Square Foot Gardens - April 27, 2010
[...] tastes better when you pick it fresh from your own garden. Check out Square Foot Gardening on our Library page. I’ll be writing a bit more about it in the future, as well as posting some nicer pics as the [...]
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