Living On The Earth

An original hippie book by one of the original hippies, based on the author's experiences with low-tech life on a rural commune, and hand-written and hand-illustrated throughout. Contains an astonishing range of info on an equally astonishing array of subjects.

The Cob Builder’s Handbook

Cob is a mixture of clay and sand, with straw as a binder, laid on by hand and used to sculpt astonishing housing-sculptures that last nearly forever. Right now, cob building is one of the hottest things in alternative circles, and this book is a good introduction to how it's done.

Country Comforts

An amazing book of practical designs for homestead equipment, illustrated with photographs and very clear drawings.

The Home Water Supply

You'll need water for your homestead, of course - and even before times get tough, you may have to provide it for yourself. This is the standard book on how to do it, safely and effectively.

Cloudburst

More down home Canadian hippie funk: building a dome, digging an outhouse, designing and making a water wheel, planting by the phases of the moon, defending your beehives against bears, etc., etc.

The Encyclopedia of Country Living

Everything you wanted to know about homesteading but didn't know which of them grubby-lookin' hippies to ask. An excellent resource.

Lost Country Life

A book of everyday life in England in the Middle Ages, with plenty of details on everyday skills in an economy where practically everything had to be done locally, with muscle power (human or animal).

Down Home Ways

The oldtimer tells all! This book covers a dizzying assortment of old-fashioned country living skills.

Shelter

A big floppy paperback full of ideas, experience, and lore. Almost impossible to use in a hurry; plan on reading it through several times, making notes.

Shelter II

More of what makes Shelter such a resource.

Five Acres and Independence

One of the standard back-to-the-land handbooks since its original publication in 1940, with information about nearly every phase of running a small farm.

The Earth Manual

A classic handbook of how to tend wild or semiwild land. The section on erosion control is particularly good.

Grow It!

A classic of the 70s back-to-the-land scene, with plenty of info on just about every aspect of homesteading.

The $50 and Up Underground House Book

This book launched a boom in outlaw housing; its wood-and-polyethylene approach won't meet Code requirements, but it will keep you warm and dry in a cheap handmade earth-sheltered house. Lots of hands-on information.