The Great Library

[Ax-Man]

My wife and I have always greatly enjoyed books and we look forward to when we have a house (with any luck within this year) so I can build a library. I was thinking about this the other day when inspiration stuck. See, once we have a house we will be bugging in, so I thought it would be great to have a collection of books on a wide variety of subjects relating to self sufficiency.

Everything from carpentry to raising goats, ect ect ect...
So, Here is my plan, hopefully with some help/advice/recommendations from you guys.

I am going to make an outline of all the different subjects that would be useful in the PAW. Then I want to put together a wish list of books within each category. Then when I have some extra cash, I can pick up the next book on the list and cross it off. If anyone has any specific recommendations for books, or new categories for my list, that would be awesome. I think this will be an amazing resource to have even if TS doesn't HTF, and it will take me a few steps closer to being self sufficient.

I want to buy a house with a few acres so I have some room to grow some stuff, so I will be focusing on subjects that will be useful to me, within my "grand plan" if you will. However, It occurs to me that this list might be helpful to others so I want to make it as all inclusive as possible. I will update this list as I go.

Now, like I said, many of these thing will be very useful before the ZPAW but in the event the S really does HTF, I think it would be useful to have sections dedicated to education such as Mathematics, science and of course history. Also books dedicated to philosophy, political science and spirituality would an amazing resource. (of course these will not be discussed in detail, only in passing to keep within the rules of this board.)

I for one, plan on surviving the PAW and I want to to be able to educate my children. It also would seem that music and recreational reading would do wonders for uplifting morale, which as we all know, is a very important aspect of survival.


So here we go. Wish me luck.


Animals
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities
Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds
A Guide to Raising Llamas: Care, Showing, Breeding, Packing, Profiting
Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks: Breeds, Care, Health
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying
Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cows

Archery
The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Volume's1-4


Automotive Repair
The shop manual set for each of your vehicles
The Haynes orChilton's book for each of your autos

Blacksmithing
The Art of Blacksmithing



Canning Food
Putting Food By
Ball Blue Canning Book


CookBooks
Larousse Gastronomique
The Professional Chef
I'm Just Here for the Food
I'm Just Here for More Food
Betty Crocker Cookbook
Apocalypse Chow: How to Eat Well When the Power Goes Out



Carpentry/Woodworking
Space and Storage
Cabins and Cottages
Old Ways of Working Wood
Kidder-Parker Architects' and Builders' Handbook, Data for Architects, Structural Engineers, Contractors and Draughtsmen
Pocket Ref 4th Edition
Timber Construction Manual
Design of Wood Structures-ASD/LRFD
Southern Yellow Pine: A Manual Of Standard Wood Construction




Comms
The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications 2011

Construction/Architecture
Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition
Residential Framing: A Homebuilder's Construction Guide
Olin's Construction: Principles, Materials, and Methods
Manual of structural design and engineering solutions
Energy-Efficient Building (Best of Fine Homebuilding)
Mechanical and Electrical Systems in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (5th Edition)
The Fifty Dollar and Up Underground House Book

Electrical
The Art of Electronics

Farming/Gardening
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
Handy Farm Devices And How to Make Them
The Encyclopedia of Country Living
Square Foot Gardening
Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades
How to Make a Forest Garden
Earth User's Guide to Permaculture

First Aid/Health
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
Gray's Anatomy=
Bates' Guide to Physical Examination
Tarascon's Pharmacopeia
The Merck Manual
Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine
Expedition and Wilderness Medicine
Where There Is No Doctor
Drugs for Bugs
The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide
The Ship Captain's Medical Guide...


Fitness/Strength/Conditioning
The Naked Warrior
Power to the People!


Home Brew
A Sip Through Time: A Collection of Old Brewing Recipes

Hunting
Dress 'Em Out
Deerskins Into Buckskins: How To Tan With Natural Materials, a Field Guide for Hunters and Gatherers


History
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire


Firearms/Firearm Repair/Maintenance
Principles of Personal Defense
The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning
Speer Reloading Guide
Modern Reloading
[url]Nosler Reloading Guide[/url]


Militaria
The Art Of War

Misc
Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of the Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of
Foxfire Books
The Art of Shen Ku
HARVARD CLASSICS
Encyclopedia Britannica
How To Master the Art of Selling




Music

Navigation
Be Expert with Map and Compass: The Complete Orienteering Handbook
National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World

Novels
World War Z
Day by Day Armageddon
Earth Abides



Plumbing
Plumbing
Kitchens And Bathroom
Complete Plumbing (Stanley Complete)
Home Plumbing Illustrated

Philosophy/Politics
Politics
Political Thought in America: An Anthology
The Constitution of the United States of America
46 Pages

Recreation
GURPS Basic Set: Characters
GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns
Play According to Hoyle: Hoyle's Rules of Games
Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game
Go Game Sets
Master Go in Ten Days
Graded Go Problems For Beginners


Self Defense/Martial Arts/Combat
Mastering The Rubber Guard
Mastering The Twister
Ranger Handbook (Large format edition): The Official U.S. Army Ranger Handbook


Spirituality/Religion
The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life


Survival/Self Reliance
Ragnar's Urban Survival
Knots, Splices and Rope-Work
The Big Book of Self-Reliant Living
PRAIRIE TRAVELER
The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It
SAS Survival Guide
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
The Zombie Survival Guide
Backwoodshome.com anthologies.
Building the Alaska Log Home
Country Wisdom & Know-How
Survival Wisdom and Know How
Tim Brown's Filed Guide to Living With the Earth
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
Boy Scouts Handbook: The Original Edition
When Technology Fails
Surviving Y2K
Back To Basics
How To Shit In The Woods
How To Stay Alive in the Woods
The Boy Camper

Traditional Education

Mathematics
Science
History
English
Foreign Language



Wild Plants
Peterson Field Guide(R) to Medicinal Plants
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America



Pdf book links
http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/CD3WD/INDEX.HTM
http://www.kancoll.org/books/
http://www.metalwebnews.com/ed.html
http://www.scribd.com
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b ... 0&t=608328
http://www.sciencemadness.org/library/
http://survive.urbanbushpeople.org/
Hesperian Society books: Free downloads from HERE.
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

CD3WD (http://www.cd3wd.com) - This is a computer file, 13gb of it, full of technical, engineering and scientific data intended to be provided to the 3rd world to help them build their own way out of famine and poverty. It's freely available and includes everything from Engineering and Medicine to quite a bit of science and agriculture. Basically the accumulated wisdom of the 1st world on how to build a solid, successful society. Incredibly valuable.

Firearms owner's manuals: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=29856
100 free books everyone should read:
http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/ ... ould-read/

http://www.nal.usda.gov/

Army Field Manuals
Smithy and Metal Working (old school for real!)

[Asininity]

I wish I had some to add and I will work on researching to look around for some good ones. Certainly through in the Army Field Manuals.

Very interested in this.

[quazi]

Also books dedicated to philosophy, political science and spirituality would an amazing resource. (of course these will not be discussed in detail, only in passing to keep within the rules of this board.)

I'm a political science major, and the best book I've had to read so far is Political Thought in America by Michael Levy. It is an anthology of important essays, speeches, and selections from books. It is in no way exhaustive, but the author tries to represent every important thread in American political thought from the colonial times through the present.

I also found Politics by Aristotle to be an interesting read, if frustrating due to the fractured nature of the text.

One nice thing about political science and philosophy is that a large amount of the literature is either in the public domain or otherwise made freely available online. Also, check used book stores around universities for good deals.

As for games I'd recommend at least one book of card games, and one Pen and Paper RPG.

I can't recommend a book on card games, as I've always had my grandparent's encyclopedic knowledge to rely on. For a Pen and Paper RPG rulebook I'd recommend the GURPS basic set Characters and Campaigns. As long as you have an acceptable amount of creativity and storytelling ability, the amount of entertainment you can get out of those to books is staggering.

For agriculture specific to your area, Universities often publish information specific to your area. My university has something called the Cooperative Extension Service, and they've made a good deal of information on gardening, farming, and raising livestock in my environment available for free or at little cost.

[Chantrea]

For concise, noob-friendly advice and basics, the Storey animal guides (There's one for chickens, I believe there's one for sheep/goats as well) are excellent.

You can also get veterinary textbooks at most used bookstores, so I'd get a fairly new (shoot for 80s or later) desk reference.

For canning: "Putting things By", can't think of the author off the top of my head, is a really good resource, if you don't want to make a notebook of the same info by printing extension service handouts.

If you have a wife and/or daughters, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is THE go to book for understanding cycles, as well as increasing one's chance to conceive OR using your body's cues to determine fertility periods. Since hormonal birth control gives me serious migraines, I've used that method for over 10 years now as birth control, and planned all my pregnancies, which was kind of nice.` You might have to buy one new, most people absolutely love it so it doesn't show up on used bookshore shelves all that often, IME.

I've found regional gardening books to be far more useful than comprehensive ones. Since I live in western WA state, we have kind of a weird growing season, and are limited as to the variants that do well here. It might not be a bad idea to have a general gardener's troubleshooting book/pest book though.

ThinkFun Games has a TON of really fun "single player" games (though you can always team up to solve the puzzle). If you have/are going to have kids, Gamewright is another fun, simple game company that isn't dumbed down. I personally would snag Scrabble if you don't have it, or Cathedral.

[unkieford]

I share your love for books. I already havea library started. It will never be truly finished.
When the time comes for book shopping, remember this: Treated decently, books will last a long time. Buy used and save big!
I live 1/2 mile from a used bookstore, one that actually allows pets inside (leash required!).
At least once a month, Myself and the mighty Halle-Dawg take a stroll through the place. I've found some great titles from time to time, Including The Way Things Work (Volumes 1 And 2) Back to Basics and a huge stack of philosphy, classic lit, poetry, math, cookbooks, sci-fi, 2 copies of Venus on the Half Shell and an endless list of gently used DVD movies.

Oh, and the Halle-Dog has managed to help me get a few phone numbers here and there. Chicks dig dogs that wear bandannas.

Best of luck with your library, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

---Ford---

[Ax-Man]

Glad to see there is some interest.
Thanks for the input! keep it coming

[TC]

This is a cool thread.

My mother has basically got what you are describing. Whenever I am over at my parents', if something comes up in conversation that people aren't sure of, she scurries off and returns shortly with a book on the subject. We actually challenged her by trying to find topics that she didn't have a book on. For example, no one in my family fishes, yet she was able to produce a big book on fishing. I suspect that my mother is very much a prepper, she just doesn't know that she is!

Here are some suggestions for books (you have some of these in your OP, but I am just going into some more depth):

-Books on wild foods, such as roots, fungi, berries etc. and their uses and books on general wild plants and trees and their uses.

-Atlases and map books. Not just of your own country, but of the world. Personally, I like these both for the enjoyment of maps and atlases in general and also for their utility and teaching purposes.

-There are collections of books, like the Everyman's Library, that have brought together classic literary works. Survival in the long term isn't just about staying alive. These books have shaped our world and they are worth preserving (often even if you don't agree with what they say).

-Language books. Always a good resource to have. I haven't studied French since I was a kid, but you never know when you might need to brush up. If you are listening to foreign language broadcasts, it helps to know what they are talking about. Even if you are relatively competent in a language, a huge dictionary might get you out of a bind if there is no internet!

-General knowledge books are great. My parents have a big one that they use for crosswords, but they are very useful for just about anything you might be interested to know.

-Children's books! These are important if you have kids or expect that kids might somehow feature in your long term plans, such as if you have relatives that might stay with you if TSHTF. These range from learning and encyclopedic books that will help them learn in a way suitable to their age to books that are just for fun.

-Recipe books are always good. Check old book stores for books that are geared to harder times. My mother has a bunch from her youth that tell you how to make do and get by when pickings are lean.

-Mathematical log table books and conversion tables. Very useful if you're calculator is dead.

-General construction and instructions on building structures like log cabins, waterwheels, windmills etc. Maybe even things about boat building if you live near water. Possibly books on building things like bicycles from scratch and scraps (well, maybe not scratch!) and how to power machines by pedal power etc.

-Communications books, for radios or maybe even basic computing or telephony if you can set something like that up.

-Knife making and other metal work are good topics to stock books on.

-Hopefully a topic that you won't need to much knowledge on, but combat tactics and defensive methods are good, maybe even books on resistance (not that I condone any illegal actions), if only for general interest.


I'm sure others will chip in with more. I'll be watching this thread with great interest, libraries are awesome.

[ZombieGranny]

Carla Emery`s The Encyclopedia of Country Living
Books on knot tying
Old 'encyclopedias' of cooking - they are put out by: Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, etc.
Square Foot Gardening
Raising _____s the Modern Way, is a good series for new animal raisers.
Play According to Hoyle is a good one for card games.

[tilt]

For automotive repair, I would suggest buying:
-The shop manual set for each of your vehicles
-The Haynes or Chilton's book for each of your autos
-A book on DC electricity/circuits

For firearms, pick up the most detailed armorer's book for the guns you own, then a general gunsmithing book for the one's you don't.

The National Audubon Society books are decent for nature identification

A couple of books on basic weather forecasting

"Be Expert With Map and Compass" by Bjorn Kjellstrom (sp?)

Medical
-Taber's Cyclopedic Dictionary
-Gray's Anatomy
-Bates' Guide to Physical Exam
-A current (within last two years) Tarascon's Pharmacopeia
-Every book that Buck Tilton or William Forgey wrote or co-authored ever.
-A full set of Brady EMT books (from basic to Paramedic)
-The most current pill identification book (update every other year)
-Merck Manual (update every other year)
-Wilderness Medicine by Auerbach
-Expedition and Wilderness Medicine by Bledsoe
-a good medicinal plants book

[Rhellion]

Encyclopedia of Country Living for sure.

[Black Sheep]

Where There is no Doctor - Werner
Ragnars Urban Survival - Benson
Knots, Splices and Rope Work - Verrill
Bullfinch's Mythology
All my other books are already mentioned or are specific to my location.

[Subdiver]

Foxfire series. All of them.
The Art of Shen Ku by Zeek

[TC]

Where There is no Doctor - Werner
Ragnars Urban Survival - Benson

WTAND is a good document to have and a reminder that there are a lot of books out there that can be had for just the cost of printing paper and ink.

Ragnar's Urban Survival disappointed me quite badly. I thought it was quite a lot of nonsense and the valid info was fairly common knowledge stuff. What did you like about it in particular?

[flyingredgoat]

I was just thinking about something similar.

I was thinking about an e-library of free material. Stuff we could download and maybe even print. Of course it would have to be free. My wife put me on an allowance.

Closer to topic, I would advise volumes of crosswords, and other pen and paper games. Cheap ones can be found, and they will relieve boredom for hours.

K

[ZombieGranny]

Here are a few, flyingredgoat.
http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/CD3WD/INDEX.HTM
http://www.kancoll.org/books/
http://www.metalwebnews.com/ed.html

[TC]

I was just thinking about something similar.

I was thinking about an e-library of free material. Stuff we could download and maybe even print. Of course it would have to be free. My wife put me on an allowance.

Closer to topic, I would advise volumes of crosswords, and other pen and paper games. Cheap ones can be found, and they will relieve boredom for hours.

K

Arfcom documents thread
I also love www.scribd.com, which has an absolute ton of free content.

Bear in mind that a lot of the stuff out there is crap, but there are some jems too.

[thelight]

Great Thread! Having a real library of printed materials (and a physical as well as digital card index for easy searching) will be a great help in the PAW. Here are some more recommendations.

Cooking:
Larousse Gastronomique - One of the definitive cooking encyclopedias.
The Professional Chef - Great book that teaches cooking techniques.

Games:
Go - One of the oldest and hardest games on the planet. Great way to pass the time and train the mind. (Good sets can be purchased here)

Religion:
The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions - Excellent high level overview of the major religions. Unbiased, non-judgmental, and very interesting.

Field Guides:
I like the Peterson Field Guides and have both the edible and medicinal guides for my area.

Hesperian Society books: Free downloads from HERE.
Where There Is No Doctor
Where Women Have No Doctor
A Book for Midwives
Helping Children Who Are Deaf
Helping Children Who Are Blind
A Worker's Guide to Health and Safety
Cholera Prevention Fact Sheet
Sanitation and Cleanliness for a Healthy Environment
Water for life
Safe Handling of Health Care Waste
Where There Is No Dentist

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

Note: Instead of selling all of your High School and College textbooks, save them. They are a great resource (well, at least some of them are).

[Mags]

This is a great thread! While I know a lil' bout camping, hiking, and survival I really learn a lot about household items and prep'ing here on ZS. There are books listed in this thread I would have never thought of! Thanks for all the new sources and making it easy for me to continue to learn.

Couple shots of some of my books.........









Again great thread! Should it be in the "Book Forum?"

[Ax-Man]

You guys are giving me GOLD here. Pure Gold! Off to a pretty good start I'd say. Keep em coming!

[Lucretius]

+1 on the Go set. That game never gets boring! Besides, I've never had one run out of batteries...

[LowKey]

Drugs for Bugs, The Saint-Frances Guide to Outpatient Antimicrobial Therapy

It's a pocket sized referance for what antibiotic(and dose) is used to treat infections. Extremely easy to use, you will understand it within 2 minutes of picking it up.

[Hu-man]

For your Survival/Self Reliance category, how about a survival manual published in 1859?

The Prairie Traveler was written by an Army captain as a primer for settlers heading west. It contains chapters on supplies, selecting campsites, handling pack animals, crossing rivers, as well as many interesting anecdotes. Reading this is like watching a Western, only this guy was really there.

[midgetyaz]

I don't know of anything off hand that hasn't been mentioned, but you can always check out http://www.worldcat.org/

[Allen]

Ax-Man, You mentioned Archery, which in a PAW would include
bow making. I would suggest "The Traditional Bowyer's Bible" series
by Jim Hamm.
IIRC there are 4 volumes.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywor ... bw2mew20_b

Cheers!

ETA: Snag up any "Mother Earth News" back issues You come across.