Excellent helper book for the beginning composter
924441
Excellent explanation of what and what not to do to make your composting as simple and effective as possible.  I like this book!
2409164
An excellent book for someone like me who is getting started in woodworking.  The skill building sections are very good.  Having built a couple of the projects, I've found the directions to be complete and accurate.  Maybe some of the critical steps could have  received bold type or more emphasis.
942748
I have always been fascinated by the concept of home canning and preserving foods or, as my mother called it,  "putting foods by." But I've also always been a wimp when it comes to actually doing it, afraid that I'd surely poison myself and they'd find me sitting in a chair in my den with pickle juice running down my face. This was made even tougher because one of my best friends is a farmer and spends several weekends a year preserving foods and he thinks I'm nuts for not doing it, considering all of the food that I grow in my backyard garden.

I'm hoping that this beautifully written and illustrated book gives me the courage to start canning because the recipes in it look just fantastic. The book is a very basic and simplified guide to canning high-acid foods, such as lemons, peaches, pears, tomatoes, etc. I learned very early in the book that it's the acidity of the foods that determines how they can be preserved and which foods are right for water-bath preserving which is the technique discussed in the book. The early pages of the book explain the differences in acid/alkaline foods, which are safe for very basic canning and the tools that you'll need. The text is very straightforward, very simple to follow and is written primarily in list format, which I like a great deal. Much simpler to follow.

There are very helpful pages in the first part of the book that define the terms being used, the tools that you'll need and how to keep the process safe. Ball has been around (and in my kitchen) forever, so I can't imagine anyone that knows more about the process and the safety steps involved.

The remainder of the book is divided into six chapters that talk about specific food groups (fruits, jellies, pickles, etc.) and there is a nice how-to spread at the start of each chapter that talks specifically about those foods. The recipes are cleanly written, easy to follow and the photographs (I'm a photographer) are superbly well done. The book concludes with a nice problem-solving section (which I will no doubt be using).

I think this is a perfect introduction to canning and water-bath preserving and I think it would make a great gift--particularly if you combined it with some tools or a case of Ball jars. Really happy to have this book and can't wait to give it a try. I'll let you know if I survive.
4052143
Very easy to assemble and prepare for worms. Instructions and Vermicomposting booklet were very helpful and informative. My worm factory is doing great! I no longer throw away any of my kitchen scraps. They are turned into dark, nutrient rich castings that will get put to use in my garden
209555
You couldn't make it any easier to make your own compost.  From needing nothing but a designated corner of the garden to using a composter, anyone can compost just about anything.  This book gave me loads of ideas of ways to recycle common household trash and yard waste into something that will make my veggies even healthier.
4879067
This is the first fermented vegetable book I have ever read through,  really love it!  In a nutshell, the book is very well written and easy to understand.  The first part filled with plenty mount of research based information on the various benefits of fermented food to human health, which helped me greatly in clearing a lot of misunderstandings on this kind of food. The second part on recipes is very easy to follow, I was able to produce my first jar of sauerkraut by following its step-by-step instructions, how nice!  So if you are the same kind of novice like me, this book is definitely the best one to start with.
4843517
This is an excellent book that  gives all that is required on gardening. It gives guidance on  what should be grown in vertical gardening  and how to carry on the vertical gardening. It is a great beginners guide  and the information given is all that is required. It also gives the procedure of making the compost manure that has many advantages. This gardening enables one grow crops such as vegetables and fruits easily. Thanks to the author.
24160
This book is the best for anyone interested in worm composting. Breaks it down very simply, you don't have to read the whole book to get what you need out of it. It presents so many options for every living style from apartment living to large scale farmsteads. Even experienced vermicomposterswill be inspired by some of the ideas in here. Love it!
4617614
Excellent book for beginners. I read this between Chick Days (first) and Storey's Guide (last). Very informative, well written, enjoyable. The only complaints against the book are: I disliked the pages on how to build a coop and the website for their book ([...]) is basically crap. The links are all "under construction" and there's nothing to read. The coop design is, in my opinion, very poorly constructed and way too small unless you are housing one or two chickens. Most books recommend minimum of three chickens as starter birds in case one dies and to cover the quantity of eggs needed to feed two people. I still liked the book and would highly recommend it.
910479
Sewing book I've had.  I bought and sent this book to my daughter-in-law, who is a new sewer. This book will give her an excellent start and be a good reference for a long time.  My own is several years old ne coming apart I've used it so much!
2765271
This is an excellent beginner's guide to gardening. It has a broad variety of plants, as well as a month-by-month guide to planting and harvesting. It is a perfect companion for someone getting their first in-the-ground garden. It does not have many tips on container gardening specifically. The focus is on fruits, veggies, and herbs; flowers are included, but they are not the center. If you want to learn how to garden for eating, this is the book for you.
676255
Bought this as a gift for someone who insisted on composting.  Great book - great gift hands down for a beginner.
2984554
Great book for those about to start a small swine raising operation.
4966991
Being brand new to butchering I found this to be an excellent book.  It's complete and I would feel comfortable following it's directions.  Of course it can never replace hands on experience which I plan to obtain as soon as possible.
4835477
first off, i have only a small area i can cultivate, basically in ground pots and a fence row, so i am not a "serious" gardner, and i won't be able to have a greenhouse. however, i hope to have a land of my own someday so i am laying out my plans.. i started off reading the One Straw Revolution. i then bought The Winter Harvest Handbook by coleman, Gaia's Garden by hemenway, and Perrenial Vegetables by toensmeier.

i live in the same climate zone as eliot coleman. i have a close friend who has a small organic commercial garden. i gave her a copy of The Winter Harvest Handbook as a present. she and i both found so much useful information in eliot's book. he has found a niche market for specialty veggies for local restaurants and stores. his methods are very practical and he places a high value on ease of operation, use of available space, creative making of tools, flexible greenhouses, and packing/display boxes. he is an actual full time farmer who has a commercially viable operation.

my friend, cindy, is already using some of eliot's ideas. she participates in local farmer's markets. our part of the country has some of the highest unemployment at this time, so we have to be creative to survive.

i plan to try a tomato trellis this year, which is an idea from eliot's book. i also interspersed jerusalem artichokes with sunflowers along the fence this year because the deer eat the sunflowers when they are young, but evidently don't like jerusalem artichokes. the tubers are quite edible. i found that info in Perrenial Vegetables.

i find mr. coleman's book to be very well written, easy to understand, well illustrated with photos, and inspiring. this is the first book i have read by the author, although he is a well known and respected author in the field of permaculture and small farm agribusiness.
2256359
This book is wonderful.  I am new at canning and it gave step-by-step directions that are easy to follow for a newbie like me.  I also love the section on freezing since I buy a lot of things in bulk, including my produce.  This is a must-have book if you want to know more about preserving either by canning or freezing.
2151406
This book offers what you need to know without the confusion. I don't follow it exactly (I do not boil anything prior to fermenting & I do not use soap) but it has the best information I've found for beginners. I do sterilize my utensils & containers with a water & raw apple cider vinegar soak. There is a lot of useful, helpful information in this book that will put you at ease when you're learning about fermenting, a lost but easily learned skill that isn't always passed down from previous generations.