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These books on the topic of permaculture are available from:
The
Permaculture Activist
P.O. Box 1209
Black Mountain
NC 28711
Please add 10 % shipping to all orders, minimum $2.00.
Permaculture Books
Introduction to Permaculture, $30.00, by Bill Mollison w/Rene Mia Slay, 2nd ed. (1994), 198pp., paper, illus. The basic argument for permanent agriculture honed to a keen edge by 15 years' teaching and thousands of demonstrations. How to feed and house yourself in any climate with the least use of land, energy, and repetitive labor. Replaces Permaculture I & II.
Permaculture in a Nutshell, $8.00, by Patrick Whitefield, (1993) 75pp., paper, illus. A back-pocket gem, this book draws on the best examples in Britain and elsewhere to show how permaculture works.
The Permaculture Designers Manual, $55.00, by Bill Mollison, (1990) 576pp., cloth, 450 illus, plus 130 colour photos. Global treatment of cultivated ecosystems. A resource for all landscapes and climates. New printing/new price.
Urban Permaculture: A Practical Handbook, $13.00, by David Watkins, (1993), 152pp., paper, illus. New from the UK. Gives the how-to's of growing food and saving energy in the urban household. Domestic waste, green economics, non-toxic cleaners, garden layouts, species lists, and breeds of small animals.
Living Community: A Permaculture Case Study, $13.00, by Ben Haggard, (1993), 152pp., paper, illus. A lyrical and moving reflection of the author's discovery of harmony and connectedness in the desert landscape of his native Santa Fe, told against the backdrop of a visionary permaculture project at Sol y Sombra, the former estate of painter Georgia O'Keefe. Insightful remarks on pattern and the subtle, but profound interplay of observation and design by a skilled teacher.
The Best of Permaculture: A Collection, $18.00, by Max O. Lindegger & Robert Tap, eds. (1986), 136pp., paper, illus. Original essays in building biology, urban forestry, land restoration, health, nutrition, and energy.
Western Permaculture Manual, $14.00, by David Brown, ed. 160pp., paper, illus. Pithy essays in ethics, ecology, design, technology, silviculture, and animals, based on 10 years work by the Permaculture Association of Western Australia.
Crystal Waters Village: Conceptual Permaculture Report, $17.00, by Max O. Lindegger & Robert Tap, (1989), 80pp. paper, illus. Advanced proposal for an agricultural economy at the first permaculture village in Australia. Pioneering work.
Village Owner's Manual, $11.00, Nascimanere, 2nd ed., (1990), 54pp., paper, illus. Nuts and bolts for the owner/builder. Passive solar design and hard-to-find information on rammed earth, sod roofs, pole construction, building biology.
The Permaculture Book of Ferment & Human Nutrition, $30.00, by Bill Mollison. (1993) 288pp. paper, illus and 35 colour photos. Comprehensive global survey of methods extending the author's life-long concern with core human survival issues. Treats food storage, preservation, cooking, fungi, yeasts, grain, legumes, roots/bulbs, fruits, flowers, nuts, oils, aguamiels, fish, algae, meats, birds, insects, dairy, beer, wine & beverages, condiments, agricultural ferments, hygiene, food toxins, vitamins, enzymes, trace minerals & nutrient sources, use of earths to enhance food value. In Bill's words, "A book I wished I'd had ten years ago."
Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally, $20.00, by Robert Kourik, (1986), 370pp., illus. plus 19 color photos. Permaculture in the home garden. Mulch gardens, double digging, root zones, intercropping, pruning, companion crops, natural pest control. Excellent diagrams, charts, and species lists.
The Permaculture Garden, $16.00, by Graham Bell, (1994), 170pp. paper, illus. Quoting Emerson, Shakespeare, and St. Barbe Baker, Bell gives us a colorful tour of life "out back," as he tells how to look at the garden and get started: planning, landscape elements, helpful techniques, building soil, water, waste, structures, and forest gardening. Includes extensive species lists.
Chicken Tractors, $20.00, by Andy Lee, (1994), 230pp., paper, illus. A well-informed and thorough guide to the essential permaculture animal, and how you and they can build fertility in the garden. Costs, management, markets, suppliers, animal health, and building mobile coops.
Earth User's Guide to Permaculture, $18.00, by Rosemary Morrow, (1993), 152pp. paper, illus. plus 4 color plates. With clear simple language and charming illustrations by Rob Allsop, this is a basic permaculture text "for the rest of us." Ro Morrow has taught Pc from India and Cambodia to suburban Sydney. Examples cover a range of climates and should be of use to beginners and veterans alike. Large format, comprehensive, and based on years of experience.
Forest Gardening, $15.00, by Robert A. de J. Hart. (1991) 212 pp. plus 8 color plates, paper, illus. Seven-story permaculture for temperate climates lovingly described by the grand old man of agro-forestry. Hart's tales of tree life and forest cultures thrill to the root. A gardener's ecology: water, energy, craft, herbs & health. A perennial inspiration, with 46 pages of plant descriptions and variety choices for both temperate and tropical climates.
The Flywire House, $10.00, by David Holmgren, (1993), 16pp., paper, illus. A large-format case study of permaculture design for fire, an often overlooked element in the landscape. Graced with scale drawings, house elevations, roof details, site plans, and photos. This slender volume is dense with essential information. A good model of permaculture design reporting.
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture, $20.00, by J. Russell Smith, (1987), 408pp. paper, illus. Reprint of the 1950 ed. with a new intro. by Wendell Berry. First published in 1929 and still radical more than 60 years later, Smith's seminal work remains essential and too little heeded. His proposal for "two-story agriculture" is massively researched and equally entertaining.
The Forest Farmer's Handbook: Natural Selection Forest Mgmt., $8.00, by Orville Camp, (1984), 72pp., paper, illus. How to make a living as a woodcutter: forest structure & health, harvest practices, access roads & equipment, by a pioneer.
Restoration Forestry: An International Guide, $27.00, by Michael Pilarski, ed. (1994), 525pp., paper, illus. A thick compendium of the best current information on sustainable forestry practices by long-time director of Friends of the Trees. Fifty essays and 2300 resources reviewed, with contact information. Will stand for many years as the definitive guide to our most important ecological challenge.
Cornucopia: A sourcebook of Edible Plants, $35.00, by Stephen Facciola, (1990), 678pp., paper. Lists 3,000 species with all commercially available named cultivars, sources, descriptions, uses, cultural notes, food products; indexed by common name, families & genera. Useful to every designer & gardener.
The Man Who Planted Trees, $7.00, by Jean Giono, (1985), 56pp., paper. This timeless and inspiring tale of one man's dedicated efforts to reverse desolation has been beautifully illustrated with 20 woodcuts by Michael McCurdy. A story for all ages.
Living Communities: A Permaculture Case Study at Soly Sombra, $13.00, by Ben Haggard, (1993), 152pp., paper, illus. Permaculture through the eyes of a master gardener and the design of a particular place, the Miller estate at Santa Fe, NM. Valuable for its insights into the observation process. Haggard's prose is lyrical and his conclusions reach beyond his desert home.
Directory of Intentional Communities, $16.00. Newly Revised (1994), 326pp., paper, illus. More than 450 North American and 50 international communities, 250 alternative resources, 35 articles on community living. Comprehensive, exciting survey of maturing movement for cultural transformation.
The Independent Home: Living Well with Power from the Sun, Wind, and Water, $18.00, by Michael Potts, (1993), 300pp. paper, illus. Weaves 27 inspiring stories of the new energy pioneers and how they did it - nuts and bolts, with explanations of theory and practice.
Replete with diagrams and photos. Chapters on economics of permanence, siting and building the home, repair & maintenance, biological energy, and community cooperation. A treasure trove of useful information. Clear language, exceptional value.
Boundaries of Home: Mapping for Local Empowerment, $10.00 by Doug Aberley, ed. 138pp., paper, illus. Mapping is the first step toward reclaiming the territory. How to envision the landscape of home: 19 passionate essays on bioregional mapping, theory & examples from city and country, USA, Canada, Britain. Info on using GIS, resource assessments, review of cartographic sources, many and varied example maps.
Sacred Land, Sacred Sex: Rapture of the Deep, $25.00, by Dolores LaChapelle, (1988), 386pp., paper, illus. "How do we begin moving toward a real culture? All we have to do is raise one generation of children right - according to the pattern laid down by hundreds of thousands of years of our mammalian ancestors." A manual of deep ecology, a guide to ritual, an essential history of our species.
Copyright © 1995 REAP Canada
Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
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