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Slice of Organic Life
Provides a comprehensive guide to growing one's own food organically, as well as how to cook home-grown produce, raise one's own selected livestock, and develop a more sustainable lifestyle, in a richly illustrated volume that features more than eighty self-contained projects for rural, suburban, and urban locales.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 15, 2019
It took me over a year to finish this book, but that’s just because I read too many things at a time anyway.
Great book, full of good advice and inspiration to people who want to live autonomously. I personally don’t feel up to raising and slaughtering pigs, but a lot of the stuff on there is easily doable. A sort of Laura Ingalls Bible to me!
Great book, full of good advice and inspiration to people who want to live autonomously. I personally don’t feel up to raising and slaughtering pigs, but a lot of the stuff on there is easily doable. A sort of Laura Ingalls Bible to me!
February 14, 2010
I can't recall what triggered this, but my newest "obsession" is to turn my backyard into a kind of homestead. Thus, I placed every book about gardening/organic living on hold at the library.
After reading this book, I find myself daydreaming about how the pet pig could be kept over here, the chickens in that corner of the yard, the pond under the grape arbor, the bee house-thingy over next to the apple orchard, and on and on. This is not actually going to happen (obviously), but reading this book further compelled me to find a farmer husband (who also happens to be a photographer) and raise a gaggle of very organically-inclined children on several acres of land. The husband must also be a photographer so he can take picture of the children (the boys would be dressed in overalls, the girls would be wearing white sundresses with aprons and carying baskets) petting the goats and collecting chicken eggs. Meanwhile, I would be in the house (with wood burning stove) baking bread and making "fresh summer juices." Yes, that is the plan.
So I loved A Slice of Organic Life because it helped fuel my current lala fantasyland. On the other hand, it was really impractical, considering that if I really wanted to do anything mentioned in this book, I would actually need an extremely detailed _________ for Dummies book instead. I know nothing at all about gardening or anything related so this one isn't going to do me much good. In fact, it actually had 5 pages about "How To Keep a Milking Cow." I'm pretty sure that if I decided to keep a milking cow, I'd need a 500 page manual and then some.
In summary: not at all useful, but fun, inspiring, and lots of beautiful pictures.
After reading this book, I find myself daydreaming about how the pet pig could be kept over here, the chickens in that corner of the yard, the pond under the grape arbor, the bee house-thingy over next to the apple orchard, and on and on. This is not actually going to happen (obviously), but reading this book further compelled me to find a farmer husband (who also happens to be a photographer) and raise a gaggle of very organically-inclined children on several acres of land. The husband must also be a photographer so he can take picture of the children (the boys would be dressed in overalls, the girls would be wearing white sundresses with aprons and carying baskets) petting the goats and collecting chicken eggs. Meanwhile, I would be in the house (with wood burning stove) baking bread and making "fresh summer juices." Yes, that is the plan.
So I loved A Slice of Organic Life because it helped fuel my current lala fantasyland. On the other hand, it was really impractical, considering that if I really wanted to do anything mentioned in this book, I would actually need an extremely detailed _________ for Dummies book instead. I know nothing at all about gardening or anything related so this one isn't going to do me much good. In fact, it actually had 5 pages about "How To Keep a Milking Cow." I'm pretty sure that if I decided to keep a milking cow, I'd need a 500 page manual and then some.
In summary: not at all useful, but fun, inspiring, and lots of beautiful pictures.
April 6, 2010
This is not your soup to nuts "organic living 101" by any means. It is merely an inspiration for you or for someone that likes being green (as everyone should these days!). I received this book as a gift and I ended up buying it for someone else as a gift because it gave me ideas. The gorgeous pictures paired with bite-sized ideas made me happy and I knew it would make someone else happy as well.
There are tips inside for anyone regardless of where you live. Some of the things will seem far out if you live in the city, such as raising your own chickens or keeping a milking cow. However, for city and suburb dwellers, there are still many things to take away from this.
For example
*Harvesting orchard fruits. You can't get more local than stocking up at a nearby orchard during early fall.
*Growing your own flowers to cut if possible. Who knew that there were over a hundred different pesticides that may be in your beautiful store bought cut flowers?
*Using paint alternatives that don't contain VOCs
*Giving eco-friendly gifts
A large portion of the book is dedicated to growing (and that includes herbs in your kitchen and not just trees outside), but there are other inspirational tips ont things such as organic materials and using renewable energy.
There are tips inside for anyone regardless of where you live. Some of the things will seem far out if you live in the city, such as raising your own chickens or keeping a milking cow. However, for city and suburb dwellers, there are still many things to take away from this.
For example
*Harvesting orchard fruits. You can't get more local than stocking up at a nearby orchard during early fall.
*Growing your own flowers to cut if possible. Who knew that there were over a hundred different pesticides that may be in your beautiful store bought cut flowers?
*Using paint alternatives that don't contain VOCs
*Giving eco-friendly gifts
A large portion of the book is dedicated to growing (and that includes herbs in your kitchen and not just trees outside), but there are other inspirational tips ont things such as organic materials and using renewable energy.
August 2, 2008
At first I was disappointed by this book because I thought it was going to have more narrative to it--more non-fiction informational writing. It's more like an art-heavy how-to book full of little projects for living an organic life. My other mistake was getting it at the library. If you want this book to be helpful, you need to buy it. There are other books to read that explain why these projects are better for the world (i.e., why you should plant a garden. etc,), but if you are already committed to this lifestyle, it has lovely photography and a lot of nice ideas.
May 28, 2010
This batter made one dozen muffins, and a day later there is none left. The best part is, they are all natural. Not a drop of sugar! They taste sooooooo good too!
I think this is the best muffin recipe ever, and has the parts to be adapted for any fruit, so if you hate the flavors I used, you can do what you like. The recipe I used was actually Blueberry Muffins, but I adapted it to what I wanted.
Definitely a take home cookbook for any one of today. We all need to learn to eat and live better, this book can help do that, even if it's a baby step.
I think this is the best muffin recipe ever, and has the parts to be adapted for any fruit, so if you hate the flavors I used, you can do what you like. The recipe I used was actually Blueberry Muffins, but I adapted it to what I wanted.
Definitely a take home cookbook for any one of today. We all need to learn to eat and live better, this book can help do that, even if it's a baby step.
December 18, 2007
At first glance one might see this book as nothing more than a coffee table book with it's many glossy pictures. Happily the text is worth the read and wonderfully full of easy to use/do ways of giving your life a fresh feel. Again and again one hears the voice of experience in the many suggestions. So much information so beautifully presented makes this book a keeper.
August 29, 2011
Organized in the most bizarre way. One page on foraging for wild greens, then one on natural skin care, then one on how to keep chickens. ??? It's basically a fun, thick magazine. None of the topics go in-depth and I would fear for any chickens that were purchased with the intent use this book as a manual. ;)
January 18, 2009
This is a beautiful book with full color photos throughout. I got many interesting ideas from it, but the book does tend to gloss over details. It mostly introduces topics and then if you want to do them, you would have to research the topics elsewhere.
July 23, 2007
This book is great - it has a little bit about everything! Learn how to grow your own strawberries, collect rainwater, repel mosquitoes, shop for better-tasting veggies, and so on.
April 24, 2018
A really good book, has everything you need in there. Very bright, beautiful appearance. Easy to read and find what you want. :)
February 26, 2020
I read this book every year. I love it.
January 10, 2025
Some great tips but the organization was a bit random. It seemed topics were all over the place. It did give me some great ideas though!
March 26, 2008
I've upped my review to four stars because I've decided there really are some good ideas here. However, what I said before about there being better, more in-depth books on the individual topics addressed in this book holds. Check this out from the library. Still, I can't wait to try oven-dried cherry tomatos, and I think this book clarified that I do NOT want to keep a cow.
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I'm dabbling in this for about ten minutes before bed every night. There are some really cool ideas in here, especially for the beginning/apartment dwelling gardener, but the emphasis of the book is the pretty pictures.
It's full of a a bourgeois kind of environmentalism - you know, for the same people who shell out money every month for "Real Simple" magazine, which claims to be about simplicity but is actually advertising a bunch more high-end crap you don't need. Of course, I fit pretty cleanly in this demographic myself - I shelled out the money for this book full of pretty pictures. But books like Food Not Lawns have made me more sensitive to current capitalistic exploitation of the green movement.
On the other hand, there are some great instructions (with gorgeous photography, and I'm a sucker for prettiness) on growing greens in your window and tomatoes in pots on the patio and getting your worm bin started. It's a good place to get started, perhaps, but know that there are plenty of more practical, in-depth, instruction manuals for this sort of thing. Lots of them have pretty pictures AND a lot more information.
__________________________________________________________
I'm dabbling in this for about ten minutes before bed every night. There are some really cool ideas in here, especially for the beginning/apartment dwelling gardener, but the emphasis of the book is the pretty pictures.
It's full of a a bourgeois kind of environmentalism - you know, for the same people who shell out money every month for "Real Simple" magazine, which claims to be about simplicity but is actually advertising a bunch more high-end crap you don't need. Of course, I fit pretty cleanly in this demographic myself - I shelled out the money for this book full of pretty pictures. But books like Food Not Lawns have made me more sensitive to current capitalistic exploitation of the green movement.
On the other hand, there are some great instructions (with gorgeous photography, and I'm a sucker for prettiness) on growing greens in your window and tomatoes in pots on the patio and getting your worm bin started. It's a good place to get started, perhaps, but know that there are plenty of more practical, in-depth, instruction manuals for this sort of thing. Lots of them have pretty pictures AND a lot more information.
March 29, 2009
I noticed this book on a shelf at the East Regional Durham library and I just had to check it out. This book is a quick read with lots of beautiful photography. Every 2-4 pages give tips on various topics including gardening, making natural cleaning products, saving energy, growing fruits/veggies in containers, and raising chickens, geese, ducks, and pigs to name a few.
I especially liked the tips on container gardening. Did you know that you can grow strawberries or cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets? Well, I hope this book is right because I might try it in the next year or two. I also enjoyed reading about how to start a raised bed garden. I don't know much about growing vegetables and fruits, but the few pages about this type of garden make it sound very simple.
Overall, you might already know some of the information presented in this book if you regularly read about these kinds of topics, but I did learn about several new ideas so it was definitely worth checking out.
I especially liked the tips on container gardening. Did you know that you can grow strawberries or cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets? Well, I hope this book is right because I might try it in the next year or two. I also enjoyed reading about how to start a raised bed garden. I don't know much about growing vegetables and fruits, but the few pages about this type of garden make it sound very simple.
Overall, you might already know some of the information presented in this book if you regularly read about these kinds of topics, but I did learn about several new ideas so it was definitely worth checking out.
Read
August 27, 2012e more mindful of the planet, the available resources and things as a whole to be done to change, this book enters.
The ideas presented are simple, almost like 'Why haven't I been doing this already?' and 'Why didn't I think of this?'.
There's ideas for growing your own vegetables, herbs and fruits, instead of buying from a grocery chain, and of course if you buy, try to buy organic & local. Like animals? Why not raise chickens, or milking cows, even goats, which are a source of meat and milk.
This book is a great step in the right direction if you are thinking of starting small and working your way to being more green and self-sufficient in a world where we are so accustomed to buying produce that has been shipped from out of state, and where we are so ready to buy the pre-packaged whatever instead of doing it ourselves.
This book offers you the right ideas and gets you going in the right direction. Worth it to keep for yourself and to pass to your friends.
The ideas presented are simple, almost like 'Why haven't I been doing this already?' and 'Why didn't I think of this?'.
There's ideas for growing your own vegetables, herbs and fruits, instead of buying from a grocery chain, and of course if you buy, try to buy organic & local. Like animals? Why not raise chickens, or milking cows, even goats, which are a source of meat and milk.
This book is a great step in the right direction if you are thinking of starting small and working your way to being more green and self-sufficient in a world where we are so accustomed to buying produce that has been shipped from out of state, and where we are so ready to buy the pre-packaged whatever instead of doing it ourselves.
This book offers you the right ideas and gets you going in the right direction. Worth it to keep for yourself and to pass to your friends.
July 29, 2011
A lovely book with nice pictures about various things you can do to live more sustainably, from raising a chicken to growing greens in a windowbox. Obviously, not every idea is for everyone, but I did get some inspiration from it, and since it only dedicates a page or two to each topic, it gives a very simplified version of how to do what it suggests, making it seem quite manageable. Some topics that I've had interest in before seem so unwieldy, like making my own jam, but this book simplifies it. It also reminded me of some things that I already had planned to do, like drying my own herbs, so when our rosemary came in from the farm share this week, I spread it out as the book advised, and now I'll have delicious organic rosemary in months when I can't have it fresh. Definitely recommend this book.
November 12, 2007
B I enjoyed this book immensely, although so much of it was geared towards people with lots of land, lots of time, and yes, some money. Some good recipes, great tips, how-tos (such as how to compost, how to grow herbs). As I live in an apartment with only a fire escape for outdoor growing (and I'm pretty sure all the herbs and flowers I have out there are some sort of fire code violation!) so a lot of this book was not applicable towards me. Still, it is a great start, especially for those who are not sure how they can start living more sustainably and more organically. I really enjoyed it and wished I had space for a milking cow and apple orchard.
November 29, 2010
The idea of this book is to give lots of ideas, no matter your living arrangements, for ways to make your life more "organic," broadly defined. I would say about half of these ideas are either "plant X" or "raise X animal." Animals the book suggests you raise: chickens, geese, ducks, pigs, goats, cows. W. T. F. Also, one suggestion is to "forage for fungi" (aka wild mushrooms). I'm all for this, but only with proper education, since unlike raising ducks, messing up while foraging for mushrooms can kill you. Easily. Three pages of large print is not only inadequate, but in my opinion is profoundly irresponsible.
July 5, 2011
This book is lovely, with beautiful pictures throughout. It says a little about a lot of different topics, so is a good introduction if you are considering trying to live a more self-sufficient life. There are chapters about beginning raising chickens, goats, and other animals. There are chapters about gardening, making your own baby foods, and so forth. There are also some recipes included (bread, jam). It's a little too basic for anyone who has already been engaged in these activities though, so skip it if this is the case (unless you just want to look at the beautiful pictures! or try the recipes!).
October 8, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed. Quite practically arranged in sections for those with NO outdoor space to those with plenty and the increasing steps (the little things add up) to achieving some sustainability (even in the city!)
A great reference book I will be hanging onto for the 'someday' when I have a yard and the now when I want to start microgreens at the very least.
A few things could have been more clearly explained; perhaps any lack of clarity was due to the fact that this was originally written for the UK market. Interesting that it's 'edited' by this S. Goldsmith, but doesn't really say who authored the articles, unless I missed it.
A great reference book I will be hanging onto for the 'someday' when I have a yard and the now when I want to start microgreens at the very least.
A few things could have been more clearly explained; perhaps any lack of clarity was due to the fact that this was originally written for the UK market. Interesting that it's 'edited' by this S. Goldsmith, but doesn't really say who authored the articles, unless I missed it.
August 30, 2013
On my recent life-quest to eat all non GMO foods, I found this at the library. It's a beautiful book, with great font-type/size and pictures, however some ideas are way far-fetched for the average reader. (and the author states that in the introduction) I personally am not going to keep a flock of ducks, plant and sow by the moon, create a wildlife pond, or raise some pigs, but those who want to, here's your guide! :-)
I'm more along the lines of: cleaning without chemicals, drying my own herbs, foraging (Hopefully!!) and growing more things inside....
At a list price of $25 I'm probably not going to buy this one, but definitely photo-copy some pages.
I'm more along the lines of: cleaning without chemicals, drying my own herbs, foraging (Hopefully!!) and growing more things inside....
At a list price of $25 I'm probably not going to buy this one, but definitely photo-copy some pages.
May 27, 2008
While the concept of this book is nice, and the pictures are pretty, they oversimplify far too much. I suppose the title suggests this--it's only a "slice" after all--but the book is not really useful because its scope is so large. Please read separate books about bee keeping or preserving food or setting up a solar powered water heater. Not everything is as simple or easy to do as this book suggests.
January 11, 2016
Beautifully laid out coffee table book with plentiful colour photographs. In the edition I read, the foreword is by Stephanie Alexander, a highly regarded Australian local food advocate.
The sections are bite-sized but informative. I was unaware that in the UK £250 million/yr is spent on extracting pesticides from water supplies - I wonder how much in Australia?
This would be a nice book to flick through in winter.
The sections are bite-sized but informative. I was unaware that in the UK £250 million/yr is spent on extracting pesticides from water supplies - I wonder how much in Australia?
This would be a nice book to flick through in winter.
January 24, 2008
After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle it made me want to plant a vegetable garden and have a chicken roaming around my backyard! This wonderful book has all sorts of wonderful ideas from growing a 4x4 ft. mini garden full of different veggies to raising hens & even geese & pigs. I couldn't go that far, but interesting food for thought!
March 27, 2008
This was great for those who are just starting to look into an organic lifestyle to those who are ready to take the plunge and grow their own chickens. While I'm not likely to forage for fungi any time soon, I may grow strawberries in a hanging pot, a tip I learned.
Lots of pictures, easy instructions, don't have to read cover to cover.
Lots of pictures, easy instructions, don't have to read cover to cover.
March 28, 2008
Pick your favorite pig and get going.. Ok--outside of the animal selections there's some good stuff here for everyone. If you don't want to make a "simple" goat's cheese just check out the easy stuff like keeping urban honeybees. Ok-so it's a bit over the top for most-- but, hey-a girl can dream, can't she?
October 24, 2008
The organization was bizarre, having full chapters between raising all the different fowls, randomly having "how to grow sweet peas" in the middle of the book and dispersing advice on how the grow plants with cleaning materials with taking care of babies. Random. Also, I wished that the information had been more in-depth.
Maybe a good book for beginners, but I felt like I knew it all already.
Maybe a good book for beginners, but I felt like I knew it all already.
April 12, 2010
This is a great book for someone thinking about having a garden or a small flock of chickens. My only issue is that most of the recipes have a weird mix of weighing ingredients vs measuring them. I wish the author had chosen one method or the other. I don't use a scale in my kitchen, I prefer my measuring cups.
April 9, 2010
This is a gorgeous book, full page pictures plants, receipes, advice on how to be a responsible gardener. I curl up with it whenever I want to dream of a beautiful garden. Any gardener who wants to enjoy gardening more needs to read and enjoy this book. This is one to buy so you pick off the shelf and enjoy whenever you want.
January 5, 2011
If I had to choose only one book to keep about maintaining a sustainable lifestyle (everything from growing an indoor herb garden to raising a goat), this would be it. It has beautiful color photographs and easy-to-understand articles, and offers more ways than you can imagine to maintain a green lifestyle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews