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This is the key reference to living off the land. Packed with practical information, tried-and-tested tips, Seymour's visionary handbook explains how to reap the harvest, respect the land, stay healthy and waste nothing.

The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It teaches all the skills needed to live independently, harnessing natural forms of energy, raising crops and keeping livestock, preserving foodstuffs, making beer and wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving, and much more.

This new expanded edition includes 150 new full-color illustrations and a special section in which Seymour, the father of the back-to-basics movement, explains the philosophy of self-sufficiency and its power to transform lives and create communities. More relevant than ever in our high-tech world, The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It is the ultimate practical guide for realists and dreamers alike.

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Chicken coops come in all sizes and styles to meet the needs of every chicken family. Start a great DIY project, build a chicken coop with these how-to drawings and conceptual plans for 45 different designs — from strictly practical to flights of fancy — guaranteed to meet the needs of every chicken owner. A 16-page color section shows detailed photos of many of the featured coops.

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Fix your septic system with The Septic System Owners Manual. Learn how conventional gravity-fed septic systems work. Read about maintenance and upkeep for your septic system.

There is also basic information on the recent evolution in composting-toilet systems and designs for simple graywater systems.

This is a basic manual for the average homeowner, based on conventional systems and providing practical advice on how to keep these systems up and running.

Today, more than ever before, our society is seeking ways to live more conscientiously. To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more sustainable lifestyles, MOTHER EARTH NEWS is recommending books to its readers. For more than 30 years, MOTHER EARTH NEWS has been North America's "Original Guide to Living Wisely," creating books and magazines for people with a passion for self-reliance and a desire to live in harmony with nature.

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MOTHER EARTH NEWS has been a leading source for DIY project plans and advice for over 30 years - and we've compiled 14 of the best projects in this convenient e-book for beginner and intermediate do-it-yourselfers. Learn how to build furniture, handle home plumbing, and many other skills for becoming more self-reliant. Projects include:

• Woodworking Basics
• Build a Solar Food Dehydrator
• How to Unclog Drains
• Build a Cozy Cabin
• Make Safe Paint

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Are you looking for simple ideas to save money? The MOTHER EARTH NEWS Guide to Living on Less has dozens of ideas to help you save money on food, housing and energy, while also living a greener life.

These strategies for living lightly are simple, satisfying and even fun. Here are a few of the articles you’ll find in this special collection:

• For big energy savings that can also help you save money check out our “8 Easy Projects for Instant Energy Savings.”
• Ready to start a garden, or make your existing garden bigger?
• Read “Easy Garden Anyone Can Make” for an easy plan that will have you growing more vegetables in no time.

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Have fun, save money, and improve your home with these easy step-by-step projects.

Are you looking for a way to make your bathroom a little more beautiful? Or maybe you'd like to give your tired furniture a face-lift, improve your home's air quality, or fix a toilet. No matter your DIY needs and no matter whether you're a DIY novice or expert, home improvement guru Andrea Ridout, host of the nationally syndicated radio show Ask Andrea, has ideas, expertise, and advice to share with you.

If I Had a Hammer offers easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations designed to make home improvement simpler than ever. With a little help from Andrea, you'll be able to tackle repairs, painting and decorating, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, wood care for furniture and floors, and much more with projects that often take as little as an hour. Also, you can try a few of Andrea's energy-conserving projects that can dramatically improve your utility bill—Andrea's projects are friendly on the environment and on your wallet! With If I Had a Hammer, you'll have the tools to keep your home functioning and looking as good as—or even better than—new.