Mother Earth News

This great little book, picked up for a song at a library book sale, really brought back the memories.

I still have the Original issue of the Mother Earth News from back in the day. Then, everyone was so hopeful. Now, it mostly seems naive.

Anyway, this book explains how to everything imaginable to eek out a (marginal) living while not being caught up in the mindless, day to day, 9-5 grind. Some suggestions include locating old trash dumps from the 19th century and digging for old bottles, show more and other "antiques". Or (with permission) exploring old abandoned homesteads or barns for old bottles, farm implements, etc. Today, these things have long been salvaged, but perhaps back in the 70's they were still out there for the taking.

Also, there are suggestions a la Ewell Gibbons of how to live off the land, finding and preparing the wild foods available (in season) for the taking.

Some suggestions are still quite current today--how to plant and grow a garden, sew clothes, shop second hand, scavange and resell (called antiquing today). Others are not quite so possible - living with 7 children in a converted over the road bus, traveling around and making a living selling quick drawings and paintings, supporting yourself and your family (with absolutely no experience) on a few acres of land in the middle of nowhere (cheap land). Alas, those days are long gone. Life is much more complicated now. Cheap land fit to raise crops on doesn't exist (in the Mid West anyway), raising cattle proved more complicated than imagined, and so on.

But this little book sure brought back a nostalgic look at the "good old days" -- whether they were actually so or not isn't clear. show less

This great little book, picked up for a song at a library book sale, really brought back the memories.

I still have the Original issue of the Mother Earth News from back in the day. Then, everyone was so hopeful. Now, it mostly seems naive.

Anyway, this book explains how to everything imaginable to eek out a (marginal) living while not being caught up in the mindless, day to day, 9-5 grind. Some suggestions include locating old trash dumps from the 19th century and digging for old bottles, show more and other "antiques". Or (with permission) exploring old abandoned homesteads or barns for old bottles, farm implements, etc. Today, these things have long been salvaged, but perhaps back in the 70's they were still out there for the taking.

Also, there are suggestions a la Ewell Gibbons of how to live off the land, finding and preparing the wild foods available (in season) for the taking.

Some suggestions are still quite current today--how to plant and grow a garden, sew clothes, shop second hand, scavange and resell (called antiquing today). Others are not quite so possible - living with 7 children in a converted over the road bus, traveling around and making a living selling quick drawings and paintings, supporting yourself and your family (with absolutely no experience) on a few acres of land in the middle of nowhere (cheap land). Alas, those days are long gone. Life is much more complicated now. Cheap land fit to raise crops on doesn't exist (in the Mid West anyway), raising cattle proved more complicated than imagined, and so on.

But this little book sure brought back a nostalgic look at the "good old days" -- whether they were actually so or not isn't clear. show less

It is a fair comment to make that most of the articles in this issue had been reprinted from other sources and as a result the first issue had little to add to any debate going on at the time. Having said that, the other way of looking at it is that The Mother Earth News gave its readers the cream of the crop for the bargain price of $1.00 - not bad in retrospect.

The first 3 pages contain Gary Snyder's 'Four Changes' article, originally published in Difficult but Possible: Supplement to the show more Whole Earth Catalog [September 1969] I recognised it right away as I wrote a review for that issue, on LT, which you may also like to read.
How to Make it Your Way, is from the January, 1970 'Cavalier'.
Living High on $6500 a Year by Darrell Huff, is from 'The Saturday Evening Post'.
The following articles are all to do with carooning as a career.
The Lonely Worker
There's Gold in them thar merchants
All about AD Cartoons How I did it
What a Bunch of Characters!
Humor the Editor
gag writers are funny people
Jeeezely!
Marketing Humor Copy
mish-mosh
Originally appearing in 'Information Guide (re-named 'Cartoon World')' between 1957-1959.
A Gentle People's Liberation by Jane Bevans, is from Alternate Society.
Twin Oaks by Krystine Newman and Henry Wilhelm, was reprinted from PTERO by way of WIN.
The Little Car that Could by Mason was from the Berkeley TRIBE.

There is a brilliant article 'The Plains Indian Tipi' that provides full plans on construction of your own dwelling.
A visit to Ontario's community 'Morning Glory Farm'.
A slightly dated (even for 1970) article by Victor A. Croley 'The Freedom Way' with a $1.00-a-week food plan.
There are recipes for making 'Yogurt' and 'Digger Bread' from the 'Haight-Ashbury St. Love'.
There is also a recommended further reading list on the back page.

Even though most of the articles were published elsewhere it is still a very good 'one stop shop' for so much useful advice in one place' show less

My copy dates from the '70's. It's a handy bok on home made power. everything to solar hot water heaters, wind turbines to water wheels, it's all in here. Contains explanations of how it works, how to build/design one yourself. Prices provided are completely out of date, but it's funny to see that to build a solar hot water heater would have cost you less than a £1. If you find a copy pick it up, it's so handy.