What I really love about this book though is that Sepp Holzer is a guy who tells it like it is. He doesn’t try to over-complicate his ideas. He makes permaculture real and simple in a way that more complicated manuals sometimes miss. If you have any inkling of an interest in permaculture-style homesteading, this book will win you over with its beauty, simplicity, and common sense approach. What is so good about reading the best self sufficient living books such as the ones listed above is that you get different perspectives on what it is like to live off grid and how to stay self sufficient after making all the right preparations. The Bible of self-sufficiency! It goes in depth about everything you want to know about the subject. Yes, it’s a little old, it was written in the 70s. But it’s better, I think, to see how things were done when we were slightly less dependent on non-renewable resources. Loved the contents, but even for its size, I wish it went even deeper on the details of everything. Probably this is only due to me being content-facts-numbers thirsty and if it was like that it would probably bore other people.

John Seymour (12 June 1914 – 14 September 2004) was a British author and pioneer in the self-sufficiency movement. In 1976, he wrote The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency. Being self-sufficient means we do as much for ourselves as we are able to and enjoy doing. Paying others to do jobs doesn’t make sense if we can do it ourselves. We grow much of our own and enjoy great food at low cost.If you think you don’t have enough room to grow sufficient food on your postage stamp property, this book is for you. Two single guys buy a duplex on a run-down lot in town and turn it into a garden of eating. How can that not be an interesting read? Rob specializes in cordwood construction and started the Earthwood Building School in 1981 to educate builders on cordwood materials.

This is the first book we bought on self-sufficiency and it's really the only one we still refer to! I would recommend it to anyone who wants the good life - either completely, or just choosing aspects of it that will fit with their life. Being frugal or thrifty is not being mean, it’s just sensible. Why spend on things you do not need and that will not add to your quality of life? These books are worthy of your trust, whether you’re in a tight situation and have no water to drink or you want to use goat milk to make luxury homestead soaps. For most people, the best self sufficient living books are The Encyclopedia of Country Living, which is best for people in the USA, and The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It, which has plenty of tips for people living in England. Detailed step-by-step guide for achieving a self-sufficient lifestyle tailored to your needs and environment

My top 6 books about homesteading, self sufficiency, and off the grid living:

Ambitious enough to add a well to your off-grid home? Want to dye your own wool with plant pigments? Want to craft a hutch table with hand tools? Self-Sufficiency (1973). London: Faber & Faber. (With Sally Seymour.) The original self-sufficiency guide. I am slightly obsessed with the French culture since I spent a lot of my early adulthood hanging out with French chefs and farmers, eating like the rich and famous, while living on a working-class budget. So, when I stumbled upon the video about Le Ferme du Bec Hallouin and saw how incredibly productive and beautiful it was, I had to buy their book too. When you use your kitchen to make homemade meals, cheese, vinegar extractions, fermented vegetables, elderberry wine, or bread from scratch just about every day, it’s near impossible to keep it looking like a showplace. So, for me, Sharon’s real-life homesteading approach to greater self-sufficiency and a different way to appreciate beauty make me feel better about my own efforts. This textbook-like comprehensive guide to self sufficient life is basically the British version of the The Encyclopedia of Country Living. This volume takes you through careful explanations of how to develop the most basic homesteading skills.

Author Rob Roy has a ton of experience building and living in earth-sheltered homes, and he clearly presents the information necessary to create an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient home. However, you’ll probably need to know more about how to become more self reliant if off grid living appeals to you. So, what about the best self sufficient living books? Well, you have come to the right place! Emery, Carla. The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 50th Anniversary Edition (p. 911). Sasquatch Books.

As the cold sets in and some parts of homesteading slow down for the season, I like to take mental vacations to other homesteads and farms through reading. Here are a few of my favorite inspirational reads for cold-weather that I hope will inspire you too!

Rye from the Water's Edge (1996). Rye: Academic Inn Books. (with illustrations by Connie Lindquist)It covers almost everything you’d ever need to know about living off the grid. If you intend to raise farm animals like goats, for example, then there is a section in this book dedicated to that topic. Want to build your own barn or plan a sustainable garden? This book covers all that, too – and much more.