The Big Book of Self-Reliant Living; Advice and Information on Just About Everything You Need to Know to Live on Planet Earth

by Edited and compiled by Walter Szykitka

• ISBN13: 9781592280438
• ISBN10: 1592280439
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Rural homesteaders and urban apartment dwellers alike will find a mother lode of practical information in The Big Book of Self-Reliant Living. This selective compendium of public- domain documents, many of them no longer available today, provides in one single volume a wealth of knowledge and useful instruction on just about every aspect of self- sufficiency, from building a living structure and growing food to staying healthy and using tools of all kinds. More than 600 pages of pamphlets, documents, and articles are reproduced here, making this a true cornucopia of practical advice. Including how to: build a greenhouse; administer first aid; build a stone wall; survive in the wilderness, at sea, and in the city; read architect's drawings; keep bees and harvest honey; weave fabric and repair clothing; and cut metal and stone.

Author Biography

Walter Szykitka authored the very popular first edition of The Big Book of Self-Reliant Living in 1974 under the title Public Works. He is also the author of two other self-help reference books and Pursuing the Unexplained, a twelve-part series that was carried worldwide by New York Times Syndicated Features. He lives in New York City, where he writes a monthly newsletter on International Business Trends.

Table of Contents

First Aid
Introduction to First Aid	3	(1)
Infection Control	4	(1)
Patient Assessment	5	(1)
Artificial Ventilation	6	(5)
Control of Bleeding	11	(2)
Shock	13	(1)
Open Wounds	14	(2)
Dressings for Wounds	16	(4)
Burns and Scalds	20	(2)
Musculoskeletal Injuries	22	(6)
Handling and Transportation	28	(2)
Environmental and Medical Emergencies	30	(7)
Survival
Survival on Land	37	(1)
Signaling	38	(2)
Fire Making	40	(2)
Survival Weapons	42	(1)
Clothing for Survival	43	(2)
Finding Drinking Water	45	(2)
Finding Food	47	(13)
Orientation	60	(7)
Traveling Tips	67	(3)
Local People	70	(1)
Survival at Sea	71	(4)
Emergencies at Home	75	(1)
Radiation Threat	76	(1)
Explosions	77	(1)
Chemical and Biological Threats	78	(1)
Family Disaster Kit	79	(2)
Natural Disasters	81	(2)
Survival in the City	83	(1)
Heat Safety	84	(3)
Health
Exercise	87	(8)
Cancer	95	(38)
Clinical Trials	133	(1)
High Blood Pressure	134	(10)
Body Weight and Health	144	(5)
The Lungs	149	(5)
Atopic Dermatitis	154	(6)
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus	160	(4)
Rheumatoid Arthritis	164	(5)
Osteoarthritis	169	(7)
Diabetes	176	(5)
Alzheimer's Disease	181	(2)
Anthrax	183	(2)
Carbon Monoxide	185	(2)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome	187	(2)
Hepatitis	189	(2)
Genital Herpes	191	(1)
HIV Infection	192	(3)
Impetigo	195	(2)
Lyme Disease	197	(2)
Meningococcal Meningitis	199	(1)
Multiple Sclerosis	200	(1)
Mold	201	(1)
Osteoporosis	202	(1)
Polio	203	(2)
Salmonella	205	(2)
Syphilis	207	(2)
Tuberculosis	209	(2)
Whooping Cough	211	(1)
Urinary Tract Infection	212	(2)
Fever Blisters	214	(2)
Home Nursing	216	(9)
Head Lice	225	(1)
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever	225	(1)
Lead Poisoning	226	(1)
Cataracts	227	(4)
Food and Nutrition
Nutritive Value of Foods	231	(41)
Ways to Save on Groceries	272	(2)
Daily Food Choices	274	(4)
A Guide to Fats	278	(4)
Reading Labels	282	(1)
Recipes	283	(14)
Making Jams and Jellies	297	(2)
Keeping Foods Safe	299	(2)
Grilling Safety	301	(1)
Microwave Cooking	302	(1)
Kitchen Thermometers	302	(2)
Preserving Foods	304	(9)
Drying Fruits and Vegetables	313	(2)
Molds and Foodborne Illnesses	315	(8)
Farm and Home
Mortgages	323	(4)
Radon	327	(1)
Organic Food	327	(1)
Organic Farming	328	(2)
Pruning	330	(4)
A Small Greenhouse	334	(2)
Vegetable Gardening	336	(15)
Hydroponics	351	(4)
Sectional Terraria	355	(1)
Intensive Gardening	356	(1)
Raising Livestock	357	(4)
How to Plant a Tree	361	(1)
Household Pets	362	(5)
Beekeeping	367	(2)
Trout Farming	369	(2)
Birdhouses	371	(5)
Stain Removal	376	(4)
Household Cleaners	380	(2)
Clothing Repairs	382	(15)
Weaving	397	(1)
Environmental Lawn Care	398	(2)
Home Lighting	400	(2)
Farm Lighting	402	(3)
Lightning Protection	405	(4)
Energy Efficiency	409	(3)
Natural Home Cooling	412	(4)
Energy Efficient Air Conditioning	416	(5)
Weatherizing Your Home	421	(4)
Solar Electric Systems	425	(4)
Water Heaters	429	(3)
Lead in the Home	432	(3)
Tools
Hammers	435	(1)
Wrenches	436	(2)
Metal Cutting Tools	438	(2)
Drills, Reamers, Punches	440	(2)
Taps and Dies	442	(2)
Woodcutting Handtools	444	(2)
Drills and Chisels	446	(1)
Pliers and Knives	447	(4)
Common Power Tools	451	(3)
Drill Press	454	(1)
Grinders	454	(1)
Measuring Tools	455	(1)
Calipers	456	(2)
Micrometers	458	(2)
Squares and Gages	460	(3)
Levels	463	(1)
Nails, Screws, and Bolts	464	(2)
Nuts and Washers	466	(1)
Pins and Rivets	466	(2)
Grinding Operations	468	(3)
Twist Drills	471	(1)
Metal Cutting Operations	472	(3)
Thread Restorers	475	(1)
Reaming Operations	476	(3)
Soldering	479	(2)
Lubricating	481	(4)
Construction
Drawings and Specifications	485	(2)
Builder's Mathematics	487	(3)
Engineer's Level	490	(2)
Surveying	492	(7)
Grading and Excavating	499	(3)
Concrete	502	(14)
Masonry	516	(9)
Brick Construction	525	(7)
Equipment for Holding Work	532	(1)
Woodworking	533	(22)
Exterior Finish	555	(3)
Insulation	558	(2)
Interior Finish	560	(1)
Stairways and Windows	560	(4)
Floors and Doors	564	(2)
Plaster	566	(3)
Tile and Stucco	569	(3)
Field Structures	572	(5)
Logging Operations	577	(7)
Reducing House Construction Costs	584	(3)
Building a Log House	587	(22)
Care of Wood Doors	609	(1)
Building with Adobe	610	(2)
Exterior Painting	612	(2)
Interior Painting	614	(3)
Wood Decay	617	(6)
Water-Supply Sources	623	(4)
Soils and Septic Tanks	627	(4)
Plumbing	631	(7)
Making Basements Dry	638	(2)
Rope	640	(3)
Sources	643	(6)
Index	649