Anyone read "The Encyclopedia of Country Living" by Carla Emery?

Anyone read "The Encyclopedia of Country Living"? Here is an amazon link to it: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570615535/rs12-20

Yes, very useful book with tons of information. 

When I got my first copy, it quickly became my favorite book.  It's still one of the best back-to-basics books there is. 

I later met Carla, she was a very good person.  I talked to her on the phone less than a week before she died.

my wife has it on the shelf in the kitchen.  another good book.

Touches on everything, goes in depth on nothing, but is often a very useful source of information if you have a quick question or just want the gidst.  Randomly included are very good tips from all kinds of people, little gems.  Good book, I'd say. 

The number one book that got me interested in everything that I do now from homesteading to permaculture and simple living. Awesome!

yep very cool book. If you like that, also check out the foxfire series of books.

we were given it as a gift. all sorts of good info.

Just make sure you get a recent edition.  Early editions were really disorganized.  They have gotten better, but you will still notice that she is an incredibly disorganized person (incomplete index, rambling writing style, etc).

Also, she includes recipes and instructions for projects that she hasn't even tested!  You will read things like, "Here's a recipe for rhubarb mustard sent to me by my cousin's neighbor Florence Maxwell of Fargo.  I haven't tried it, but it looks like a good way to use up rhubarb..."  Yes, it is somewhat charming, but be aware that she is just a really nice lady farmer who has no clue how to put together a book.

All in all, some good basic info.

Her book cracks me up and frustrates me, but it is one of the best homesteading books out there.  It is as close to an "encyclopedia" as you can get crammed into one book.  I'm a fan.

Doc K

i own it.  i have perused it extensively and have referrenced it a time or two.  its a good book.  as mentioned its as close to an encyclopedia as there is........yet with all that said.  for some reason i tend to favor other books that are smaller or more specialized.

for instance.  her section on making jam, jelly.......i prefer other recipies ive read or used over what she has to offer.  thats just a small thing, but nevertheless an example.

its a good book to read, but i doubt i'll use it very much in the grand scheme of things.

It is a good read around the fireplace on a cold winters night, but certainly not an "encyclopedia"...way too disorganized to fall under that umbrella (aren't encyclopedias supposed to be organized...like "B" comes after "A", but certainly before "R")?

I think "Hodge Podge of Country Living" would be a more appropriate title.
If it was a true 'encyclopedia', it would be easily searchable...even the (lame) index doesn't help...look up "possum", "gopher" or "mole", and all you will find is a possum recipe.

I am lucky enough to have Carla Emory's "Old Fashioned recipe book" in it's Mimiographed version.......it is about 4 inches thick and has that real self published feel. I have enjoyed the insight the book has to growing , raising and preparing your own food stuff....it also has lots of tips about animal husbandry and gardening and living in the country.

Carla Emory is really a pioneer!

I'm actually reading the recent edition now. Its a very good and informative book.

we got it,    but too late to do me much good,  I looked through it and found I already knew a lot of what was there.  But I've spent 40 years gathering the info from hundreds of sources.  That kind of throws a whole lot of sources together in one place.

Covered a bit in podcast 060