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In the How-To Guide to Building With Straw Bales (Load Bearing) DVD, you'll discover how this form of construction uses the bales themselves as the structural element of the home. The roof sits directly on the bale walls and the straw itself is load-bearing. Nearly two hours of instruction takes you through the entire process of building a load-bearing straw bale home in a day-by-day teaching format.

The DVD shows in detail everything from creating a pad and pier raised floor foundation to installing toe-ups, baling the walls square and plumb, using the best strapping to pre-compress your walls, installing the rafters, attaching the roof sheathing, installing windows and doors, dealing with cabinetry installations, and much more.

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This double DVD set with nearly 3 hours of step-by-step footage will walk you through the entire framing process from start to finish. Whether you have never framed before or if you know how to frame but aren't clear on what the differences are between standard construction and straw bale wall framing, this video will provide you valuable information.

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Did you know that the average cost of hiring a plaster crew to apply three coats of plaster to a 1,500-square-foot home is more than $15,000? And that's just for the labor! Fortunately, plastering is a skill that is teachable, and people around the world have successfully created beautiful plaster jobs on their straw bale homes.

The How-to Guide to Plastering DVD includes nearly a full hour of information, sourced from professionals, that you need to know to plaster your straw bale structure successfully with natural hydraulic lime. (Due to its durability, breathability, natural ingredients and user-friendly application, natural hydraulic lime may well be the best material for plastering straw bales.) The techniques taught in this DVD can also be used with just about any plaster you choose. The technical details transfer to such finishes as earthen plaster, cement/lime mixes and more. No matter what plaster you choose, the information in this DVD will help you create a beautiful and durable finish.

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The How-to Guide to Building a Monolithic Concrete Slab Foundation DVD contains the latest information you need to know to build your own foundation. Walking through each stage of the building process, the DVD provides simple how-to techniques that will have you building your own concrete foundation with no prior foundation or concrete experience.

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In A Modern Look at Straw Bale Construction, Andrew Morrison presents what he believes are the best details for the highest quality construction available.

The idea behind the book was born of his comprehensive straw bale workshops. Each year, Morrison teaches hundreds of people how to build with straw bales, hands-on - and each year, he sketched out the same details and sections over and over again. Asked on several occasions to draw them up on a computer and then bundle them as hand-outs, he did just that.

Then Morrison contacted an excellent straw bale designer, Chris Keefe of Organicforms Design, and asked him to help with the drawings. Having designed more than 40 straw bale homes, Keefe had a ton of experience. Together, they have created a book that, as one reader raves, "fills an enormous gap in what information is available."

Morrison's focus is always on designing and building a structure that is beautiful, durable, safe, efficient, healthy, natural and inspiring, and this book brings that vision to life. It contains a thoroughgoing discussion of topics as well as 22 construction details provided by Keefe.

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Effective Cycling is an essential handbook for cyclists from beginner to expert, whether daily commuters or weekend pleasure trippers. This thoroughly updated seventh edition offers cyclists the information they need for riding a bicycle under all conditions: on congested city streets or winding mountain roads, day or night, rain or shine. It describes the sheer physical joy of cycling and provides the nuts-and-bolts details of how to choose a bicycle, maintain it, and use it in the most efficient manner. Effective Cycling covers the bicycle itself, repairs and maintenance, basic and advanced cycling skills, and how traffic is organized. It describes cycling with friends, bicycle tours, increasing physical endurance, racing, and even finding a cyclist as marriage partner. Throughout, author John Forester emphasizes that cyclists should consider themselves drivers of vehicles in traffic. That means obeying the rules of the road, because when all drivers obey the same rules, they don't have collisions. Forester explains why cyclists should not be afraid to cycle in traffic, and he urges them to resist being shunted off into government-sponsored bike paths as if they were incompetent children. Cyclists fare best, he says, when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. Effective Cycling will help owners of bicycles dusty from disuse become active cyclists and veteran cyclists improve their techniques and achieve their cycling goals. Each section moves from basic to advanced topics; readers are encouraged get on a bicycle and practice each activity after reading about it.

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People can live without SUVs, jet travel and many other luxuries. But no life, human or otherwise, can survive without our most precious natural resource: water.

Do-It-Yourself Sustainable Water Projects offers a basis for understanding the importance of conserving water, explains how the lack of it affects different regions around the world, and provides practical information on how to collect, store, purify and drill for this magical substance.

In this easy-to-follow guide, master mechanic Paul Dempsey provides cost-effective ways we can reduce or eliminate our dependence on public water supplies. Everything you need to know to create 10 inexpensive water projects is here, from collecting rainwater and air conditioner condensate to properly drilling and constructing pump systems. These projects are accompanied by step-by-step instructions, drawings, photos and even sources for inexpensive parts - so you can do it yourself.

Whether you're interested in becoming knowledgeable about insufficient global water supplies or you just want to conserve water, this book is an effective way to help save our most critical resource. With it in hand, you can tackle everything from creating a composting toilet to building a rainwater harvesting system.

Do-it-Yourself Sustainable Water Projects includes information on:

• 10 inexpensive water projects
• How to adjust behavior to conserve water
• List of resources, including web sites, published texts and vendors
• Calculating your "water footprint"
• Pumps and related components
• Easy-to-follow ways to drill for water
• Getting water from air
• Water vulnerability

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Lumber prices are soaring, and deforestation is a rising concern. Yet millions of pounds of perfectly usable wood are dumped in landfills every year.

Wood Pallet Projects shows how anyone can upcycle salvaged pallet wood to create truly one-of-a-kind projects.

Maverick craftsman Chris Gleason combines sound woodworking techniques with a hip designer's sensibility to unleash the limitless possibilities of the common skid.

Inside you'll find 15 of his inspired projects for rescuing and repurposing pallets. Some of his pieces celebrate the rough, edgy character of the material, while others are crafted as fine furniture. He shows how to construct both indoor and outdoor furniture in a variety of styles, along with other useful items such as a birdhouse, toolbox and even a ukulele.

There's plenty of nitty-gritty here on working with pallets, including where to find them and how to process them into usable lumber. You'll learn about sanding, fasteners and the best finishes (if any) to use.

Gleason provides important advice on how to make sure that your pallets are safe and not sprayed with harmful chemicals. A colorful gallery of finished work provides further inspiration for green crafting.

Inside you'll find 15 projects for upcycling ordinary pallet wood into such objects as:

• A Wall-Mounted Curio Cabinet
• A Bathroom Magazine Caddy
• A Side Chair
• An End Table
• A Coffee Table
• A Wine Rack
• A Fireplace Mantle
• Cabinet Doors,
• An Outdoor Lounge Chair
• Funky Birdhouses
• An Outdoor Couch
• A Modernist Picnic Table
• An Outdoor Bar/Serving Area
• A Ukulele
• A Toolbox
• A Workbench

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MOTHER EARTH NEWS and GRIT come together to bring you 600 pages of expert advice, recipes, do-it-yourself projects and more information on living a self-sufficient life. This set covers everything from organic gardening to bees and honey, from backyard rabbits to self-reliance and country skills. The do-it-yourself projects include energy-saving household updates as well as instructions for constructing chicken coops, outdoor bread ovens and permanent garden beds. Follow recipes for baking sourdough bread, preparing rabbit meat, fixing delicious egg dishes, and cooking with honey. Discover how to save money with energy-saving tips for your home, and how to cut your food bills in half by growing your own food right in your own backyard.

This set includes:
MOTHER EARTH NEWS Guide to Organic Gardening, 4th Edition
This glossy-paged guide is perfect for beginners or expert gardeners. It covers everything from perennial vegetables to choosing a greenhouse, from organic pest control to making compost. Read how poultry is the secret weapon for organic pest control. Learn how to make the best homemade tomato cages. Or plan out your kitchen garden with four delightful herb gardens plans.

MOTHER EARTH NEWS Guide to Self-Reliance and Country Skills, 2nd Edition
With more than 20 articles, this guide has hundreds of great ideas for self-reliant living. From preserving food to small-space gardening, from backyard chickens to making your own yogurt and cheese, this special guide has a wide variety of information that will help you lead a sustainable life.

GRIT Guide to Homemade Bread, 3rd Edition
Bread, bagels, pretzels, pizza crust, cookies and more! All of these delicious homemade creations can be found in this Guide to Homemade Bread. This guide includes more than 53 keys to successful bread making, outdoor bread oven plans, fail-proof no-knead breads, top bread machines tips and more.

GRIT Guide to Backyard Rabbits, 2nd Edition
You'll find more than 25 keys to a successful rabbit-raising enterprise in this special Barnyard Series guide. Learn about raising rabbits for meat and breeding stock. Build rabbit homes and learn what equipment you'll need. Read about a basic bunny diet that will keep them happy and healthy, and also discover so much more.

GRIT Guide to Backyard Chickens, 4th Edition
Calling all chicken enthusiasts! The fourth edition of this popular guide is overflowing with expert advice, key facts and easy chicken coop plans that will have both beginner and seasoned chicken owners crowing for joy! Read how to build a broiler coop on a shoestring budget. Build the perfect chicken tractor. Learn which heritage hens are the best for laying eggs. Follow the wide variety of delicious chicken recipes this book has to offer.

GRIT Guide to Backyard Bees and Honey, 3rd Edition
This treasure-trove of bee knowledge has more than 75 ways to get more from your bees. Cover-to-cover, this guide includes tips on saving money while building your own beehive or honey extractor with simple materials available at your local hardware store. Read how to use a top-bar hive, a less expensive method to raising bees that will pollinate your crops and provide tasty honey fresh from the comb.

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Are you looking for creative ways to lower your energy costs, generate more of your own power, or become less reliant on the grid? Energy expert Paul Scheckel offers practical advice for taking matters into your own hands. Understand the fundamentals of solar, wind, water and biofuel energy production as you make your home ready for renewables. Each chapter of The Homeowner's Energy Handbook provides a comprehensive discussion of renewable energy sources, along with "green guides" for building your own energy-saving (and energy-producing) equipment. Step-by-step instructions show you how to build a bicycle-powered generator, biodiesel processor, thermosiphon solar hot-water collector, biogas generator, smokeless wood-gas camp stove, and more. Whether you want to button up your house to be more energy-efficient, find deep energy savings or take your home entirely off the grid, this guide has the knowledge and skills you need to reduce your use, then produce!