Barry blends his knowledge of living off the grid with the teachings of Thoreau, Leopold, & Gichi-Ma'ingan, (Larry Stillday)
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I had the opportunity to read his new book Teachers of the Forest several weeks before publication. There are stories of the earth, about plants for nourishment and medicine. Stories of the winged ones; chickadees, grosbeaks, ruffed grouse, eagles and swans, and there are tales of the four-legged; deer, bear, beaver, and our besieged brother, the wolf.

Barry uses his extraordinary ability for recall to blend his own vast knowledge of living off the grid and the teachings of Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, and Gichi-Maiingan (Larry Stillday)

Barry blends his experience with science and the world-view of our Indigenous cousins. In the end, Barry taught me about the teachers of the forest.
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When reading Billy Graham's latest book, Nearing Home I was met with a subtle yet complex blend of honesty, hope and faith. Imagine with me, if you will, the ability to be transported back in time and sit with the Apostle John on the island of Patmos. Well, obviously we can't do that but I did notice after having read this book that I encountered a special kind of wisdom. This special kind of wisdom is what Mr. Graham offers his readers as he takes them on a faith-filled journey into the aging process. From the prime of life to retirement and beyond... this book is proof that we are never too old to contribute.
I am not sure what I expected. My hope was that a life lived in faith would help a person to overcome the pains of growing old and act like a force-field to decay. This, however, does not seem to be the case as Billy so honestly reflected on his life, the pains of losing strength and the depressed moments when his fortitude gave way to weariness. It's in these moments he recalls the importance of preparation. Mr. Graham encourages us all, no matter our present age, to live a life of intention and purpose.

"Having your house in order is one of the most important things parents can do for their children. Give them the peace of mind that you have your peace of mind and have taken care of the business that has come about from your lifetime of labor." - Billy Graham

He addressed many generations and offered them hope. Hope that it's not too late to find your path and purpose and take care of the house that was on loan to you in this life. It's his faith that stood the test of time and anchored in faith Mr. Graham's suggestion that we not just plan for the practical but plan for the spiritual was inspirational and hope filled. We always have the promises of God to hang on to.
Finally, we are offered a future worth living for as we inch closer to our eternal home. His words still echo in my mind that there is still hope. Mr. Graham sums up the hope of our future this way.

"Is it that they will become men and women of compassion, honesty, morality, responsibility, selflessness, loyalty, discipline, and sacrifice? Your hope should be that they will become men and women of faith, trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior and seeking to follow Him as the Master of their lives every day." - Billy Graham

Not so subtle calls to faith abound in this honest reflection of nearing home. I was moved as Mr. Graham continues to stand strong in his core convictions and fill heavenly stadiums with his inspired call towards the abundant life of faith in Jesus.

FYI - The publisher of this book (Thomas Nelson) has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookSneeze program. I am in no way required to offer a favorable review.
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In the depths of the Great Depression, Helen and Scott leave New York City and embark on their first major endeavor in rural living with three goals in mind - economic independence, healthy living, and liberation from exploitation of human labor.  They worked with zeal and determination on setting up an organic home garden that provided all their fruit and vegetables, constructed new buildings from stone (they loved building with stone), and established year-round food preservation in a cellar.

While admirably ambitious, the Nearing's did not separate themselves from the wider economy.  For cash crops they produced maple syrup in Vermont and blueberries in Maine.  Oddly though, the Nearings did not acknowledge their cash crop requirements as part of their socialist philosophy.  They did mention trading, such as sending their maple syrup in exchange for a Floridian's oranges or a Californian's pecans, but isn't this just a substitute of the market economy they claimed to shun?

Much of the enjoyment of The Good Life is learning how Helen and Scott adapted and developed their own unique approach to farming, which is made so accessible by their meticulous records.  Personally though, I found Melissa Coleman's This Life is in Your Hands a more compelling and candid account of the Nearings' lives, though the focus of the book is next door, on the Coleman farm.
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At the end of the last chapter (before the epilogue) Raymo writes that the "ideal of humans living in harmony with tamed nature ... is a sturdy old myth, and in it we might still hope to combine the Enlightenment, with its confidence in the power of the human mind to make sense of the world, and romanticism, with its belief that all of life is a miracle."

That neatly sums up the main themes of this book, that describes the author's daily walk through the woods to work. The author wanders the path and all the thoughts and associations it provokes, seeking both ends: to make sense of the world, and to celebrate that life is a miracle.

The book does indeed wander. Under T in the index (unusual to find such a good index in a small book), for example, you can find Tao (Way); Technology; Thales of Miletus; Third World; Thoreau, Henry David; Thousand-monkey metaphor; Tibetan Plateau; Timber, harvesting; ...

In part they are connected by Raymo's story of how everything _is_ connected, and how in the particular we can find the universal. That is what he shows as he wanders the path from start to end. He starts with the particular - the names of streets, local history - and ranges in his genial, learned way - through the amazing journey of monarch butterflies, the DNA that shapes and is shaped by life - to the universal - the laws of nature, the mystery that so much is explicable, yet not entirely.

That is where the story touches on its deeper themes. Though he quotes Oscar Wilde, that "the true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible," he warns that "our senses are dulled by the tedium of the commonplace" and tries to remind us, and show us, vividly "that the ordinary is not ordinary at all, that the commonplace is miraculous."

Then The Path is at its best (and best read, not reviewed).
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When Henry David Thoreau left the comforts of civilization to build his own house with his own hands and deliberately live close to nature, his experience at Walden Pond became a classic in American literature.  Even today, many of us trapped in the mundane horrors of urban life long to escape, as he did, to a small plot of land somewhere outside the realms of commerce, overcommercialization, and petty-minded consumerism.
  Novelist Stanley Crawford had the courage to do more than dream about it.  He left California for the rigorous, simple life of a New Mexico garlic farmer and, like Thoreau, has written a wise and thought-provoking book about his experiences.  His account spans a year in the life of garlic, tying topics as diverse as the nuclear bomb and the challenge of maintaining community to the rhythms of building one's own house from adobe and learning to plant and harvest responsibly.
  After closing the cover of this book, I was ready to drive to New Mexico and seek out Crawford in the Farmer's Market, to buy my own bulbs of top-setting garlic and somehow bring some of the beauty of his life into my own.  I may never stand in Santa Fe behind his pickup, buying a woven garland of organic garlic to hang in my kitchen, or perhaps I will travel there and stammer some foolish words about his writing as I hand him a handful of crumbled dollar bills.  In some sense, the physical journey has become irrelevant:  Crawford's New Mexico has already illumined my heart and wakened me to the rhythms of my own life.  I don't have the strength or the patience to tend a field or a garden, manufacture adobe or create a home, brick by brick.  But I, too, have a place in the world, and eyes to see--A Garlic Testament is one of those books that wakes us from habitual slumber and reminds us, as Thoreau so aptly put it, to advance confidently in the directions of our dreams, and to put the foundations under our castles in the air.
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The one straw revolution is writen by a man by the name Masanobu Fukuoka a japaneese philosopher and farmer who mainly farmed rice and grains , in this book he not only introduces us to his knowledge on natural farming and do-nothing farming methods (a predeccesor to permaculture) which can also be applied on a small scale domestic herb or veg garden , he also shares his philosphies of the natural world and gives practical input to some of the problems our food indutry is still facing today , i personally think the world could be alot happier if everybody read this book ,i would recommend this book to anybody wanting to learn about organic gardening and its tasty benefits , anybody looking to live  healthier lifestyle or the common activist .i would esspecially recommend it to anybody who owns a large farm property and wants to learn about self-sustainability
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On February 3, 1852, Henry David Thoreau wrote these words in his journal, The forcible writer stands boldly behind his words with his experience. He does not make books out of books, but he has been there in person. That description readily applies to Championship Grandfathering, the new book from Carey Casey. Casey writes from the trenches of serving in the role of grandfather to nine grandchildren, and the wisdom he shares reflects that hands-on involvement.

Im well into my second year as Grandpa and the title of this book drew me in. I want to be a good grandfather, living and leaving an example for the little ones who follow. Casey warns often in his book that time has a way of speeding by and we need to be deliberate in embracing our role. He counsels, When you're handed the ball called Grandpa, don't drop it.

Championship Grandfathering is an easy read sprinkled liberally with examples from Caseys life. The practical wisdom arrives in a conversational format, and I felt as though the author had his arm around my shoulders sharing rather than thumping through a sermon from a pulpit. While the books appeal may be stronger for a believer in Jesus Christ and does contain helpful Scripture references, the advice in the book applies to all men who desire to be good at grandpa-ing.

Casey ends each chapter with a set of Action Steps to enable the application of the teaching. Among the items is one that resonated with this writer, the idea of creating a dump the bucket list. Grandpas have adventures and experiences that may benefit or at least entertain the grandkids. Why not be deliberate in communicating those episodes through story-telling or print before the history is lost?

Intertwined in the text is advice on helping and encouraging children as they learn the role of parenting. Casey teaches grandpas to observe the boundaries in assisting rather than controlling the parenting of the grandchildren, and he counsels us to open our storehouse of accumulated father power in a way that benefits all three generations.

Fathers Day is coming soon. Championship Grandfathering would be a great item to add to the gift list for the grandpas in your sphere.

Note - Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of Championship Grandfathering to facilitate my review.
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By the time Gene Logsdon was 13 years old he had already pretty much figured out that you could carve out a life drawing sustenance directly from trees.  Why if you had a mind to you could heat your humble abode with wood, fabricate furniture, tools and toys from the stuff and build houses and barns to boot.  A grove of trees also offered an endless variety of fruits and nuts and berries both to eat and for medicinal purposes.  Furthermore, trees provided natural cooling on a hot summer day and defense against the wind on a frigid winter night. And best of all a grove of trees is the perfect place to raise your children.  Truth be told the woods was the only place that author Gene Logsdon could ever be happy living his life.  And he has done exactly that.  In his latest book "A Sanctuary of Trees:  Beechnuts, Birdsongs, Baseball Bats and Benediction" Gene Logsdon recalls a lifetime living in the woods.  His is a joyous and inspiring story that makes you wish that you had the courage to do with your life what he has done with his.

Throughout the pages of "A Sanctuary of Trees" Gene Logsdon talks about the endless variety of North American trees and the characteristics and uses of many of them.  Quite a few of these species were brand new to me. Gene was one of the lucky ones.  He grew up in the woods and from a very early age accumulated a wealth of knowledge about his natural habitat.  As a young man Logsdon decided that he wanted to become a priest but after a number of years in the seminary he determined that becoming a writer and living out his days in a grove of trees was simply much more appealing to him.  And a gifted writer he is.  Being a city kid I just marvel at the knowledge of the woods that this man possesses.  As you will discover, Gene is perpetually busy introducing new varieties of trees and wildflowers to his woodlot.  Furthermore, he makes a convincing case that wood has the potential to become a viable replacement for fossil fuels in the near future and outlines how this might be accomplished.  His ideas on this subject are intriguing to say the least.  Finally, Logsdon offers up a potpourri of useful tips and suggestions for those who own a woodlot of their own.

For me reading "A Sanctuary of Trees" brought to mind a story done in 1982 by Charles Kuralt of CBS News in his "On the Road" series.  Bill Hafeman and his wife lived in the wilds of Northern Minnesota.  He earned his meager living building birch bark canoes from scratch.  He and his wife decided to move to the wilderness early on because "I didn't want to go to work by a whistle."  It seems that Gene Logsdon is cut from the same cloth.  "A Sanctuary of Trees:  Beechnuts, Birdsongs, Baseball Bats and Benediction" invites each and every one of us to reconnect with nature.  This is a well-written and uplifting book that will certainly make you think about the way you are living your life. And that is not a bad thing at all.  Highly recommended!
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Henson is doing what EVERYONE should be doing: sharing hard-earned knowledge to help us begin the journey to that place called Independence. The late Prof. Sheridan Settler (who served for many years as George Washington Carver's grasslands expert) often lamented, "We've forgotten how to be neighbors. We've got to learn once again how to share our knowledge for the good of the community." In Settler's case food independence was very important and he encouraged the residents of Tuskegee, Alabama to garden and to pass the produce and the knowledge "over the fence."  It seems George Henson is that kind of a guy. Since I intend to build an off-the-grid ICF home in the not-too-distant future, his book is invaluable as I research and learn. A couple of days after purchasing the ICF book, I eagerly grabbed 3 of the others for my PC and Kindle. I appreciate his efforts just as much as I appreciate and cherish the words of wisdom spoken to me by Dr. Settler 2 years before his death in 2005 at the age of 102.
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For Billy, life on a Kansas Prairie has only offered an unchanging landscape of flat prairie. His favorite book shows snow-capped mountains, forests, waterfalls. One day an idea comes to him: hell build a mountain like the ones in his beloved book. It will bring all the wildlife in those pictures: bears, deer, elk, beavers. At first, Billy enlists the help of his friends, but the going is slow, and they give up after theyve built a forty-foot hill.

But Billy is determined. He contacts a family friend who is also a reporter. The reporter writes an article about Billys dream. The story makes national news. The news reaches an old man who remembers his early dreams. He, too has a determined spirit. He decides to work with Billy. And when young and old work together with determinationwell, miracles can happen.

The author takes time with the miracles that unfold in this book. Young readers will develop an understanding of ecology and wildlife while seeing, too, the result of collective effort and commitment. None of this is didactic or preachy. Its easy to get involved in Billys plans and root for them, and its interesting to wait for what comes next.

Herb Leonards illustrations have the same, comfortable feel that drives the story. Kansas prairies, mountain meadows, snow caps and streams, Billys hopeful face as he thinks of his mountainall these have a glow to them that make a reader feel they are in each scene.
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This is a wonderful commentary on Geshe Langri Tangpa's (1054-1123) "Eight Verses of Training the Mind." With our current human life, we can either keep striving as usual (which leads only to occasional temporary happiness), or keep working diligently but change our intention and learn to cherish all living beings leading to permanent happiness. "All the happiness in the world arises from those wishing others to be happy." -Shantideva (8th century Buddhist master
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Alibabas World is a an autobiographical-business book hybrid that chronicles the rise of Alibaba-a Chinese e-commerce company from an apartment building to a company that challenges corporate goliaths E-Bay and Amazon. Porter Erisman knows what hes talking about because he was the former VP at Alibaba. From his vantage point, Erisman writes about the the successes and to a lesser degree the failures of the company because Jack Ma wasn't a conventional businessman who did things the way an MBA might have.

While the story itself is interesting, the book is perhaps most useful for the forty lessons gleamed from Alibaba found in the last section of the book. These represent universal wisdom that is not just helpful for business people, but everyday life as well things like don't dwell on mistakes and don't fear tough decisions. Overall, I came away from this book with both an education on Alibaba and inspired to take on new challenges in my own life.

The best autobiographical-business-inspirational book Ive read.
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Michael Greenstein's memoir shows how the experience of oneness with existence can develop organically from mundane life. Transcendence can grow out of ordinary life, anywhere, in anyone, as Emerson and Thoreau knew. Michael's life began and grew in the Bronx, New York, where I have worked for 33 years. No place is more mundane. It reads like two different books, his growing up and early adulthood, and his mystical experiences. Yet one grows out of the other naturally. Amazingly honest. Wonderful!
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This is a very interesting book about communities are shaping up to live in harmony with Mother Earth.  The author, an accredited professor from the University of Washington, took a trip around the world and visited several "eco-villages" - basically communities that hold high standards in sustainable living, and reported her findings.

Although the idea of living in such places brings to me memories of that movie "The Beach", starring Leonardo Di Caprio, there are definitely ideas and principles one can adopt that will make life easier, less complicated and definitely healthier in more ways than one.  An inspiring read.
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The world of doom day preppers has sparked media of all kinds to focus on awareness of living off the grid and being prepared for the worse.  With that, being self sufficient in growing your own food, preparing and planning is key.  Although Im not about to live in a bunker, although it sounds awesome, I figured I continue to strengthen my knowledge of preparing for bad times like my grandparents did when they survived the depression and being well versed in the life of homesteading will benefit me and my family.  It was a bad experience to watch my children become lost during the last New York City East Coast black out that took the city down for days.  Technology has benefited many in life but without electricity the only thing you can depend on is the basics and thats self sufficiency.  Its been a transformation for many of our nation to see people become more conscience about conservation and recycling but we are a far away from complete.  So trying to be more self sufficient will only serve to do us good.  Also repurposing and recycling will not only save us money in the long run it will hopefully safe this earth we call home.

The eBook purchased had 3 sections.  It stemmed on homestead, prepping and gardening.
In Section 1  Homestead - The author provides a foundation regarding the essence of homesteading and how it has transformed through the generations helping many in unpopulated areas and without means of state or federal support; folks that are more remote then the norm.  Its objective was about focus on decluttering and living simple while reducing the carbon footprint the world is affected by.  It also provided education material regarding composting and recycling.

I was labeled frugal by someone who lives above their means and suffering from debt due to wasteful living.  I wasn't sure if I was upset at the statement or if I was actually proud that someone noticed I lived my life within my means and tried to focus on using my money on things I actually needed without causing stress on my life for wasteful spending while still enjoying life.  Just minor changes can make a difference without really altering your lifestyle.  There are also some DIY recipes for substituting cleansers instead of paying top dollar for brand cleansers.

Now on to the survival guide section of the ebook, by author Eliza Plum:

Focuses on:
- Defines what prepping means
- Water supply for long term/short term
- First aid / Medical supplies
- Light Source Recommendation
- Planning for evacuation the smart way

Last section focused a lot on gardening, best foods to grow and storage methods.
Overall, I believe this was a great introduction to the world of self sufficiency and preparation and would be a great read for those interested in this lifestyle.  Felt as a soon to be 1st time camper 8 days from this review that Ill definitely be taking the list of survival techniques regarding by go bad and requirements.  What better way to test this while roughing it up in the wilderness
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Ursula King is Professor Emerita of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol, where she held the Chair of Theology and Religious Studies from 1989 to 2002 and she is author of many books on spirituality, including another on Teilhard. The title of this book reflects a famous quotation by Teilhard:

 Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.

Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French Jesuit palaeontologist, remembered more today for his insightful religious philosophy than for his palaeontological discoveries, though he was associated with the finding of the first humanoid skeleton of Homo erectus near Peking /Beijing in the 1920s. This excellent, detailed but eminently readable biography takes us through Teilhards life, his many geological excursions all over the world, but especially to China, and conveys his deep feeling of the Divine Spirit within the world. His childhood spent in a deeply religious but cohesive family in the Auvergne defined his character for the rest of his life. He was a gentle man making many friends wherever he went. His pantheistic view of the Divine was a precursor to those we have met in more recent decades from Matthew Fox and Ursula Goodenough. His refusal to be weighed down by rigid Catholic dogma did not always meet with approval from the Church hierarchy but he showed great foresight in realizing the untenability of many scriptural ideas would drive many away from religion. His view of the unifying spiritual concept that he called the noosphere was itself a precursor to Jungs collective unconscious and the morphic field suggested by Rupert Sheldrake and it is this idea for which he is best known and most respected today.

Teilhard spent much of the latter part of his life as a scientific and humanitarian ambassador between East and West, writing a few books and many essays along the way exhorting a spiritual rather than dogmatically religious outlook for humankind. For Teilhard, the belief systems of humankind must culminate in spiritual coherence.
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This book offers to readers interesting biographical information and much, much more.  John Muir's life was rich.  Explorer, nature writer and evironmentalist, he now has what can be called a cult following. A lot has been written about this great man, a founder of the Sierra Club, and defender of Yosemite and all natural places. This book by Ray Barnett, a biologist and Taoist scholar, presents a really expanded view of John Muir.  There was another dimension to this man that has not received a lot of attention by biographers.  Muir was deeply spiritual and his relationship with nature and the reality of life can seen very clearly from the traditional Taoist perspective.  Barnett, with his knowledge of Taoism and environmental issues, gives the reader a foundation on which to build an understanding and appreciation of Muir's life and his work. We face environmental issues today that threaten the future  of civilization and perhaps even the survival of the human species. John Muir's spirituality, interpreted from a Taoist perspective, gives us an understanding of why survival is at stake and a philosophical foundation on which to move toward solutions and a sustainable future.  While discussing the horrors of our survival crisis makes for grim reading, Barnett gives us a survival strategy, and yes, hope. Technology too offers some solutions, but ultimately our crisis is spiritual.  We simply at present do not have a relationship with our environment, the natural world, that is real and sustainable.  John Muir, the "Accidental Taoist", offers us a way to correct our misdirected ramblings on life's path.