House & Home

A Guide to Being Sustainable at Home and in Life

“Gittemarie is creator that not only provides helpful tips on living a zero-waste and vegan lifestyle, but also articulates it in way that is approachable.” —Jhánneu Roberts (@Jhanneu)

#1 New Release in Upcycling & Repurposing

Reshape your conventional habits, purchases, and recipes with these simple yet effective zero-waste alternatives!

Eco-friendly living made simple. As a lifestyle guide and an introduction to sustainable living, Sustainable Badass shows you why and how to minimize your consumption while effortlessly making your habits greener. Each page has practical tips, tools and important facts about plastic pollution, overconsumption, and the climate crisis. From small changes such as pre-cycling and purchasing items with minimum to no packaging, to eliminating plastic entirely; this book empowers you to be a sustainable badass by making effortless planet-positive choices in your everyday life.

Know the cause, be the change. Gittemarie Johansen, sustainability blogger and speaker, teaches you the way to a greener, more simple and happier life by implementing self sustainable living principles, all while putting the power into your hands as the consumer to speak up and demand change for our planet.

Be sustainable at home.Sustainable Badass encourages you with some effortless principles on the best sustainable home goods. Enjoy this holistic and accessible approach to creating a self sustainable home and lifestyle, that is easy to implement, and fundamental to saving our planet.

Inside, you’ll find:

• A guide to being intentionally sustainable at home 
• Effortless and intentional steps to withdraw from consumerism
• All the knowledge you need to live a sustainable life at home and with others

If you liked Simply Living Well, Live Green, or Attainable Sustainable, you’ll love Sustainable Badass.

Transform your living space into a model of self-sufficiency with this captivating collection of actionable insights from Martin Holladay, a leading voice in building science and energy efficiency.

This book compiles the 50 most popular posts from his renowned blog, offering practical advice to help homeowners embrace a greener lifestyle.

With Musings of an Energy Nerd, you’ll not only gain valuable knowledge but also the tools needed to make your home more energy-efficient and sustainable.

Key Features:

• Expert Insights: Holladay breaks down complex topics related to energy efficiency, making them accessible for homeowners of all backgrounds. Learn how to enhance your home’s performance while reducing energy costs.

• Practical Strategies: Discover actionable tips on improving insulation, selecting energy-efficient appliances, and implementing renewable energy solutions, all tailored to fit different budgets and lifestyles.

• Comprehensive Knowledge: The book addresses a wide range of subjects, including indoor air quality, sustainable materials, and the impact of design on energy consumption. Each post is backed by research, ensuring you receive trustworthy information.

• Step-by-Step Guidance: Martin provides clear, step-by-step instructions for various energy-saving projects, along with important safety considerations and best practices to ensure successful implementation.

• Inspire Change: Whether you're a seasoned energy nerd or a curious beginner, this book encourages readers to take charge of their energy use and create a home that is both comfortable and environmentally friendly.

If you want to tackle a home plumbing job yourself -- and save a few bucks in the process -- here's the book for you.

In Plumbing Complete, master plumber Rex Cauldwell gives you all the expert advice you'll need to handle virtually any plumbing project with confidence.

From the basic plumbing problems everyone faces to complex challenges that are a little trickier, you'll learn everything you need to get things running smoothly again. (The few projects not covered by the author are ones that absolutely should be handled by a plumbing professional.)

What's unique about this book is how easy it is to find and use the valuable information on every page -- with detailed instructions and clear, step-by-step photos that make every procedure easy to understand and implement.

You'll also appreciate the intuitive finding devices and table of contents featuring visual symbols that make it easy to find whatever type of project you're looking for -- and get started quickly.

Here's an example of what you'll discover.

• The tools you'll need for every project
• Understanding the drain/vent system
• How to clean and unclog pipes
• Repairing faucets and toilets
• Installing a new bath
• Working with kitchen appliances
• How to fix outdoor plumbing

  When you consider the high cost of even the most simple plumbing repair job, it's easy to see how this useful book can be a smart investment that helps you save on every job you handle yourself.

• A few simple rules of interior design

• Room-by-room style guides
• How to integrate nature into your space
• The art of arranging objects and laying a table

Find your style and design a space that is meaningful to you. Less noise, more Earth. Less house, more home.

• Properly sharpen all types of kitchen knives
• Sharpen scissors, secateurs, spades and more
• Use a whetstone and ditch ineffective home sharpeners
• Treat wooden chopping boards and season cast-iron pans

Learn all about household septic systems—including how to maintain and repair them—whether you’re planning to build or already own a home.

More than 28 million households have septic systems, yet few homeowners know how they operate or how to maintain them. The Septic System Owner’s Manual describes the conventional gravity-fed septic system, how it works, how it should be treated (what should and should not go down the drain), how it should be maintained, and what to do if things go wrong. Written by Lloyd Kahn, with illustrations by Peter Aschwanden, this is your straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to small-scale residential wastewater disposal.

The Septic System Owner’s Manual is perfect for the average homeowner, based on conventional systems, providing practical advice on how to keep these systems up (or should we say down?) and running. You’ll also appreciate information on the evolution in composting toilet systems, designs for simple graywater systems, and some typical alternatives to the standard, gravity-fed septic system. There’s a chapter with advice to any community that’s faced with town-wide septic upgrades and a chapter on the history of waterborne waste disposal.

Homeowners will especially find this book useful in terms of the following:

• Working systems: By understanding septic system principles, you will know how to maximize its useful life.
• Partially failing systems: You may be able to nurse along an ailing system or even bring it back to life.
• Failing systems: You are given a discovery process to search for the problem.
• Alternative systems: You will understand how they work and what purposes they serve.

Get this comprehensive book, and get to know the ins and outs of your septic system. It could save you countless repair bills and countless headaches!

Discover the benefits and joys of simple living in this coffee-table book that presents the homestead of Lloyd Khan and Lesley Creed.

If you’ve ever researched a DIY home-building project, then you’ve probably come across the books of Lloyd Kahn. If you’ve ever been curious about self-sufficient living, The Half-Acre Homestead is for you. Lloyd, the former shelter editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, has published several books—including some of the most definitive titles on owner building, such as Shelter and Tiny Homes. Lloyd has showcased hundreds of builders in his books. Now, for the first time ever, he spotlights the work of himself and his wife, Lesley Creed.

Starting with a vacant half-acre piece of land, back in the 1970s, the couple built their own home, created a garden with vegetables and fruit, and began raising chickens, bees, and goats. This book presents every aspect of their homestead, from the kitchen and dining area to the shed and workshop. It also introduces several fascinating aspects of their lifestyle, such as crafting and small-scale farming. It goes on to cover cooking, foraging, fishing, birds, butterflies, and tools.

Book Features

• Detailed look at a homestead built entirely by hand
• More than 500 full-color photos, illustrating every facet of home life
• Tips about building skylights, greenhouses, living roofs, and more
• Section on unique kitchen tools, as well as useful tools for construction

Lloyd and Lesley have never paid rent and never had a mortgage. This coffee-table book is their story of building and maintaining their own home, over a 46-year period, on a small piece of land in Northern California.

If there’s not a nomadic revolution going on today, there’s certainly a nomadic movement. In the last few years, either for reasons of practicality (high costs of rent or mortgages), change in lifestyle, or the search for adventure, people are customizing all sorts of vehicles for travel.

If you search for “van” on Instagram, you find scores of accounts such as #projectvanlife, with 1.2 million followers; #vanlifecamper; 472,000 followers, or #fosterhunting, 930,000 followers.

This book focuses on DIY vehicles, with most of the 80 or so shown here fitted out for the road by their owners, similar to the way that the homes in all of Shelter’s building books were built by hand, by the owners. There are vans, sedans, trucks, buses, and trailers with a wide array of designs and styles. A number of the units are 4-wheel drive for off-road travel.

The book is not only fun to browse through, but is full of practical information (such as stoves, heaters, battery charging, solar power, refrigerators, and kitchens designed for the road) — for anyone wanting to create their own movable home. These owner builders describe their homes, provide photos and share their secrets. There are dozens of floor plans, all sorts of sleeping arrangements, and some unique “stealth vehicles” — designed to be under the radar, so that passers-by have no idea that someone is sleeping in a parked vehicle.

There is a European minivan outfitted by a young German woman who just graduated from architectural school and took a sabbatical to go surfing. There are a number of camper truck shells, all completely different. There’s a converted school bus that is used in both cold weather for skiing, and in warm climates (such as Baja California) for surfing. A $200,000 Land Rover and a $300 pickup truck camper shell. There’s a converted horse trailer furnished with Victorian antiques that is used at Burning Man. A tiny Geo Metro (3-cylinder sedan) that is ingeniously designed for sleeping, cooking, and eating in the stealth mode.

This is the the latest addition to The Shelter Library of Building Books, which started with Shelter in 1973 and includes Home Work, Builders of the Pacific Coast, Tiny Homes, and more.

This book couldn’t be more timely.

Find inspiration from DIY owner-builders who constructed their own small homes in this coffee-table book filled with photography.

Are tiny homes too little for you? Well, small is bigger than tiny! The average American home is 2,500 square feet—that’s too big. The tiny home averages 200–300 square feet—that’s too little. The small homes featured here are 400–1,200 square feet—just right! American homes are getting bigger and bigger, but small homes are less expensive, use fewer resources, are more efficient to heat and cool, and are less costly to maintain and repair. They are desirable for those who want to avoid a bank mortgage or high rents yet need more room than a tiny house can offer.

Lloyd Kahn has been a leader in the green-building movement for over 40 years. In Small Homes, he presents 120 small homes via more than 1,000 full-color photographs. The homes vary from unique and artistic to simple and low-cost. Some are ordinary buildings that provide shelter at a reasonable cost, and some are inspiring examples of design, carpentry, craftsmanship, imagination, creativity, and homemaking. Some are built with natural materials, such as cob or straw, and some with recycled wood or lumber milled on-site. Some are old homes that have been remodeled, while many were designed and built from scratch. Many are in the country, some in small towns, and some in large cities. Dozens of builders share their knowledge of building and design, with artistic, practical, and/or economical homes in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Lithuania.

Inside you’ll find

• 120 homes in the range of 400–1,200 square feet
• Owner-builder techniques
• Variety of construction methods
• Inspiration from owner-builders
• Small homes in both rural and urban areas

The underlying theme with Shelter’s books, which span more than 40 years, is that you can create your own home with your own hands, using mostly natural materials. A computer can’t build your home for you. You still need a hammer (or nail gun), a saw—and human hands.

If you're looking to enhance your home with the unique texture and beauty of tile, Tiling Complete: 2nd Edition is the ultimate guide you need to achieve stunning results.

Crafted by two tiling experts, each with over 20 years of experience, this comprehensive manual covers everything from the basics to advanced techniques, ensuring you can tackle any tiling job with confidence.

Whether you're a novice or an experienced DIY enthusiast, Tiling Complete is packed with color photographs and actionable advice, making it easy to get the job done right. If you're ready to tackle the unique challenges of a home tiling project, this book provides the breadth and depth of information you need to succeed.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Coverage: This all-encompassing resource provides in-depth guidance on a wide variety of tile types, including standard ceramic, porcelain, terra-cotta pavers, natural stone, glass, specialty, and trim tiles.
• Material Insights: Learn about the natural characteristics of each tile type—such as hardness, softness, and durability—and discover which materials are best suited for specific applications.
• Design Options: Explore various design elements including color, décor, style, tile size, shape, and orientation, along with creative ways to combine tile with other materials for a truly unique look.
• Expert Techniques: Get detailed advice on essential tools and techniques for preparation, demolition, cutting, drilling, installing, grouting, and caulking tile, presented in clear, precise language.
• Installation Know-How: Gain a solid understanding of installation materials, membranes, substrates, adhesives, grout sealants, and caulks, helping you make informed choices for your project.
• Step-by-Step Guidance: With clear instructions for tiling floors, countertops, walls, and backsplashes, you'll be equipped to create a beautiful finished product that transforms your home.

In einer Zeit, in der der Fußabdrücke und Klimawandel allgegenwärtig diskutiert werden, fehlt es oft an strukturierten, unabhängigen Informationen über Grundlagen, gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen und wissenschaftlichem Hintergrund zum nachhaltigen Handeln im Alltag, denn Ratschläge und Berechnungen verfolgen oft verborgene kommerzielle oder ideologisch geprägte Interessen.

Dieses Buch widmet sich neben einem erklärenden Teil der Frage, wie Privatpersonen und Haushalte konkret nachhaltiger agieren und leben können. Mit vielen detaillierten Informationen aber auch Überblicken bietet es ein ganzheitliches Verständnis von Nachhaltigkeit und zeigt auf, wie relevante Nachhaltigkeitsparameter im beruflichen und privaten erkannt und bewertet werden können. Die Inhalte werden durch umfangreiche Literaturangaben ergänzt so, dass ein Weiterlesen möglich ist.

Das Buch ist sowohl ein Nachschlagewerk zu wesentlichen Informationen und Publikationen als auch ein Leitfaden für alle, die sich einerseits weiterbilden und andererseits jenseits von Trends und Ideologien einen echten Beitrag zu einer nachhaltigeren Welt leisten möchten.　

Woodworking Joinery by Hand is a ground-breaking woodworking book that introduces a new twist on the traditional hand-cut methods of joint making. With Sugita’s unique method of guiding and controlling the saw blade using jigs and magnetic sheets, even a complete beginner can learn advanced joint-making techniques with hand tools alone. Making it easy to produce straight and square cuts, this pioneering technique is a game-changer for producing high-precision, beautifully made wooden joints.

Wood Joints By Machine & Hand is an indispensable reference book and instructional guide to creating the most common joints in woodworking.

Joinery is a fundamental element of woodworking, and mastering the basic joints is an essential part of becoming a skilled woodworker. But not all wood joints are created equal, so knowing how and when to use them is important. This book provides an overview of how to create and when to use the most common joints in woodworking.

Each joint is accompanied by detailed step-by-step instructions and illustrated with full-color photographs. Methods are shown for creating joints using both hand tools and power tools, and alternative techniques are given, allowing the reader to experiment and decide on their preferred process. There is information on the basic tools needed to construct each joint and how to choose the right joint for every job.

Readers will also learn about factors that contribute to a strong wood joint, including how to read the wood grain, to ensure they achieve success every time. An indispensable joinery reference book, Wood Joints by Machine & by Hand provides the perfect introduction for novices and an ideal companion for more accomplished woodworkers looking to brush up on their skills.

Includes: Butt Joint, Miter Joint, Dowel Joint, Mortise and Tenon Joint, Box Joint and Through Dovetail Joint.

How to make something from nothing, well, almost nothing! If, like most of us, you have a pile of leftover wood scraps stashed away in your shop, you'll rejoice over Derek Jones' book, Woodworking from Offcuts. Now, at long last, a book packed with great ideas for turning that trash heap into treasure!

20 useful projects made from odds and ends. These made-from-scrap projects will not only clean up your shop, but provide satisfying work that results in useful items for your home, office, garden—or as nicely made gifts. Projects include: wooden salad serving forks, serving platter, and meat tenderizer that would cost a pretty penny in a specialty shop, along with a letter rack, tool caddy, cute bird house, and more.

Show and tell instructions, tips for all skill levels. Each clever project is explained in clear, straightforward terms, with step-by-step photos that “show and tell" exactly what to do. And, whatever your abilities, there are plenty of projects for you— and opportunities to turn little bits and pieces into beautiful accessories like those in high-end shops.

The attractive and distinctive fireplace mantels in Building Fireplace Mantels will inspire homeowners to undertake one of the most popular renovation projects in the home. Step-by-step instructions, cutlists and excellent process photography and illustrations will make this book appeal to woodworkers with varying degrees of expertise.

Super Simple Outdoor Woodworking  is an imaginative collection of 15 projects for the garden, patio or deck that are easy to make.

There are projects designed for both those just starting out and those that would be fun for even the most experienced woodworker to create. All of the projects include clear guidance on how best to approach the construction of each piece and they can be made with standard-sized wood from the DIY store. There are also a number of projects include helpful hints and tips to achieving perfect results. The projects include helpful step-by-step instructions with clear photography and detailed diagrams.

Green construction is the building trend of the decade. In direct response to the growing demand for sustainable, healthy, and energy-efficient homes, David Johnston and Scott Gibson present the most forward-thinking theories and the best proven methods of new and remodeled green construction. They begin with down-to-earth explanations of green building basics and move on to site planning, materials selection, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality -- detailing along the way every step in design and construction, from framing to finishes.

A must-have reference for contractors who want to remain competitive, Green from the Ground Up is also a remarkable resource for homeowners who require the clearest and most thorough green building information available.

Help Save Our Planet with Money-Saving Sustainable Tips for Your House

Households are among the biggest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Could the secrets of saving the environment (and money) be closer to home than we thought?

Looking for easy, budget-friendly ways to reduce your environmental impact and save money? Authored by award-winning environmental journalist, Candice Batista, Sustained takes you on an eye-opening journey towards sustainability and eco-friendly living─starting at home. This step-by-step, eco-living guide offers simple yet powerful ways to turn each room in your home into a hub of sustainability, while pocketing impressive savings every step of the way.

Small changes, big impact. Starting with a deep dive into how our actions at home impact the planet, Sustained offers a practical suite of never-before-seen tools and solutions to initiate the shift towards a greener lifestyle–without draining your time, energy, or budget.

Inside find:

• Eye-Opening Ideas: Explore green cleaning alternatives, ethical fashion brand recommendations, kitchen composting and waste management advice, laundry routine overhaul guidance, and more.
• Cleaner and Greener: Reduce your dependence on chemical products and single-use plastics, decipher cryptic food and fashion labels, shop like an eco-pro, and make room for a new lifestyle that’s kinder to you, your pocket, and the planet.
• Eco-Living Simplified: Going green doesn’t have to push your bank account into the red. Uncover tried-and-trusted tips for sustainable living, fresh recipe ideas, and up-to-date insights into top-rated biodegradable home products.

Environmentally conscious readers of sustainability books like Simply Living Well, The Backyard Homestead Bible, or Sustainable Minimalism, will love Candice Batista's Sustained.

While the debate over our changing environment rages on, one thing remains clear: being green is a hot topic—socially, politically, and economically. Whether you’ve “been green” from birth or don’t even know what the three “Rs” stand for, 48 Things To Know About Sustainable Living can help you make small, affordable (or free!) changes that will have a major impact on the environment and simplify your everyday life. Chock-full of tips and useful Web sites, 48 Things will show you how to easily become planet-friendly by: 

• Discovering eco-friendly substitutions for everything from food and clothing to appliances, cleaning products, office supplies, and transportation
• Reducing waste and electricity, saving you time and money
• Taking advantage of both modern green technology and renewable natural resources

How the mindset of traditional Japanese society can guide our own efforts to lead a green lifestyle today.

If we want to live sustainably, how should we feel about nature? About waste? About our forests and rivers? About food? Just Enough is a book of stories and sketches that give valuable insight into what it is like to live in a sustainable society by describing life in Japan some two hundred years ago, during the late Edo period, when cities and villages faced many of the same environmental challenges we do today and met them beautifully and inventively.

The best person to design the property of your dreams is you. This book gives you the tools to succeed.

Building Your Permaculture Property offers a revolutionary holistic method to overcome overwhelm in the complex process of resilient land design. It distills the authors' decades of experience as engineers, farmers, educators, and consultants into a five-step process complete with principles, practices, templates, and workflow tools to help you:

• Clarify your vision, values, and resources
• Diagnose your land and resources for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• Design your land and resources to meet your vision and values
• Implement the right design to enhance your strengths and improve your weakest resource
• Establish benchmarks to monitor the sustainability and success of your development.

When designing a regenerative permaculture property, too many land stewards suffer from option paralysis, a lack of integrated holistic design, fruitless trial-and-error attempts, wasted money, and the frustration that results from too much information and no context.

Building Your Permaculture Property is the essential guide for everyone looking to cut through the noise and establish an ecologically regenerative, financially sustainable, enjoyable, and thriving permaculture property, anywhere in the world.

“Practical advice . . . from the farm field to foraging in the forest . . . a must-have for anyone looking to transition from homeowner to homesteader.”—Scott Mann, host of The Permaculture Podcast

Build your homesteading dreams with all the affordable DIY innovations, tips, and stories you need to successfully launch you on a path to self-sufficiency. Raise and grow your own food, connect with nature, and consume less while producing more! The Frugal Homesteader is a fun, inspirational, and educational guide filled with a lifetime of learning that comes along with becoming a homesteader. Following dozens of successful families who have been motivated to make do, make new, and make more while saving money and living off the land, this book covers such topics as:

• Outfitting your garden
• Equipping your barn and outbuildings
• Protecting and providing for your animals
• Harvesting rainwater
• Heating with wood
• Foraging
• Producing more of what you need to thrive in harder times.

Whether you’re just starting out and looking for new, sustainable, and affordable ideas, approaches, and techniques, or you’re a small-scale farmer in regenerative agriculture, The Frugal Homesteader is the DIY manual to help you succeed.

“This book is worth its weight in gold . . . an account of direct lived experience: jam-packed with tips and tricks from doing the homestead life each and every day.”—Ben Falk, homesteader and author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead

“This is a rich bounty of ideas that will be equally usefully to old hands and shiny new start-ups alike, whether on rural acreage or urban lot.”—Jenni Blackmore, author of The Food Lover’s Garden

The "look before you leap" guide to the joys and pitfalls of the rural good life.

Dreams of self-sufficiency, independence, and tranquility continue to pull in a new generation of modern homesteaders. While growing your own food and being in charge of your life is the source of much satisfaction, there are many challenges to living away from modern conveniences.

Written by an experienced modern homesteader who successfully made the leap, So You Want to Be a Modern Homesteader? offers an in-depth examination of what you need to consider before moving "back to the land." Drawing from a deep well of experience, this essential guide covers:

• Romance versus the reality of rural living
• Finding the right property
• Building versus bootstrapping
• Practical "must-have" skills
• Earning an income and farming on a budget
• Creating community
• Seasonal living
• Children and schooling
• Social media, the internet and rural life.
  

Whether you are dreaming of moving to the country for peace and an escape from the daily grind, to provide a different lifestyle for your children, or you're already long-established in the country, this complete and realistic guide is the essential resource to help you achieve success as a modern homesteader.

How to research, visit, evaluate, and join the ecovillage or sustainable community of your dreams.

Finding community is as critical as obtaining food and shelter, since the need to belong is what makes us human. The isolation and loneliness of modern life have led many people to search for deeper connection, which has resulted in a renewed interest in intentional communities. These intentional communities or ecovillages are an appealing choice for like-minded people who seek to create a family-oriented and ecologically sustainable lifestyle—a lifestyle they are unlikely to find anywhere else.

However, the notion of an intentional community can still be a tremendous leap for some—deterred perhaps by a misguided vision of eking out a hardscrabble existence with little reward. In fact, successful ecovillages thrive because of the combined skills and resources of their members.

Finding Community presents a thorough overview of ecovillages and intentional communities and offers solid advice on how to research thoroughly, visit thoughtfully, evaluate intelligently, and join gracefully. Useful considerations include:

• Important questions to ask (of members and of yourself)
• Signs of a healthy (and not-so-healthy) community
• Cost of joining (and staying)
• Common blunders to avoid

Finding Community provides intriguing possibilities to readers who are seeking a more cooperative, sustainable, and meaningful life.

Diana Leafe Christian is the author of Creating a Life Together and editor of Communities magazine. She lives at Earthhaven Ecovillage in North Carolina.

The author of Ecothrifty shows you how to life more self-sufficiently with her guide to modern homesteading―no farm required.

Food recalls, dubious health claims, scary and shocking ingredients in health and beauty products. Our increasingly industrialized supply system is becoming more difficult to navigate, more frightening, and more frustrating, leaving us feeling stuck choosing in many cases between the lesser of several evils. That's why author Deborah Niemann is here to offer healthier, more empowering choices, by showing us how to reclaim links in our food and purchasing chains, to make choices that are healthier for our families, ourselves, and our planet.

In this fully updated and revised edition of Homegrown and Handmade, Deborah shows how making things from scratch and growing some of your own food can help you eliminate artificial ingredients from your diet, reduce your carbon footprint, and create a more authentic life.

Whether your goal is increasing your self-reliance or becoming a full-fledged homesteader, this book is packed with answers and solutions to help you rediscover traditional skills, take control of your food from seed to plate, and much more. This comprehensive guide to food and fiber from scratch proves that attitude and knowledge is more important than acreage. Written from the perspective of a successful, self-taught modern homesteader, this well-illustrated, practical, and accessible manual will appeal to anyone who dreams of a more empowered life.

"Dreaming of a mindful life? Niemann's advice on gardening, cooking, orcharding, raising livestock, and much more demonstrates that it's possible to begin the journey in your own backyard." —Rebecca Martin, Managing Editor, Mother Earth News

Life on 1/10th the fossil fuels turns out to be awesome.

We all want to be happy. Yet as we consume ever more in a frantic bid for happiness, global warming worsens.

Alarmed by drastic changes now occurring in the Earth's climate systems, the author, a climate scientist and suburban father of two, embarked on a journey to change his life and the world. He began by bicycling, growing food, meditating, and making other simple, fulfilling changes. Ultimately, he slashed his climate impact to under a tenth of the US average and became happier in the process.

Being the Change explores the connections between our individual daily actions and our collective predicament. It merges science, spirituality, and practical action to develop a satisfying and appropriate response to global warming.

Part one exposes our interconnected predicament: overpopulation, global warming, industrial agriculture, growth-addicted economics, a sold-out political system, and a mindset of separation from nature. It also includes a readable but authoritative overview of climate science. Part two offers a response at once obvious and unprecedented: mindfully opting out of this broken system and aligning our daily lives with the biosphere.

The core message is deeply optimistic: living without fossil fuels is not only possible, it can be better.

AWARDS

• GOLD (tie) | 2017 IPPY Awards: Books Most Likely to Save the Planet
• SILVER | 2017 Nautilus Book Awards: Green Living / Sustainability
• BRONZE | 2017 Foreword INDIES: Ecology & Environment

How to distill your own premium alcohol safely and legally.

Many people have experienced great success making their own beer or wine at home. In recent years a number of hobbyists have become interested in making distilled spirits. However, distilled spirits are more complicated to produce, and the process presents unique safety issues. In addition, alcohol distillation without a license is illegal in most countries, including the United States and Canada.

From mashing and fermenting to building a small column still, Craft Distilling is a complete guide to creating high-quality whiskey, rum and more at home. Experienced brewer, distiller and self-reliance expert Victoria Redhed Miller shares a wealth of invaluable information including:

• Quality Spirits 101: Step-by-step recipes and techniques
• Legal Liquor: An overview of the licensing process in the U.S. and Canada
• Raising the Bar: Advocacy for fair regulations for hobby distillers.

This unique resource will show you everything you need to know to get started crafting top-quality spirits on a small scale-and do it legally. Sure to appeal to hobbyists, homesteaders, self-sufficiency enthusiasts, and anyone who cares about fine food and drink, Craft Distilling is the ideal offering for independent spirits.

A kitchen or bathroom renovation can significantly raise the value of your home, and Building Kitchen Cabinets & Bathroom Vanities by Steve Cory shows you how surprisingly straightforward it is to do it yourself.

This heavily illustrated guide features nearly 500 photos and drawings, offering step-by-step instructions for building beautiful, durable kitchen and bathroom cabinets at a fraction of the cost.

Whether you're a novice or an experienced craftsman, Building Kitchen Cabinets & Bathroom Vanities provides the tools and insights you need to create custom cabinetry that will enhance the beauty and value of your home.

Key Features:

• Clear Step-by-Step Instructions: Learn how to build face-frame cabinets in various styles, including Shaker, slab, and cottage designs.
• Comprehensive Guide: Chapters cover everything from design, tools, and wood selection to building, finishing, and installing kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.
• Perfect for All Skill Levels: Beginners will find essential instructions for starting their first project, while experienced woodworkers will appreciate expert advice on advanced techniques.
• Versatile Applications: Build wall cabinets, base cabinets, drawer bodies, and bathroom vanities with ease, using Cory’s trusted guidance.

Windows and Doors contains the best field-tested residential construction and remodeling information available for professional builders, remodelers, and homeowners who want real pro advice. Inside these covers is the information you need to spec, install, replace, or repair windows and doors. From simple jobs to more complicated ones, this book from the editors of Fine Homebuilding magazine covers a range of window and door projects, and gives you the technical help you need for a variety of projects.

In this book we've collected 21 articles from past issues of Fine Homebuilding magazine that deal with windows and doors. Written by builders, these articles represent hard-won knowledge and years of experience. Because they're often called on to remodel homes, builders see first-hand what has and hasn't worked. You would be hard pressed to find better advice than what is collected here.

When it comes to home renovation, there's no substitute for experience.  Renovation 4th Edition contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of contractors, architects and tradespeople who shared their first-hand experience with Mike Litchfield as he interviewed and photographed them on job sites across North America.

As a founding editor of Fine Homebuilding magazine, the author of 12 acclaimed books, and a home renovator himself, Litchfield was able to record lifetimes of practical, field-tested solutions and trade secrets from the cream of the crop—the pros that other pros admire.

Both first-time renovators and professionals who want to supplement their knowledge of specific trades will find Renovation 4th Edition invaluable. R4 reflects the new realities of planning carefully, spending wisely, maximizing space and building durably. Its 614 pages contain extensively revised chapters on planning; doors, windows and skylights; electrical wiring; and energy conservation. Its illustrations are crisp and informative. And its 1000+ photos were selected from more than 40,000 that the author has taken over the years.

This classic work covers renovation from start to finish surfaces. Best of all, R4 is written in a down-to-earth conversational style that is clear and easy to understand. Litchfield has a sharp wit and a dry sense of humor that makes this book not only useful, but great fun to read.

Jamie Gold named on of 2017's "The 50 Top Innovators" by Kitchen & Bath Design News

The bathroom continues to be one area of the house that homeowners are willing to spend money on. This all-new edition of Bathroom Idea Book—a virtual designer's notebook of ideas, inspiration, and information—will be a homeowner's first step in turning a dream bath into a real one, whether it's new construction or a remodel.

Lavishly illustrated with 325 photos and 15 illustrations, New Bathroom Idea Book provides design options for all areas of the bathroom, from vanities and countertops to fixtures, flooring, and finish details. Up-to-the-minute information on new trends like digital integration in the bathroom, new materials that mimic natural materials, accessibility and aging-in-place options, and code changes that mandate water and energy conservation make this the go-to resource for all things bathroom.

You are a contractor. You know your trade, and you're good at it. But what about the unique financial and legal concerns of running a construction business? Do you have the right tools for dealing with money and the law? Attorney Jim Kramon provides all the information you need to turn your hard work into greater financial security.

Move over, Man Caves. She Sheds are coming to a house near you. Across the country, ladies are carving out a special place for themselves, one free from stress and concern. And they're doing it in their own backyards by turning spaces usually reserved for old tools and greasy car parts into refined relaxation. The beauty of the She Shed is that it can take whatever form best suits your tastes.

In Junk Beautiful: She Sheds, best-selling author and Queen of Junk Sue Whitney, founder of JUNKSTYLE and author of the Junk Beautiful brand of books, will introduce the "rustoration" philosophy to 15 she sheds from across the country.

• Featured She Sheds will largely be small wooden structures, but could also take the shape of a dolled-up camper, vintage horse trailer, tree house, or other unique space.
• Shed rehab will include indoor and outdoor projects that run from light construction to accessory projects and simple hacks.
• Re-using and re-inventing castoffs as home furnishings and accessories create uniquely personal spaces —the hallmark of She Sheds.
• She Sheds on the East Coast (greater Philadelphia), South (Texas), Midwest (greater Minneapolis), and West Coast (central California) will allow for regional design flavor.

Kitchen Upgrades is a compilation of the very best expert design and product advice, using real-world remodels to help professionals and passionate amateurs remodel a kitchen of any shape and size, on any budget. The pros take you through every step of the remodeling process, with over 300 photographs and illustrations—from identifying the best layout; choosing the best fixtures and materials; installing flooring, countertops, and backsplash; maximizing storage; and more. Site-tested tips and professional techniques will help you handily hammer out the kitchen of your dreams.

All the contributing authors are seasoned professionals whose articles have appeared in Fine
Homebuilding magazine. With a circulation of over 200,000, the magazine provides expert
information and inspiration to everyone who cares about quality home improvement and construction.

*Fine Homebuilding is the best source of home improvement information to help readers build projects better, faster, and more efficiently.

*Kitchen remodeling was one of the two most popular remodeling projects in the latest NAHB survey of professional remodelers.

While new construction has slowed to a crawl and upgrading to a bigger house is no longer a sure thing, more and more homeowners are choosing to remodel. They're actively looking for information on how to make their current home a better place to live. This collection of 36 articles from the experts at Fine Homebuilding, the most respected residential construction magazine in the country, lays out detailed information on every stage of remodeling--from planning and design to building and installation, upgrades, finishing, and clean-up. Coverage includes interior and exterior design and building strategies, as well as information on additions and tips for living comfortably through a remodel.

This complete guide, Home Remodeling, includes 300 color photographs, 75 drawings, practical sidebars, and case studies, is a one-stop reference.

Whether you're thinking about a simple kitchen upgrade or a full-blown kitchen remodel, All New Kitchen Ideas that Work will inspire you with more than 350 design ideas and essential DIY information.

• Ideas range from simple, budget-friendly upgrades to full-scale remodels and new construction projects, so homeowners can make smart choices about what they want and can afford in a kitchen transformation
• Design trends for cabinets, countertops, color palettes, sinks, appliances, flooring, and all kinds of finish details, as well as accessibility and high-tech options for the kitchen

This completely updated edition addresses all of today's kitchen design trends while also guiding the reader through the basics of organizing a remodel: budget, layout, and finishing touches.

All-new edition keeps you up-to-date! In the ever-evolving world of remodeling, it's important to keep on top of current issues - and that's easy with the newest edition of Kitchen Remodeling, from the editors of Fine Homebuilding. It focuses on the latest ideas and what it takes to renovate a kitchen of any size or shape, on any budget.

For Pros by Pros - the resource for builders and serious amateurs. Like every book in the For Pros by Pros series, the information in Kitchen Remodeling is geared to professionals. Culled from the best articles in Fine Homebuilding magazine, it's the go-to resource for builders, remodelers, and the building trades.

Everything to remodel a kitchen from top bottom. Kitchen Remodeling brings a lot to the table in helping to plan and complete a remodel without costly missteps. It's where pros turn for sound advice on every aspect of a makeover, from opening up a small kitchen to getting appliances to fit, to building an island, a corner nook, or the perfect pantry.

An in-depth look at those all-important cabinets. Every aspect of a remodel is critical whether you're talking countertops, flooring, or ventilation, but kitchen cabinets consume the lion's share of attention. A good portion of Kitchen Remodeling addresses this concern with must-know information that covers:

• Quick cabinet upgrades
• A buyer's guide to kitchen cabinets
• Installing stock cabinets
• Installing cabinets in tight spaces
• A faster, easier approach to custom cabinets
• How to install inset cabinet doors

So long McMansions and rambling square footage…small homes are in! Easier to maintain and more affordable in hard economic times, small houses are gaining popularity in the housing market after nearly 60 years of trending up in size. Small Houses capitalizes on this shift with an all-new collection of small houses from Fine Homebuilding magazine. The featured writers, well-respected authors in their fields, look at houses—ranging from less than 1,250 sq. ft. to upward of 2,250 sq. ft.—that are both new and remodeled, urban and rural, traditional and modern. Homeowners will be pleasantly surprised that these small homes are big on charm, style, and quality and offer all types of exciting possibilities and energy efficiencies to mesh with and improve their lifestyle.

Unlock the hidden potential of your home and create a beautiful, functional living space with Remodeling a Basement.

Whether you're looking to expand your family’s living area or boost your property value, finishing your basement is a smart investment, and this guide is your blueprint for success.

Transform your basement into a space that your family will love and use for years to come. Remodeling a Basement: Revised Edition is the essential guide that brings your vision to life.

Key Features:

• Inspiring Design Ideas: Explore a wide range of creative concepts for transforming your basement into a comfortable oasis. From stylish family rooms to cozy bathrooms, you'll find design solutions that suit your unique style and needs.

• Expert Advice and Step-by-Step Instructions: Written by seasoned contractor Roger German, this revised edition provides clear, accessible language, comprehensive guidance, and essential tips that ensure your remodeling project is efficient and enjoyable.

• Visual Guidance: With valuable photos and detailed drawings, you’ll see each step of the process, making it easier to understand and execute the renovation tasks.

• Versatile Spaces: Discover how to create functional areas, including laundry rooms, workshops, hobby rooms, and more, allowing you to maximize every inch of your home.

• Comprehensive Coverage: From planning and design to construction and finishing touches, this book covers all aspects of basement remodeling, ensuring you have the knowledge and confidence to undertake your project.

Add significant value to your home, with more bang for your buck, by renovating and remodeling your kitchen or bathroom space.

Cabinets, Vanities, and Countertops is the must-have source of builder-tested techniques to help you remodel with confidence. Learn professional methods and tips to build and install high-quality, durable, and cost-efficient cabinets, vanities, and countertops with a wide range of kitchen and bath projects. With guidance from the pros you will graduate from simple projects to more skilled work. Homeowners and professional builders alike will pore over the:

• how-to's for proper construction
• installation
• finishing
• expert advice like A Designer's Guide to Countertops
• much more to get the job done right the first time!

The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling, 5th Edition by Charlie Wing is an essential resource for anyone involved in the building or remodeling process.

This comprehensive guide demystifies the complex journey of home construction, from the initial design stages to the final touches.

With the latest updates on solar power, insulating best practices, and crucial building codes, this edition equips homeowners, builders, and remodelers with the knowledge they need to ensure their projects run smoothly.

Transform your building and remodeling experience with the Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling and gain the confidence to tackle any project with clarity and ease.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Coverage: With 25 detailed chapters and 688 pages, this handbook covers every aspect of home design and construction, making it an invaluable reference for both novice and experienced builders.

• Visual Learning: Featuring 1,700 full-color illustrations and 300 quick-reference charts, this book allows you to visualize the processes and techniques needed for successful building and remodeling projects.

• Updated Information: Stay informed with the most current information on framing, sheathing, air sealing, heating, cooling, and more, tailored to the needs of today's homeowners and builders.

• Practical Guidance: Each chapter is filled with best practices and expert tips to help you make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls during your construction or remodeling journey.

• Durable Design: Not just a reference book, its sturdy format ensures it can withstand the rigors of a job site, making it a practical companion for any builder.

When it comes to home renovation, there's no substitute for experience. Renovation 5th Edition contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of remodeling contractors, architects, and tradespeople who shared their first-hand experience with Mike Litchfield as he interviewed and photographed them on job sites across North America.

As a founding editor of Fine Homebuilding magazine, the author of 16 acclaimed books, and a home renovator himself, Litchfield was able to record lifetimes of practical, field-tested solutions and trade secrets from the cream of the crop--the remodeling pros that other pros admire.

Both first-time renovators and professionals who want to supplement their knowledge of specific trades will find Renovation 5th Edition invaluable. Renovation 5 reflects the new realities of planning carefully, spending wisely, maximizing space and building durably. Its 656 pages contain extensively revised chapters on planning; doors, windows and skylights; electrical wiring; structural carpentry; masonry and foundations. Its illustrations are crisp and informative and its 1,000+ photos were selected from more than 45,000 that the author has taken over the years.

This classic work covers renovation from start to finish. Best of all, Renovation 5 is written in a down-to-earth conversational style that is clear and easy to understand. Written with a sharp wit and a dry sense of humor, Renovation 5 is not only immensely useful, but great fun to read. 

Create your dream bathroom. Here’s your guide: Bathroom Upgrades, from the editors of Fine Homebuilding, provides all the advice you need to remodel a bathroom of any size or shape, on any budget.

This completely new edition takes you through every step of the process. It covers how to:

• Choose the best materials for your bathroom
• Design for optimal storage
• Create a room that gets the best daylight
• Tile a tub surround
• Build a floating vanity
• Install a toilet, and more

In Bathroom Upgrades you’ll find the advice you need for even the trickiest of situations, such as how to fix a failing bathroom floor or how to update your bathroom for accessibility. With the site-tested tips and techniques that Fine Homebuilding is known for, Bathroom Upgrades will help you get the bathroom you’ve always dreamed of.

This collection of bathroom projects, design and product advice, and real-world remodels is a must-have book for pros and passionate amateurs.

Unlock the full potential of your home with Basements Complete, the ultimate guide for transforming your basement into a functional and beautiful living space.

Whether you're looking to create an extra bedroom, a home theater, or a game room, this comprehensive book by expert Steve Corey provides all the tools and insights you need for a successful basement renovation.

Whether you're planning a full-scale renovation or small upgrades, Basements Complete equips you with the knowledge to complete your basement transformation with confidence. Ideal for homeowners, DIYers, and anyone looking to add value to their property.

Key Features:

• Detailed step-by-step instructions: Perfect for beginners and DIY enthusiasts alike, this guide breaks down every phase of the basement finishing process, from planning and design to insulation, drywall, flooring, and final touches.
• Expert tips and tricks: Steve Corey shares insider tips on how to navigate common challenges such as moisture control, electrical wiring, and ventilation, ensuring a smooth and professional finish.
• Innovative design ideas: Get inspired with creative ideas for maximizing space, improving lighting, and integrating storage solutions that fit your needs.
• Comprehensive project planning: Learn how to budget, source materials, and hire contractors effectively to keep your project on time and within budget.

Small Houses showcases a collection of beautifully designed small homes that prove size doesn’t limit style.

Curated by the editors of Fine Homebuilding, this book features homes that are thoughtfully crafted to meet the needs and lifestyles of their inhabitants, blending practicality with architectural charm.

From bungalows on a budget to modern mountain cabins, each home demonstrates innovative solutions for maximizing space and minimizing impact. As small and tiny homes gain popularity, this book provides the inspiration and design ideas needed for creating a home that's efficient, stylish, and perfectly sized.

​Whether you're considering a new build, a remodel, or simply love exploring smart, stylish home designs, Small Houses offers a wealth of inspiration for anyone interested in the beauty of efficient living.

Key Features:

• Diverse Home Styles: Features a variety of small houses, including bungalows, garden cottages, mountain cabins, and urban homes.

• Innovative Designs: Learn how small homes can offer big style and functionality, tailored to fit different lifestyles.

• Tailored to Lifestyles: Each house is designed to meet the specific needs of its residents without unnecessary space.

• Growing Trend: As small and tiny homes rise in popularity, this book highlights how to achieve stylish, space-efficient living.

• Beautifully Illustrated: Includes stunning photography of small homes that showcase both traditional and modern styles.

Smaller is big, says architect and author Katie Hutchison, whose book The New Small House shows those looking to downsize how they can live smartly, economically and environmentally friendly in elegantly designed homes.

With 275 gorgeous photographs and 30 detailed illustrations, The New Small House takes the reader on a tour of North America and spotlights small houses in rural, coastal, and in-town locations. The book presents fundamental small-house design strategies, complete with whole-house case studies for homeowners eager to simplify.

Creating a great small house is illustrated in the opening chapter with 10 approaches, including:

• borrowed view and daylight
• multipurpose spaces
• privacy pockets
• using quality materials

Twenty-five stunning small houses are profiled in the second part of the book, organized by the nature of their locations.

The definitive book on how to bring an old house back to life -- without destroying its spirit -- is now updated with all new color photography in Renovating Old Houses.

Experienced contractor George Nash covers everything -- from replacing foundation walls to repairing old windows, including how to save what's irreplaceable, where to use the best materials, when it's necessary to update (and when it's not), and how to make repairs that will endure. This revised edition also contains a new chapter on preventive maintenance plus a resource guide.

Throughout the book, Nash balances an abiding love of old houses with a common-sense understanding of modern-day needs. Whether you already live in an older home or are contemplating buying one, this hearty book gives you detailed, professional-level information you can't find elsewhere.

his definitive homeowner's guide to solar energy has arrived at just the right time. With the cost of heating oil and electricity fluctuating wildly, consumers are clamoring for information on alternative energy. This source book covers all the relevant technologies, including solar space and water heating, as well as photovoltaic electricity.

It's practical (with cost calculators, tips on taking advantage of rebates and tax incentives, and advice on finding specialized contractors). And it's authoritative, written by a recognized expert in the field, Everett Barber, Jr., who has 30 years' experience installing all kinds of solar energy systems. Co-author Joseph Provey has been writing about the topic for almost as long. Together, they cover every facet of planning, installing, operating, and maintaining a residential solar energy system.

Completely revised and updated, the New Kitchen Idea Book by Heather J. Paper is your ultimate guide to creating the kitchen of your dreams.

This comprehensive, step-by-step resource is packed with inspirational and practical design solutions to help you develop a gorgeous, functional kitchen—all while staying on budget.

Beautifully illustrated with over 325 photographs and drawings, this all-new edition serves as a homeowner’s go-to guide, stocked with reliable information and design options for every nook and cranny of your kitchen. Discover expert advice on cabinets, countertops, sinks, appliances, flooring, and fine finish details.

Key Features:

• Inspiration for Every Kitchen: Jam-packed with ideas for upgrades, remodels, and renovations, this book provides solutions tailored to kitchens of all sizes.

• Expert Insights: Gain valuable advice on layout, lighting, and storage solutions that will enhance the functionality and aesthetics of your kitchen space.

• Comprehensive Guidance: With step-by-step instructions, this guide ensures that homeowners feel confident in their ability to design and implement their dream kitchen.

• Beautiful Illustrations: Enjoy a wealth of visuals that will inspire and guide your design choices, helping you visualize the kitchen you desire.

Sometimes small changes can have a big impact. But many homeowners looking for more living space still insist on building expensive additions or completely rebuilding their home. In the latest groundbreaking step in the “Not So Big” revolution Not So Big Remodeling, Sarah Susanka and Marc Vassallo demonstrate how carefully chosen tweaks and simple additions can make a home seem much larger and more inviting.

They avoid high-end architectural solutions, focusing instead on how “Not So Big” ideas can dramatically improve even the most modest home. The authors show readers how to think like an architect, so they can accurately assess their home’s shortcomings, apply “Not So Big” principles to their remodeling plan, and phase in their project incrementally over time. With this book, Sarah Susanka once again proves that a little remodeling can go a long way.

Whether you’re looking to refresh a small entryway or give your spacious kitchen a stunning makeover, this comprehensive resource covers everything you need to know about tiling like a pro.

Perfect for both the DIY novice and the experienced renovator, Tiling: Planning, Layout & Installation is your go-to resource for creating stunning tiled spaces in your home. Embrace the transformative power of tile and enjoy the satisfaction of completing your own projects with professional results!

Key Features:

• Complete Project Guidance: This book offers step-by-step instructions to take you through your tiling project from start to finish. Gain the confidence to tackle everything from planning and layout to installation and upkeep.

• Versatile Applications: Explore a variety of tiling projects, including kitchen counters, outdoor patios, and even unique installations like glass block showers on curves. No matter your project, you'll find valuable tips and techniques tailored to your needs.

• Professional Insights: With Truini's expert advice, you’ll receive pro-rated instruction that ensures you get the job done right the first time. Avoid common pitfalls and achieve a polished finish with practical solutions and insights from seasoned professionals.

• Planning & Layout Strategies: Learn essential planning techniques and layout strategies to maximize your tiling project’s impact. Understand how to measure accurately, select materials, and visualize the finished result for a seamless installation.

• Maintenance & Upkeep: Tiling is a long-lasting solution, but proper care is crucial. This guide includes tips on maintaining your tiled surfaces to ensure they look beautiful for years to come.

Homes that contain devices that can be controlled by smart speakers, voice commands and apps are becoming a reality for an increasing number of people. What was once the stuff of science fiction is now firmly established as part of the real world and is easily accessible for anyone who wants to add an exciting new dimension to their home.

100 Top Tips – Create Your Smart Home to Stay Safe and Save Money contains tips covering all aspects of setting up and using smart home devices securely. These include:

Smart speakers are becoming more and more common in the home. These are devices that use a voice-controlled digital personal assistant to perform a range of everyday tasks. One of the most popular of these is Alexa, which operates on the Amazon Echo smart speaker.

Alexa for Seniors in easy steps shows the Senior reader how to use Alexa to help with everyday tasks, and to give you peace of mind and keep you safe, including:

• Setting reminders and alerts for:
• taking medication
• upcoming appointments
• paying bills
• daily/weekly/monthly household tasks
• calling relatives and friends
• birthdays and anniversaries – get Alexa to remind you to send cards and presents in time
• ...and anything else you need reminding about
• Making hands-free phone calls if you can't reach the phone
• Setting and controlling smart home devices like smart heating and smart lighting
• Getting the weather forecast, latest news, and sports results
• Playing music and listening to the radio
• Playing games
• Doing shopping online

And much, much more!

Alexa for Seniors in easy steps guides you through setting up your Alexa-enabled device, so you don't have to ask the kids!

Presented in larger font than our standard books, for easy reading – in the familiar In Easy Steps style.

Make your own fuel, for a fraction of what you would pay at the pump.

Small-scale home biodiesel production holds a singular attraction for the do-it-yourself enthusiast. While perhaps it can't save the world, this unique renewable fuel is economical, fun to make, better for the environment, and will help you reduce your dependence on Big Oil. And getting started is easier than you think.

Backyard Biodiesel is written by two recognized experts in the field of small-scale biofuels. This comprehensive hands-on, practical, DIY guide includes:

• The basics of small-scale brewing-recipes, strategies, and technologies
• Advanced backyard analytics and troubleshooting
• Safety considerations and regulatory issues
• Topping up the tank-how to put your biodiesel to work for you.

Making your own fuel is not only possible, it is rewarding. Designed to be accessible to everyone from readers with no prior technical expertise to alternative energy buffs, Backyard Biodiesel is a must-read for any aspiring brewer, packed with everything you need to get up and running quickly and safely.

The safe, clean, and convenient way to compost all your food scraps.

Bokashi is Japanese for "fermented organic matter." Bokashi composting is a safe, quick, and convenient way to compost in your kitchen, garage, or apartment, using a specific group of microorganisms to anaerobically ferment all food waste (including meat and dairy). Since the process takes place in a closed system, insects and smell are controlled, making it ideal for urban or business settings. The process is very fast, with compost usually ready to be integrated into your soil or garden in around two weeks.

While bokashi has enjoyed great popularity in many parts of the world, it is still relatively unknown in North America. From scraps to soil, Bokashi Composting is the complete, step-by-step, do-it-yourself guide to this amazing process, with comprehensive information covering:

• Background-the history, development and scientific basis of the technique
• Getting started-composting with commercially available products or homemade systems
• Making your own-system plans and bokashi bran recipes using common materials and locally sourced ingredients
• Growing-improving your soil with fermented compost and bokashi juice.

This essential guide is a must-read for gardeners, homeowners, apartment dwellers, traditional composters, and anyone who wants a safe, simple, and convenient way to keep kitchen waste out of the landfill.

Tested skills for thriving in the age of limits

Merlin, Gandalf, Voldemort-these well-known sorcerers from popular culture are famed for their amazing spells and spectacular magical powers. In ancient times however, a wizard was actually a freelance intellectual whose main stock in trade was good advice, supported by a thorough education in agriculture, navigation, political and military science, languages, commerce, mathematics, medicine, and the natural sciences-in essence, the true Renaissance man.

Greer proposes a modern mage for uncertain times; one who possesses a startling array of practical skills gleaned from the appropriate tech and organic gardening movements forged in the energy crisis of the 1970s. From the basic concepts of ecology to a plethora of practical techniques such as composting, green manure, low-tech food preservation and storage, small-scale chicken and rabbit raising, solar water heating, alternative energy sources, and more; Green Wizardry is a comprehensive manual for today's wizard-in-training.

Providing a solid practical introduction to the entire appropriate tech toolkit, this book is a must-read for anyone concerned about decreasing our dependence on an overloaded industrial system and, in a world of serious energy shortages and economic troubles, making life a great deal less traumatic and more livable.

Permanent agriculture - abundance by design

"The wealth of practical knowledge in The Permaculture Handbook is a welcome addition to North America's canon of books on permaculture design, and will serve other regions as well. Peter Bane's broad and well-tested experience in ecological living will guide homeowners, gardeners, and small farmers toward designing and living in lushly productive and harmonious landscapes."
― Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

The Permaculture Handbook is a step-by-step, beautifully illustrated guide to creating resilient and prosperous households and neighborhoods, complemented by extensive case studies of three successful farmsteads and market gardens. This comprehensive manual casts garden farming as both an economic opportunity and a strategy for living well with less money. It shows how, by mimicking the intelligence of nature and applying appropriate technologies such as solar and environmental design, permaculture can:

• Create an abundance of fresh, nourishing local produce
• Reduce dependence on expensive, polluting fossil fuels
• Drought-proof our cities and countryside
• Convert waste into wealth
  
  

Permaculture is about working with the earth and with each other to repair the damage of industrial overreach and to enrich the living world that sustains us. The Permaculture Handbook is the definitive, practical North American guide to this revolutionary practice, and is a must-read for anyone concerned about creating food security, resilience and a legacy of abundance rather than depletion.

All those of us without traditional skills need to know to build with timber framing

Many natural building methods rely upon the use of post and beam frame structures that are then in-filled with straw, cob, cordwood, or more conventional wall materials. But traditional timber framing employs the use of finely crafted jointing and wooden pegs, requiring a high degree of craftsmanship and training, as well as much time and expense. However, there is another way...

Timber Framing for the Rest of Us describes the timber framing methods used by most contractors, farmers, and owner-builders, methods that use modern metal fasteners, special screws, and common sense building principles to accomplish the same goal in much less time. And while there are many good books on traditional timber framing, this is the first to describe in depth these more common fastening methods. The book includes everything an owner-builder needs to know about building strong and beautiful structural frames from heavy timbers, including:

• the historical background of timber framing
• crucial design and structural considerations
• procuring timbers-including different woods, and recycled materials
• foundations, roofs, and in-filling consdierations
• the common fasteners.

A detailed case study of a timber frame project from start to finish completes this practical and comprehensive guide, along with a useful appendix of span tables and a bibliography.

Highly illustrated, this book enables 'the rest of us' to build like the professionals and will appeal to owner-builders, contractors and architects alike.

Meaningful living – within your means

Wabi-sabi is about appreciating the simple and letting go of the superficial—the perfect antidote for a society in recovery from a decades-long consumerist binge. In 2004 The Wabi-Sabi House helped popularize this ancient Japanese philosophy in North America. Simply Imperfect is a fully revised and updated edition of The Wabi-Sabi House aimed at moving past our belief in life, liberty, and the pursuit of stuff to finding beauty in austerity, serenity, and authenticity.

Far more than home decor, wabi-sabi is a state of mind: living modestly in the moment, stripping away the unnecessary, and finding satisfaction in everyday things. Simply Imperfect recounts wabi-sabi's rich history, tracing it from its Zen Buddhist roots through to the present day. This beautifully-illustrated book reveals ways to introduce wabi-sabi into your home such as:

• Clearing clutter and blocking noise
• Integrating salvaged and recycled materials
• Making and growing things yourself (or supporting local artisans who do)
• Taking time and space for self-reflection

Wabi-sabi is everything that today's sleek, plastic, technology-saturated culture isn't. Simply Imperfect asks readers to see that mass-produced perfection is seductive but boring. This gentle book is for anyone who is overwhelmed by consumerism or whose focus has shifted from getting more to getting by.

Robyn Griggs Lawrence is editor-in-chief of Natural Home magazine and a prolific writer and speaker on topics ranging from green building and ecological design to organic gardening. She has been instrumental in introducing the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi to a Western audience.

The Aspiring Minimalist’s Guide to Living Consciously and Contributing to a “Greener” Tomorrow

“This is the perfect book for people that want to find a realistic roadmap to sustainable living.” ―The Holistic Millennial

Eco-minimalism is a hot-button issue right now, and for good reason. Living a life with less can be the key to saving our precious planet.

Break the consumption cycle. There’s so much to do, and way too much to buy. Whether it’s through late night TV ads, social media, or other sources of influence, we are addicted to buying and then storing things. Sometimes we consume with no regret and other times we realize that we’re doing more harm than good to our wallets and our homes. It’s a constant cycle―one that many are longing to break. Who wants their hard-earned money to go toward something that soon ends up in a landfill?

A guide to eco-minimalism with a plan that is realistic. Manufacturing "stuff" exploits Earth's precious (and finite) resources. And then there's the harsh reality of where it all goes. Our discarded possessions ultimately head to landfills and contribute to environmental pollution, releasing greenhouse gases during breakdown and decomposition. Sustainable Minimalism is the solution. Empower yourself to incrementally incorporate the tenets of sustainable minimalism into your home and life. Learn to master the easiest tasks first and build upon your successes―a practical and stress-free process. Now that’s sustainable!

A blueprint for sustainability and stress management:

• How to gain greater mental clarity and increase your free time with fewer possessions
• Environmentally friendly ways of decluttering and organizing
• Ways to improve your financial stability, while going green at the same time
• How to get organized and operate a zero-waste home

If you enjoyed books like Zero Waste Home, The Minimalist Home, or The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you’ll love Sustainable Minimalism.

Reach a State Sustainable Living and Eco-Mindfulness

Winner 2018 Silver Nautilus Book Award and #1 New Release in Eco-Mindfulness

Love Earth Now invites us to explore our thoughts and feelings about the waste and negative environment impacts we see daily. Author Cheryl Leutjen draws from her experience as an engineering geologist, environmental law attorney, small shop owner, and mindfulness practitioner to help put you on a path to sustainable living and environmental consciousness.

Merge environmentalism and spirituality. Do you find yourself wondering what on Earth you can do about the serious environmental challenges we face? Do you worry there’s nothing any one person can do to make a difference? Most people say they would like to do something to make the world a better place, but they just don’t believe they have the time, energy, money or power to do anything to make a real difference. Are you willing to devote 20 minutes a week to find out? Environmental activist Cheryl Leutjen has the planet’s back and is betting you do too. Her powerful book of inspired ideas and eco-mindfulness calls upon us all to Love Earth Now.

Get closer to a sustainable lifestyle, one day at a time.  All our possessions and constant shopping are no better for us than they are for the planet itself. They contribute to landfills and create a tech-tethered society that is increasingly isolated. Both helpful and hopeful, Love Earth Now is brimming with creative ideas we can all try.

Practice Eco-mindfulness. Cheryl’s book of planetary self-help and eco-mindfulness is a deeply thoughtful and lucid look at the state of our “big blue marble,” our beautiful earth. It's also a sourcebook of direct actions─large and small─we can all take to ensure our children and their children’s children have a healthy future on this planet.

If you enjoyed books such 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste or Simple Acts to Save Our Planet, you'll love the award-winning Love Earth Now.

Is your home a sustainable and eco-friendly environment?

Every decision you make during the day, both large and small, has an impact on the environment. Make your daily impact planet-positive.

Eco-friendly home: With the gentle guidance of eco-expert, Alice Mary Alvrez, you can start with baby steps and progress to an advanced eco-warrior! Start with these inspired ideas and the 52 simple ways to reduce your waste, eat organic, and keep toxins out of your home. Inside this helpful and hopeful guide, you'll find tips for greening up all the areas of your life. Learn surprising facts about your impact on the environment and change your habits with do-it-yourself ideas.

Help our planet: Start with small changes, like turning off the tap, and work your way up to raising chickens and composting your leftover food. Whether you want to be a green rookie or an eco-master, you can help the planet every week of the year.

With a surge in home and garden improvement underway and a heightened focus on practicality, House + Flower is a timely yet timeless manifesto encouraging readers to see the potential for attainable and sustainable beauty in their homes. For more than twenty years, Cynthia Zamaria's signature vintage-inspired approach to design has been internationally celebrated by home and garden enthusiasts and media. In her first book, she shows how any home can benefit from the quality and beauty found in thifted, antique, and artisanal wares. Through a welcoming narrative and more than 120 full-color photographs of captivating living spaces, the author reflects on lessons learned during countless projects spanning seven houses, including all apects of a home and garden transformation.

As seen in: The New York Times, Chatelaine, Toronto Life, Domino, Homes & Gardens, Apartment Therapy, Canadian House & Home, Style at Home, HGTV, Modes & Travaux, Toronto Star, The Washington Post, Country Home, and Cottages & Bungalows

Are your energy bills through the roof, and is your home still cold in the winter and hot in the summer?

That’s the reality for many homeowners in Wisconsin today, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Advances in glass technology and window construction in recent years have made old style windows obsolete. In fact, some windows now on the market are more energy efficient than the walls that surround them.

Taking into consideration the window technology available today, we are able to produce high-performance windows that keep comfort at a maximum and energy consumption at a minimum.

Read this book if you are considering replacing some or all of the windows in your home. Learn how to assess the performance metrics on window labels and choose the best product for your situation. Find out about single-, double-, and triple-glazing and how it affects conduction and air infiltration. Read about argon and krypton, and learn which more effectively slows conduction.

From the hazards of “doing it yourself,” to the pitfalls of hiring a handyman, Wisconsinite Scott “The Window Guy” Young draws from a lifetime of experience replacing windows the right way. He guides you through the basics of glass production, window styles and construction, installation, price, and long-term value.

Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions about replacing the windows in your home. Then window shop like a pro and enjoy the comfort, convenience, good looks, and energy efficiency that high-quality, properly installed windows will deliver for years to come.

Downsizing and moving to a new home is one of the most overwhelming experiences many seniors and their families will encounter. But with the right guidance, it doesn't have to be! This indispensable guide introduces readers to the Home Downsizing Concierge—a network of trusted professionals who specialize in senior downsizing and can provide customized, stress-free solutions every step of the way.

Inside, you’ll get tips from Ben Souchek’s 25+ years of expertise in real estate and downsizing to help you thoughtfully prepare for this major life transition. Learn when it may be time to downsize and how to begin the process. Meet the many specialists, from caregivers to attorneys, who handle each aspect of the move-out and move-in process. Get checklists to sort belongings, ready your home for sale, and keep your move on track from start to finish. Compare your options for selling the home, from using a real estate agent to selling to home buyers who make cash offers, and choose the best path based on your needs.

The book outlines a 6-month downsizing plan that readers can modify to fit their own timeline and circumstances. From helping you begin downsizing the right way to ensuring your house sells quickly and successfully, their goal is to make this experience as smooth as possible.

If downsizing is on your horizon, this guide will illuminate the path forward. You’ll learn how to sell your current house stress-free, transition to your ideal new home, and embark upon your next chapter with confidence.

The world is full of people who would love to start building things with wood but who are intimidated by their inexperience. Well, worry no more! If you can read a tape measure, drive a screw and a nail, and cut a straight line, you can handle any project in Stanley Outdoor Projects.

• 14 great projects covering everything from simple outdoor furniture to a small garden shed and a colorful chicken coop
• each project is designed to fulfill a need
• easy to build without special skills
• customizable to fit your space and your style

Armed with Stanley Outdoor Projects, with its more than 500 photos, 40 illustrations, and a quick introduction to tools and materials, even novice woodworkers will be filling their yards with man-made items in no time at all.

Getting organized is a perennially popular topic for home DIYers. Everyone wants to make optimal use of the space in their homes, and simply knowing where to find something when you need it saves frustration and time in our busy lives. Intelligently designed storage is the answer, and custom built-ins are often the most efficient and attractive ways to achieve storage goals.

This Stanley-branded book includes step-by-step projects for every room in the house, from the mudroom to the attic. After introductory chapters on tools and materials and frequently used techniques, Built-Ins and Storage presents 17 great projects for kitchens, living rooms, and other rooms throughout the house. Each room chapter begins with a brief discussion of considerations for storage in that type of room, followed by step-by-step projects with exploded illustrations and photos.

VOTED BEST INTERIOR DESIGN BOOK OF 2017 BY LIBRARY JOURNAL

Since the beginning of the 20th century, cabin retreats have held a unique place in the lives and lore of many American families. In The Family Cabin, author and "cabinologist" Dale Mulfinger explores the role that cabins have had and continue to have in family bonding and as a repository for family history, nostalgia, and cherished memories. 

• This collection brings together 37 new and old cabins from across North America as inspiration for anyone who desires a peaceful retreat of their own. 
• 300 lush, full-color photographs and 78 illustrations throughout the book capture the aesthetics of place and design that have allowed cabins to become an enduring symbol of rugged American individualism and self-reliance.

Whether nestled in the mountains, tucked deep in the woods, or built along the water's edge, the ideals of the cabin extend just as well into the 21st century as they did in the past.

Transform your woodworking experience with The Complete Guide to Sharpening by Leonard Lee.

Say goodbye to the frustration of working with dull tools. This comprehensive guide consolidates a lifetime of study into the most practical reference on sharpening techniques, methods, and devices.

Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker or a beginner, you'll discover the most effective ways to sharpen all your tools, from chisels to drill bits.

The Complete Guide to Sharpening empowers you to achieve precise, clean cuts every time, allowing your creativity and craftsmanship to shine. Don’t let dull tools hold you back—equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to sharpen your tools to perfection.

Key Features:

• Expert Techniques: Learn from tool expert Leonard Lee, who shares his wealth of knowledge and experience in sharpening methods that yield better edges than most razor blades.
• Versatile Applications: This guide covers a wide range of woodworking tools, equipping you with the skills to sharpen everything you’re likely to encounter in your workshop.
• Simple Principles: With easy-to-follow instructions and simple principles, you’ll learn to shape your tools for optimal cutting performance, ensuring they stay sharp longer.
• Essential Equipment: Discover the basic equipment needed for sharpening, making it accessible for woodworkers at all skill levels.
• Practical Reference: This book serves as an invaluable resource for maintaining the longevity and effectiveness of your tools, improving the quality of your work and the enjoyment of your craft.

Bubbling paint. Water dripping from light fixtures. Mysterious smells. Groaning pipes and gurgling tubs. Doors that open themselves. Faucets that spew steam. Your house is trying to tell you something. But to understand what its trying to say and what you should do about it, first you have to learn its language. And thats what House Check is all about.

Its a concise guide to the sights, surfaces, sounds -- and sometimes smells -- of your house. With this guide, you can quickly figure out whats causing those odd symptoms and what, in a nutshell, you should do to set things right. The information in this chart is based on thousands of houses that authors Michael Litchfield and Roger Robinson reviewed -- from Vermont to California.

This easy-to-use flip chart is organized by major sections and systems in the house: roofs, attics, interiors, exteriors, plumbing, electrical, kitchens, baths, and basements. Over 600 symptoms are listed, with causes and solutions for each. The photos aid in the identification of symptoms and the drawings help you understand the underlying structures involved in the problem. With the information in this handy guide, you will be well on your way to solving those elusive house ailments.

Patios and walks no longer consist of bland expanses of concrete or an unimaginative rectangle tacked onto the back of a house. Designs are elaborate and materials abundant. There's no better way to get a glimpse at how you can transform your landscape than with the inspiration in Patios & Walkways Idea Book. This book has it all, from front entries to back patios, pool decking to outdoor kitchens, paths through the woods to retaining walls and terracing close to the house. In addition to the wide-ranging examples of styles and materials, you'll find advice for all the practical concerns you have questions about.

Swimming pools aren't what they used to be. No longer just rectangular blue holes surrounded by concrete aprons, today's pools come in myriad shapes, sizes and options. You can learn all about them in Taunton's Pool Idea Book.

From in-ground and above ground pools, to spas and mini pools, from the best materials available today for patios and pool coverings, to new choices in screening and enclosing a pool, Taunton's Pool Idea Book is a visual feast of fresh, innovative ideas for designing the ultimate pool for any budget.

Taunton's Pool Idea Book showcases the latest innovations in pool and spa design, offers creative design ideas for decks, outbuildings, and landscaping, and addresses practical issues such as screening, security and storage. A highly visual book, it features approximately 350 color photographs, 20 illustrations and dozens of useful sidebars to help you design or choose the ultimate pool for any lifestyle or budget. Whether you own a pool or just dream of it, Taunton's Pool Idea Book will whet your appetite and give you all the ideas you could ask for.

Building an Affordable House: Trade Secrets to High-Value, Low-Cost Construction by Fernando Pages Ruiz is the essential guide for builders, developers, and homeowners looking to maximize their construction or remodel budget without sacrificing quality. Packed with insider techniques from top homebuilders, this book reveals how to save thousands of dollars on your next home project.

Key features:

• Expert tips for adding curb appeal while staying on budget.
• Proven strategies for cutting costs without compromising on quality.
• Techniques for building savings directly into your blueprints.
• Secrets to reducing material costs without reducing value.
• Practical advice on working with subcontractors to keep costs down from the start.

Unlock the potential of your backyard with Building Sheds by Joseph Truini, a comprehensive guide that has helped over 250,000 DIY enthusiasts bring their shed visions to life.

This extensively updated edition is packed with nearly 500 photos and illustrations, providing all the expert advice you need to construct a shed from start to finish.

Whether you're looking for extra storage, a garden retreat, or a functional workspace, Building Sheds provides the tools and inspiration you need to complete one of the most popular outdoor building projects successfully. Get started on your shed-building journey today!

Key Features:

• Diverse Shed Styles: Choose from five distinct styles to match your needs and aesthetic, including timber-frame garden sheds, board-and-batten, low-maintenance storage options, cedar shingle, and post-and-beam designs.
• Step-by-Step Instructions: From initial design to final construction, Truini details every essential step in the process. Learn how to select materials, build foundations, and install windows and doors with ease.
• Customizable Projects: Detailed working drawings not only guide you through the construction of the featured sheds but also empower you to mix and match techniques to create a shed that’s uniquely yours.
• Expert Advice: Benefit from Truini's wealth of knowledge as he shares practical tips and tricks accumulated from years of experience in building and design.

With proper planning and design, a deck can add a new dimension of living space to a home. Not only is it an enjoyable outdoor retreat and expanded entertainment area for family and friends, but it's also a great return on a home investment. For homeowners building new decks or upgrading existing ones, or for builders and remodeling contractors looking for new ideas for their clients, this most complete and up-to-date book is packed with over 300 inspiring photographs along with hundreds of design solutions and top-notch advice to help inform smart decisions.

The chapters in Deck Ideas that Work focus on a wide range of deck sizes, styles, and materials, as well as furniture, accessories, and landscaping ideas. In addition, practical sidebars and case studies will help anyone plan just the right deck to suit their home, yard, and lifestyle.

Bigger doesn't always mean better—especially when it comes to your mortgage payment. Cabins & Cottages and Other Small Spaces will inspire you to think smaller and smarter.

This stunning collection features 25 articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine, showcasing gorgeous photographs of captivating small spaces that highlight the beauty of thoughtful design.

Inside, you’ll discover a variety of homes, both new and remodeled, that range from urban to rural, traditional to modern, and even a few truly quirky spaces, including.

Key Features:

• Inspiring Designs: Experience a diverse array of design styles, from rustic to modern, that demonstrate the potential of small living spaces.
• Practical Solutions: Learn how to maximize functionality with smart design strategies tailored for limited square footage.
• Expert Advice: Gain insights from seasoned professionals whose work has appeared in Fine Homebuilding, ensuring you receive trusted guidance.
• Beautiful Photography: Enjoy hundreds of captivating photographs that bring these small spaces to life and inspire your own design ideas.
• Sustainability Focus: Discover low-impact living solutions that promote a more sustainable lifestyle while enhancing your home’s beauty.

Discover the art of hand tool mastery with Woodworking with Hand Tools.

Hand tools bring unparalleled precision and artistry to woodworking, and Woodworking with Hand Tools is your ultimate guide to mastering them. Compiled by the experts at Fine Woodworking magazine, this collection of 35 in-depth articles offers woodworkers of all levels invaluable insights into the world of hand tools.

Key Features:

• Essential Techniques: Discover how professional craftsmen choose, sharpen, and skillfully use a wide variety of hand tools, from planes and chisels to saws and scrapers.
• Tool Maintenance: Learn expert tips on how to properly maintain and care for your tools, ensuring long-lasting performance and pristine results.
• Project-Based Learning: With detailed, step-by-step instructions and clear photographs, you’ll be guided through beautiful hand-tool woodworking projects that help develop your skills and enhance your craft.
• Elevate Your Craftsmanship: Whether you enjoy using hand tools for their sheer pleasure, quality of work, or efficiency, this guide brings out the true artistry of woodworking. The finesse and refinement achievable through hand tools make them essential for fine craftsmanship that machines simply cannot replicate.
• Comprehensive & Trusted Resource: With advice on choosing the right tool, mastering techniques, and handling challenging tasks, Woodworking with Hand Tools is an indispensable resource for anyone looking to improve their hand tool skills or incorporate them into their woodworking practice.

Are you looking into buying your first home but don’t know where to start? 70 Things First-time Home Buyers Need To Know breaks down all the complicated real estate legalese and provides you with the straightforward knowledge you need to decide whether you should buy, how to locate the right home for you, and how to navigate the process from negotiation through closing, including:

• Comparing single-family and condominium ownership and benefits
• Selecting the right real estate professional for your needs
• Using the Web to search for your home
• Negotiating price and repairs
• Understanding surveys, title insurance, appraisals, and all aspects of the closing process

Essential DIY Guide to Home Décor and Home Staging

“…a must-read when selling your home. This book is a beautiful tutorial that will help you sell your home faster.”  ―Cassandra Aarssen, professional organizer and author of The Clutter Connection

#1 Best Seller in House Plans

Are you overwhelmed by the idea of home staging? Don’t know what to do or where to start? In Secrets of Home Staging, award-winning home stager, Karen Prince, guides you through the home staging process with easy home décor ideas, design tips, and advice on how to stage your home to sell.

Home staging made simple. Secrets of Home Staging isn’t just an indispensable guide for the everyday homeowner, it’s also geared to realtors and those committed to real estate investing and flipping houses. With potential home buyers pre-shopping homes online and dismissing many of them in as little as three seconds, it is essential your home is staged to look its best. Secrets of Home Staging helps you navigate the home staging process with an easy-to-follow guide.

For fans of Joanna Gaines and the real estate world. No matter what your house plan, Secrets of Home Staging offers home interior design advice and tools you need to make your home look great online and in-person. Featuring over 150 color photos, and many practical house interior design tips, Karen gives home sellers everything they need to receive more offers, faster sales, and higher selling prices.

Inside you’ll find before-and-after photos and information on easy DIY home improvements that buyers love, project management tips, and:

• The 6 steps to successful home staging
• Decluttering and decorating ideas that sell
• How to determine your “key” rooms

If you enjoy real estate books, interior design books, or home decor books─like Elements of Style, Home Body, Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Habitat, Inspire Your Home, or The Book on Flipping Houses─you’ll love Secrets of Home Staging.

The Perfect Guide to Little Space Living

#1 Best Seller in Small Homes & Cottages

"Joshua and Shelley get you thinking about what you can do to live a little simpler, even if you’re not building a tiny house."―Mario Soto, Tiny House MD. 

With this tiny homes idea book, learn how to redefine what a house is and master organization, location, and happiness to make the best of your little space. 

You’ll want to live in a mini house after reading this book. Tiny House Basics is an adventure in off-grid living. In their debut book, mini house living experts Shelley and Joshua Engberg show how you can join the revolution to downsize without giving up everything you hold dear. As avid campers and off roaders, together they help you enter the world of comfortable and entertaining small spaces. 

Learn the best tips and tricks to owning tiny homes. Whether it’s cottage-style small houses or a mini getaway house, Tiny House Basics makes tiny house plans practical and accessible. With advice easily applicable to any small home, including spaces like apartments and studios, this micro living book turns any little space into the mini house of your dreams.

Inside, find advice on small home interior design and learn:

• How to maintain a good relationship in a little space 
• The pros and cons of off-grid living and on-grid living 
• How to make your small space feel big 
• Practical storage solutions and design tips 
• Small space living with pets 

If you’re looking for ways to ramp up your little space, coffee table books for tiny homes, or small modern house gifts—like Tiny House Designing, Building, & Living; Small Space Style; or The Little Book of Living Small—then you will love Tiny House Basics.

If you drive a car then this is the book for you. Avoid serious repair bills by learning what to do when something goes wrong.
Our cars are essential to us, and we rely on them for so much that it's hard to imagine being without them.
Doing the wrong thing when your car develops problems could cost you a lot of money and be a real inconvenience – but what if your car has a water leak, or if you discover oil underneath it? What if a warning light comes on? What could be the cause? Is the car safe to drive, or do I need a breakdown service or a mechanic? How can I get it to a garage safely?
This book covers the most common problems that can occur on modern cars. It's easy to follow, written in plain English, and is full of detailed photographs. Probably the most invaluable item you can keep in your car, and you only need basic mechanical skills to get the full benefit of this book.

Gergely Bajzáth has made a good number of engine coffee tables, and constantly enjoys positive feedback and comments about his work. Now, in ‘How to Build your own Engine Coffee Table’, he has decided to share his methods and tips with you, so that you can make one of your very own!
Whether in your living room, workshop, den, man cave, or girl shed, an engine coffee table is a great talking point, and is almost guaranteed to become the main topic of conversation when friends visit.
This book shows you everything you need to know to create your very own furniture centrepiece. From the best choice of engine base, to instructions on design and fabrication for appearance and safety. Hand painted finishes are covered, and a dedicated section shows how to safely plan, prepare, and fit a glass top for a serviceable, and safe, end result.
You’ll know that you want one of these tables as soon as you see the examples in the book!