Living on the Earth

by Alicia Bay Laurel

Paperback, 2000

Status

Available

Call number

640

Genres

Collection

Whealton

Publication

Villard (2000), 256 pages

Description

Living Naturally and Practically in the 21st CenturyAlicia Bay Laurel's iconic Living on the Earth is finally back in print in a 50th anniversary edition, revised and updated with new material. This book hit the homesteading, back-to-earth crowd like a whirlwind in the 1970s and its elemental wisdom and advice hasn't diminished over the decades since. Widely acclaimed in such publications as The Village Voice and The Whole Earth Catalog-which stated "this may be the best book in the catalog"-Living on the Earth gives guidance on such things as: · Backpacking· Making soap· Canning and drying· Herbal medicine· Gardening· First aid· Weaving and homemade dyes· Musical instruments· Making dress patternsAnd so much more-the variety of topics covered is astounding. Readers will be educated, enlightened and entertained perusing this landmark work.242 pages, original line illustrations throughout… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member BlackMike

I'm not sure that there are many books that serve as both badge of counter-culture criterion and a modest how-to for general self-sufficiency. It reads like a children's book for hippies, with cute line-figure scribbles that enliven more than they illustrate. Owning this book will save you hours of

perusing back issues of Mother Earth News for similar, less well-arranged information of the common theme (I know this because I actually have done this same thing). You can read it to make fun of it, for the neat flower-child tricks, or because you crave the backwoods life but Bradford Angier scares you. For any and all, this book is plainly terrific.

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LibraryThing member iatethecloudsforyou

its a more colorful version of country wisdom and know how. the information is a bit different. i like both, though this one i could read, where the other i would mainly just want to reference.

LibraryThing member bfgar

I got this book the year it was published. The fact that, 43 years later, shows that I either still value it or I'm the worst hoarder in the world. No, strike that last bit even if there is a small bit of truth in it.

I love and value this book highly. It is truly an excellent reference book in case

one has been (a) stranded on a desert island with only the flotsam that has washed ashore, (b) a person who wants to get back to living a small life, or (c) the lights have gone out because there's been a terrible storm and you need to keep things going for a couple of days.

It has a little bit of everything in it from how to backpack into the wilderness to some stellar-class recipes for eggplant toothpaste to roasted soy beans. Laurel gives instructions on how to sun-dry fruits and veggies, tie-dyeing, making a pair of pants and a shirt without a pattern (I've made both from her instructions), to simple first aid.

If you can find a copy of Living on the Earth, buy it. You'll never know when the lights will go out for a few days.

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