Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Great Book! Tons of information ranging across multiple areas, from kitchen and farm to beauty - you can really find at least one way to help cut back on waste and live a more self sufficient lifestyle
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This is perfect? Everything I ever wanted in self-sufficient book. The ecological approach had me delighted. It gives information on how to apply recycling, green energy, etc to your life, as well as advice on health, gardening, recipes and more. My favorite part was the foraging tips! Very useful.

I read the original book and had already reviewed it. I was assuming this would be an updated edition with lots of new information but it seemed very similar to the first to me. The first was not a great fit for me as a self-sufficient person, and I didn't feel that it offered as much as I would hope. I think it is better designed for people who are brand new to the concept and just want general information instead of specific how-to advice.

Self-sufficient living is a special interest of mine, so I'm always interested in a solid guide. I'd consider this more of a primer than a true bible. To my mind, calling something a bible suggests a fully comprehensive exploration of the topic. This is more specific instructions for a few simple steps and introduction to the remaining ideas. It would be a good choice for someone who doesn't know how to get started, a few simple steps they can take without fully investing in self sufficiency.

Fantastic. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro in self sufficiency, this is a really good go to book for a refresher or to learn how to expand your self sufficiency project.

The Self-Sufficiency Bible is a wonderful reference for anyone wanting to survive on their own, and for those who just want to know how to do basic stuff on a small homestead.

There are 12 chapters in the book and I can't decide which chapter is my favorite because every topic is a wealth of information. There are brief illustrations throughout the book, and they more are illustrative and decorative than actually are guidelines of what to do.

The butchery section has basic cuts of meat, and the garden chapter has a nice growing chart. The foraging section tells where and when to look for food, along with tips to be legal, ethical and safe when foraging. The livestock section is brief but the info here is great for people looking for an introduction on raising animals. There are many recipes to try but as a baker, the stinging nettle cupcake recipe in the foraging chapter looks very interesting to try.

What a treasure trove of knowledge! This book covers anything and everything you can think of to become self-sufficient. In my personal journey to become more self-sufficient, I find this book to be one of the greatest books and I see myself referencing this book often to help my family along. I was really happy about all of the gardening, plant knowledge, livestock, preservation and canning and all the crafty bits! I can't wait to implement some of the ideas. The range of information is also very great from homemade hair conditioner to curing meat to making a homemade irrigation system. The Self-Sufficiency Bible would make a great addition to anyone's library and it is surely treasured in mine.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon Dawson, and Watkins Publishing for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

If I hadn’t thought about being self-sufficient before, I sure am now! What an interesting book with ideas on how to live a self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle and touching on so many different areas of everyday life (and products we use!) This book is just full of suggestions of things to try, recipes, plans for building certain structures, and is a really great overview!

I think my favourite thing was the author discussing how you can still be self-sufficient in some ways even if you live in an apartment! I sometimes feel books of a similar topic stress too much about getting some property of your own and building a small house, however that is not everyone’s reality, so I really appreciated that aspect! All things, big and small, make a difference and have an impact, so it is important to make everyone feel as though they can make that difference! I also like that the author basically says to be realistic and don’t go gung- ho making changes. Pick a few ideas, start with those for a month or so, and work your way up. The point is to continue with this kind of lifestyle, because that is exactly what it is - a lifestyle!

I look forward to using this book as a reference for changes to come in my future! My family and I already do some of these things, so I can’t wait to try out some more!!!!

A very basic overview of the various ways to be self-sufficient in the modern world. Dawson's answer is essentially just money. Want to take up gardening but not sure what to grow or what tools you need? Dawson says just check your already stocked garage and garden area. Inspired by the idea of making mead? Dawson offers advice about where to source your honey, but nothing about the equipment you need or how to go about brewing it. Helpful for those who'd like a view of everything possible, not so much for those looking for practical advice or budget options.

Any book claiming to be a definitive “Bible “ deserves very close and ( at first) sceptical scrutiny. Looking for inspiration, information and help to be more self sufficient in today’s world I never thought I could find anything that ticked all those boxes in one single book. I was amazed,therefore, when starting to read Simon Dawson’s latest publication.
It’s a modern, relevant and, within a few pages, inspirational, manual giving 100s of ways to live more sustainably “ wherever you are” and whatever your situation. Simon Dawson is one of those people who has been there and done it, yet he doesn’t preach right and wrong nor is he self opinionated. He has a pleasant, very readable writing style that gives the reader all the information then gives you a sort of “go on have a go” nudge.
There are sections on growing on a large, small, in between scale, Great recipes (including gluten free ones , and making tasty treats for your pets) to prompt what to do with the produce you grow, sections on brewing, making beauty products, creative crafts ( even relevantly making face masks), keeping all forms of livestock, fishing using environmentally sound cleaning products- the list is truly biblical in proportions- and yet it is all simply presented to give more options and choices over how we could live, and what products to use in the home. By the end of the book I felt I was being offered Ideas of freedom, no longer restricted to what shops were offering.and that this “bible” could provide the blueprint for a new way of life for many years to come.
My only complaint is that I have the ebook version and not a hard copy to thumb through and make notes on!

The Self-Sufficiency Bible: Window Boxes to Smallholdings is a collection of tutorials and tips for more self reliant lifestyle whatever the reader's current situation. First published in 2011, this reformat and re-release second edition is due out 9th Feb 2021 from Watkins Publishing. It's 337 pages and will be available in paperback format (other editions available in various other formats).

This is a very well and logically laid out book with hundreds of tips and small (to larger) tutorials. It's not a step by step manual for self-sufficiency to be followed slavishly. In fact there are so many small changes from which to choose that virtually all readers will find something to incorporate into their daily lives to move in a more self sustaining and self-reliant direction.

The way consumerist society is set up is an unsustainable cycle of buy-use-discard which has to move ever faster to maintain forward momentum. The very scary reality is that the vast majority of urban dwellers have nearly zero food security. This book provides numerous tips for increasing food and resource security and diminishing reliance on transport and resource heavy supply chains (which eat up even more of the scarce resources and increase costs astronomically).

The author is a former urbanite who made a paradigm shift to self sufficiency in the early 2000s and now teaches other how to life more simply and self-sustainably.

This book is a goldmine of good advice from homemade dog biscuits to building a hoop house to setting up the first vegetable garden to butchering small stock. There are stops along the way to revisit crafts (basketry, tanning, jewellery-making, candle & papermaking, woodcarving and the like) as well as cooking, preserving, and sausage making. The tutorials and crafts are -very- basic and will need further elaboration to really make much progress, but it does provide a starting point for further research.

In a lot of really good ways, this book reminds me of John Seymour's iconic Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, but with a lot more humor and, frankly, understanding for the modern lifestyle. There is no photography included in this volume; it's illustrated with clear retro-feeling line drawings. Most of the instruction is very brief and basic.

Four stars. Heartily recommended to all smallholders, dreamers, and readers looking for a more independent life with less reliance on commercial sources. This would also make a superlative selection for makers' groups, community/cooperative gardens and allotment collectives.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a lovely book that broadly covers a wide range of topics. It doesn’t really go into deep into detail, but it covers the basics regarding most home topics. It provides a great general overview.

This book was a little disappointing. It had a lot of information, but it was just too much reading, and not enough pictures. A little about a lot. It would probably make a good reference book in an apocalypse.

This was an enjoyable book, however the subject of self sufficiency is so huge, I didn't really feel like the authors spent much time on any one subject. If you are looking for in depth knowledge on a certain topic, you will be disappointed. If you were looking for more of a idea book to get your started on the road to self-sufficiency but don't know what your interests in the field are, this might help point you in the right direction. The authors are English but do a good job of putting in both American and European measurements so all readers can enjoy. Topics range from baking, butchering, crafts, renewable energy, and gardening, to name a few. Many recipes throughout. I won a preview Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley.

Lots of information on a wide variety of subjects and skills - unfortunately most of it was in narrative form, and I was hoping for more images or bullet-pointed lists of instructions for the various skills and projects outlined in the book.

Excellent and timely guide to self-sufficiency in everything from home canning to setting up a smallholding and learning survival skills.

Dawson writes in a light-hearted, engaging tone that makes you feel up to the challenge - whether large or small - and his hilarious anecdotes about country living break up what could otherwise have been a stodgier read.

Recommended for anyone who feels they want some more 'real world' skills, those interested in greater self-reliance, or those wanting to make the most out of their existing veg / fruit patch, tiny bit of arable land (or patio space) or indeed those looking to make the first forays into keeping livestock.

Advance reader copy kindly provided by Watkins Publishing.

Simon Dawson's book, The Self-Suffieciency Bible, truly contains chapters on every topic possible to make you self-sufficient. From growing your vegetables to keeping animals to making cleaning products to making jam and sausages, this book is full of information. There are many intersting recipes to try, though I have to say, I wouldn't use the jam recipes as those have too much sugar in them. But I think all the recipes here are good places to try and modify them to your liking. On top of all the good information, this book has very nice illustrations.

Packed with information, Simon Dawson’s new book The Self-Sufficiency Bible, is the chalked full of information from basic gardening to making slippers from old jeans. The whole book is both informative and entertaining. I enjoyed that there were many recipes for both food and cleaning products and I can see myself referencing those in the future. Great resource for those looking into becoming self sufficient.

Thanks netgalley for and ARC in return for my honest review

This book is such a gem. It is written in a practical way with a touch of humour, which makes it incredibly readable. All sorts of topics are covered in great detail from growing your own vegetables, to rearing animals, to brewing and a section on greener energy.

The book aims to help anyone become more self-sufficient, whether they have a window box, garden, allotment or a small holding. It is so interesting to realise that by some small changes, we can make a difference. I will be taking plenty of tips from this to our allotment and can't wait to try out the recipes.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review, with thanks.