I love to read, have for years, reading for me is both about learning but also about down time, and awhile back I saw someone post a photo of their current reading book pile and I knew that I wanted to do a post on that..
The top book which is little and has no writing on the spine is Wild and Wonderful, Goose and Game, and it’s just filled with wonderful recipes for duck and goose, its a Canadian writer from a northern lodge in Mantoba.
Then comes, The next 100 years, a forcast for the 21st centrury by George Friedman, its basicly what it says, what he thinks from the many studies etc, on what will be happening to the world over the next while, and the predicted events are not good!
On Killing, The psychological Cost of Learning to kill in a war and society by Lt. Col Dave Grossman, this book will for sure get a full review on it! I’m only so far in and it will be the next book I pick up and start reading again today! Highly recommend by Dh, who got it on his trip and felt it was his pick of the ones that came home.
The Leap by Chris Turner, this is a peak oil book, and all about taking that leap from where we are now to where we need to be heading, I’m half way though it, and I like his examples and how he explains it in a number of ways however so far, what I don’t like is his thoughts that we can continue to consume at the same rates, that we can continue the same quality of life after the shift, I don’t think this is a good thing to pimp to the general public, going green, reducing and recycling and connecting to your food sources etc, means you do have to put the work in and live a bit different, for some reason, he does not so far? (I will come back and comment if this changes) want to see the writing on the wall when it comes to needing to work for that “Leap”
Outdoor Medical Emergancy Handbook by Briggs/Mackenzie, this is another Canadian book, and its excellent, its done for First aid for travelers, backpackers and adventurers, I like it, and how its done so you can just flip to the area of what has happened and go!
Zombies, the recent dead, a collection of short story’s, what can I say, there is almost always a zombie or vampire book of some kind on the night stand, or aliens or werewolvies etc, I have liked them since my teen years and its not changed, its just that now a days, there is more writer’s, some good and some ehhh but the short story collections let you get a fcel for a writers style and if you like to read them, which allows me to find and sort though the new writers without buying a full book from them first.
The resilitent Gardner by Deppe, This has been a hard read for me, the information is good and I will work my way thought this book but the writing style does not do it for me, and I just don’t connect to the writer like I would perfer (its hard to really get into a book, when at times, the thought goes something like this “huh, what a “non-farmer” thing to say?” but that is part of the issue with this book, she lives in town and rents land for her garden, and it shows! None the less, there are parts of this book that I think has very good information, and this one is another that will get a full review for sure.
The comes a true canadian gem, the writer lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada and she wrote 1/4 life stories, 1/4 art book, (o the photos in this book!) and 1/2 cookbook, its the Boreal Gourmet by Michele Genest, and I am really liking it! Will be doing some recipes out of it over the winter and sharing how it goes with you!, I understand that a second book is already in the works.
Then comes the last two, both storey books, which speaks volumes right there on their amazing quality..
The cattle health handbook by Thomas and How to build Animal Housing by Ekarius, both of these are large, heavy thick books on their subjects, they are indepth, and wonderful! They have both been used already for certain information or to build projects and I have no doubt at all will be many times again..
So what is on your reading pile these days? Got a good one that I should add to my reading list? So do my book choices reflect the farmgal you know from the blog? or where any a surprise to you?
Just another Day on the Farm 
Oh, my, we can NOT keep consuming like we are now. That’s the thing that scares me – the public thinks that if they recycle and buy a few local things that it will be enough.
I found Chapter three available online – http://www.booklounge.ca/features/previews/index9780307359223.html – he talks about a German family buying a house that produces more energy than it makes. My biggest problem with that, though, is that almost NO one can afford to buy those houses. Can you? I can’t – there are hundreds of families in this aging apartment complex – it won’t be going solar anytime soon. And he admits that their system relies on the feed-in-tariff which pays household producers more for their excess electricity than the consumer price. (Please, someone explain to me how this is sustainable?)
Hi C.D.
It is a interesting read, this guy was nominated for a award for this book and it really is worth reading not only to learn some of the interesting things that are happening at the for front of the different green movements across the globe but to also get a grip on how its being veiwed by a different train of thought..
Sometimes we get caught up in our own world view and I do think its a good thing to step out and see it from someone else eyes, might not want to walk in their shoes, but i do think seeing different view points on subjects that I am interested in is a good thing, never know what you read that will take you off into trying a new way of doing something to see if it will work in real life on the farm.
I have a list of books that I’m planning on posting about too and what surprises most is that we don’t overlap at all! Which is good because now I have some new ones to search out!
Hi Callie
Great minds think alike, I am interested in what your book list will be, and when you get the post up, if you are willing come link it back up to this one in the comments.
Hi FG,
I just went to a 4 hour class, lecture thing given by Lt. Col Dave Grossman. It was very interesting and kind of scary. I’ve been trying to explain it to my husband for days now. He reccommended a few books during his lecture. One of them is Terror at Beslan. I’m nervous to read that one. He had his other book for sale as well. On Combat. I’m going to try out On Killing first. I’m glad to see that someone outside the military is reading his books.
Hi DF
Very interesting, I would like to get to a lecture if I could, I really did enjoy reading the book, I will have to check out that other book..Thanks for letting me know that it was worth it for you.