Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

Good for inspiration, but short on detail

Customer Rating:

I opened the book, dipped into its pages and immediately started dreaming of changing my way of life. This book really can inspire you to re-think how you do things, but it can be short on detail ( I build Drystone walls and Stone faced earth banks (Cornish or Devon Hedges)and if you followed Mr Seymour's guide they would soon fall down! I also keep some poultry and we would probably disagree on some his idea's here too. That said many areas are covered in sufficient depth to encourage you to have ago (I am going to attempt home made bread). As per other reviews if the title did not include the word 'complete' it would be more accurate reflection of the contents. Overall well worth the money and a good read....

Sloppy, wrong and dangerous.

Customer Rating:

The subtitle of this book - "The classic guide for realists and dreamers" - is barely half right. It is a coffee table book for idle dreamers, not a practical guide for realists. Essentially it is lifestyle porn for city dwellers. The book covers a lot of topics, but few in any depth. There are many glaring ommissions. Most worryingly is the complete absence of information about legislation and regulation. Most shockingly the book recommends feeding pigs on kitchen waste. THIS IS ILLEGAL in the UK. I checked this morning with a government vet at my local Animal Health Office: even if you are keeping pigs domestically for your own consumption this is wrong. The 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak was caused by kitchen waste being fed to pigs. The farmer in question was prosecuted for this. I realise legislation and regulation is a big area that is constantly changing but I was still surprised that a book that encourages complete novices to buy cattle and sheep makes no mention at all of eartags, passports, movement licences or BCMS. And it is not just the ommissions - there are plenty of passages that made this reader have a sharp intake of breath. A couple of random examples :- Page 298 advises telling your accountant that you want to claim as much money as possible for taxi fares as business expenses so you can fiddle your income tax bill. Page 96 " Most of Britain's beef comes from the Dutch Friesian.... They are hardy...." to which all I can say is " ! ". The section on irrigation recommends sticking one end of a hose into a stream and connecting the other to a petrol powered pump, and just sucking water out onto your land. If you try this in the UK not only will you have quite a line of conservationists and government officials coming to knock at your door, but any neighbouring farmers who have had to apply for, and pay for, abstraction licences may want a word as well. The fact that the authors think this is an acceptable practice destroys any possible Green credentials this book may have. Parts of this book look as if they have not been proof read - some of the imperial/metric measurement conversions are wrong, which is pretty unforgivable. Page 125 "...all Africans know how to chop open a hollow tree with bees inside and get out the honey." Really ? ALL Africans know this, do they ? In short, this book is sloppy, wrong and dangerous. If you are serious about buying 5 acres and a cow, or indeed if you already have 5 acres and a cow, don't waste your money on this book.

This book is my bible!!	Customer Rating:
I found this book on a friends shelf and had to buy my own immediately. It inspired me so much that I have moved to New Zealand and bought a ten acre small-holding which is run using John Seymour's principles. This book is approachable and amusing, it is not everything you'll ever need to be self-siffient buts it a bloody good start and always the first place I look for information.

the best book I ever bought

Customer Rating:

Genuinely, this book has enriched my life. This sounds very strong language, but a glimpse of how achieveable a degree of self sufficiency can be is a great stress-buster and very uplifting. Practical, useful, full of ideas and inspiration, this book will motivate anyone to take a step or two towards self sufficiency, wherever they live. Every chapter is interesting, well written, and well illustrated. The craft skills are useful and practical and whilst a compost-toilet is not quite the thing for our garden in the suburbs, all the practical projects are well described and amply illustrated. A great reference book, a comfort on a cold winter's night, I recommend it to anyone.

review	Customer Rating:
A must have for all small holders.Not a full complete guide but nonetheless full of great info and knowledge. A book i reread and reread from one season to the next.