For anyone who’s ever dreamed of leaving it all behind and heading for the hills, this book can make that a reality. Concrete, useful hints cover everything from raising chickens in your urban backyard to going totally off the grid in your all-solar log cabin.A guide for the modern homesteader, this covers energy efficiency, finding and pumping your own water, keeping chickens, goats, bees, and other critters, and much more from a practical hands-on perspective. Table of Contents: PART ONE: GETTING STARTED Stake Your Claim: Decide how far off the grid you really want to get, choose your spot, and take the plunge (or adapt these hints to a more suburban or even urban lifestyle) Gimme Shelter: Options for shelters, ranging from simple cabins to modern tiny houses, and more. Wet& Wild: Dig a well, collect rainwater, and handle plumbing matters of all sorts. The Heat Is On: Off-the-grid and toasty with your own water heater, woodstove, or energy-efficient modern fireplace. I Got the Power: Set up a solar panel, run a house off batteries, or live like the Ingalls family by candlelight. PART TWO: LIVE THE DREAM Plan for Feast not Famine: How to ensure that you have what you need to not just eat, but feast all year on your own bounty. Grow a Garden: Living off your own fruits and veggies Trees of Life: Orchards for even the smallest piece of land, for your own fruits and nuts. Amber Waves of Grain: How small-time farmers can grow big-time crops Bunnies and Chickens: Small-scale livestock that even an apartment-dweller can raise. Goats in the Yard: Farming mid-size critters for food Hello, Bossy: Cows, horses, and other big animals. Fish & Friends: Start a fish farm for yourself, and for the truly adventurous, try cooking up your local bugs. PART THREE: SURVIVE OFF THE GRID Go Native: How to live off the grid in a truly primitive fashion, like a modern caveman. Hunt & Fish: Eat nature’s bounty without farming Eat Well Long-term: How to make things like bacon and cheese from animals you farm yourself, store and plant seeds, etc. And most importantly, brew your own beer and grow your own coffee! Live Like a Pioneer: Make furniture, cook up your own soap, make simple clothing, distill booze, and other lost arts of premodern life. Survive Hard Times: If you’re off the grid because society has fallen, you’ll need a more advanced skillset. How to build a bunker, protect your livestock, and trick out a Road Warrior-worthy vehicle. Stay Healthy: Medical care for people who can’t get to the doctor. With high-quality design, amazing illustrations, and a durable flexicover—this comprehensive lifestyle book is the perfect gift!