Those who want to reduce their carbon footprint might do well to consult this century-old guide to low-tech property maintenance. Step-by-step instructions include how to build a lightweight ladder, a small truss bridge, a stump puller, gates that don't sag and can lift over snowdrifts, a wood splitter, and bicycle-powered machines. For anyone who lives a self-sufficient country life-or for those who wish to-this classic guide from the annals of American history remains current and very practical.

Looking for a cleaner home without the upkeep taking over your whole life? Those of us living in the real world know that it can be challenging to keep a clean and tidy home. Busy lifestyles, shared housing, physical limitations or mental health issues can all contribute to making a once calm environment feel daunting and stressful. The Unf*ck Your Habitat system in Less Mess, Less Stress works with you, not against you, and shows how just thirty minutes (including a ten minute break!) can transform any space. With low-effort, high-reward tricks, tips, lists and challenges, Rachel Hoffman's reassuring guide is full of no-nonsense advice and practical help on things you can do today for a less messy tomorrow. While this book won't wash your dishes or fold your laundry, it will give you all the tools you'll need to stay on top because everyone deserves - and can have - a home with less mess and less stress. Previously published as Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better than Your Mess

In this compilation of projects and plans from "Furniture & Cabinetmaking" magazine, veteran craftsman Mark Ripley puts 20 years' worth of practical tips, refreshing ideas, and innovative approaches on the page. The 24 fully-diagrammed and illustrated designs here offer something to furniture-makers of all abilities, from a simple dining-room table to the more complex breakfront bookcase. And these projects don't require a lavishly-equipped shop: each design requires little more than a bench, a small bandsaw, two or three portable power tools, and a basic kit of hand tools. Before diving into building plans, Ripley helps readers understand the basics of properly choosing materials and harmonizing the elements of furniture design.

Over the next twenty years, practicality and efficiency will be two of the biggest components of how we define energy sources, and we will need to fully understand our individual pivotal role in this transformation. David Nelmes makes the process virtually effortless with his groundbreaking work, "The Rewards of Making Energy-Efficient Choices."

Drawing on his vast experience as a home energy inspector specializing in heating and air conditioning, electrical wiring, and interiors and insulation, Nelmes is fully qualified to show you how to live a greener and more efficient life without sacrificing the normal comforts of home. Nelmes offers firsthand insight on how energy conservation, along with the use of solar, wind, and fuel cell technology, will help us all steer away from using foreign fossil fuels.

With a straightforward and easy-to-understand style, Nelmes gives you specific advice on how to convert your home and your car to become more environmentally friendly, affordable, and resourceful. Accompanied by illustrations, charts, helpful photographs, and numerous Web site references, Nelmes covers topics such as Energy efficiency and conservation Best methods for heating and cooling Efficient hot water creation Renewable solar and wind energy Domestic power for your vehicle In addition to reducing your impact on the air, water, and soil, "The Rewards of Making Energy-Efficient Choices" will help you go green by spending a little green today and saving a lot of green tomorrow

Easy-to-care-for, productive, inexpensive, and full of personality, chickens are popping up in backyards throughout the country--in the suburbs, rural towns, and even on city plots. All it takes to keep a small flock is a bit of land and a properly designed coop.
Just like houses, chicken coops come in all sizes and styles to meet the needs of any chicken family. Author Judy Pangman has combed the country identifying the top chicken coop designs, from utilitarian to high-style. The result is this ultimate collection of 45 building plans that are sure to meet the needs of any chicken owner.
The featured designs include basic easy-to assemble hoop houses, A-frames, and multi-storied wooden structures, as well as larger models for small commercial farms. There are also a variety of moveable coops that can be rotated around the yard, and low-budget coops constructed from found and repurposed materials.
Pangman shares inspirational and instructive stories about the participating coop designers/ builders. Enthusiastic communities of chicken-keepers have organized chicken tours in cities such as Seattle, highlighting the fun and fantastic imagination of some coop architect/builders. There are designs echoing the house styles of the neighborhood, as well as the most contemporary trends in architecture. Building a chicken coop offers a great outlet for any would-be architect who wants to stick to the miniature, scaled-down building
A 16-page color section shows detailed photos of many of the featured coop plans, as well as some amazing kits and one-of-a-kind coops built from recyclables.
With its comprehensive building plans and chicken-laden stories, "Chicken Coops" is sure to inspire a sunny-side-up, no-yolks-barred attitude in all chicken owners who dream of building a bigger, better coop to house their flock.