A complete guide to modern pedaled-powered, treadled, and hand-cranked devices for the home.What if I could harness this energy? An unusual question for anyone putting in a long stint on a treadmill perhaps, and yet human power is a very old, practical and empowering alternative to fossil fuels. Replacing motors with muscles can be considered a political act -- an act of self-sufficiency that gains you independence.The Human-Powered Home is a one-o...

Living mindfully with nature during a time of uncertaintyIn the midst of the environmental crises of the early twenty-first century, Tamara Dean sought a way to live lightly on the planet. Her quest drew her to a landscape unlike any other: the Driftless area of Wisconsin, a region untouched by glaciers, marked by steep hills and deeply carved valleys, capped with forests and laced with cold, spring-fed streams. There, she confronted, in ways large and small, the c...

Living mindfully with nature during a time of uncertaintyIn the midst of the environmental crises of the early twenty-first century, Tamara Dean sought a way to live lightly on the planet. Her quest drew her to a landscape unlike any other: the Driftless area of Wisconsin, a region untouched by glaciers, marked by steep hills and deeply carved valleys, capped with forests and laced with cold, spring-fed streams. There, she confronted, in ways large and small, the c...

In daily life, we can take control of the resources and services we depend on. Electricity and energy don’t have to come off the public utility grid—alternatives abound in solar, wind, and water generated power. Design decisions can drastically affect power consumption, and bio-diesel and alternative fuels can help break the oil habit. Dave Black describes alternatives for eco-pimping your home and lifestyle for independence, economy, and a more integrated way of life. Equally valuable for...

Rob Sheppard put this book together to give you solid information about shooting close-ups, yet not require you to spend days reading in order to use it. In this e-book, Sheppard helps you become a better close-up photographer and not simply throw a lot of information at you that is hard to take in and use. Sheppard knows what that is like. He says he spent years trying to learn as much as he could about photography, always afraid of missing the one vital link needed to be a “really good P...

You've captured a moment in time—now learn to draw it! Discover the ins and outs of using a very modern tool to help with a timeless art.Photographs are valuable reference tools that most artists use. Complex subjects are generally easier to draw from photos—plus other factors, such as weather, movement, and lighting, can make drawing from life nearly impossible. Children and animals, for example, rarely sit still when you want them to, making it much easier to dra...

This booklet is the first in a twelve part series that walks the owner/builder through the construction of a Global Model Earthship. This installment covers building the thermal mass walls out of tires, the thermal wrap, vent tubes, cistern installation and front stem walls. Photographs, diagrams and thorough explanations of procedures will guide you through the tire work phase of the building.With over 40 years of experience, Michael Reynolds has developed a 'living' home that hea...

N gauge is the most rapidly expanding of all the model railway formats and if you want to take advantage of its huge potential, then this is the book for you. The author explains exactly what N gauge is, its history, its advantages and some of its possible disadvantages. He begins with a train set and progresses through choosing a prototype and designing a layout, to a practical demonstration of how to build a baseboard, to designs for open-topped baseboards and fiddle yards. Tells you all...

Sharp Tools Work Better!If you've never experienced the pleasure of using a really sharp tool, you're missing one of the real pleasures of woodworking. In The Perfect Edge, the mystery of the elusive sharp edge is solved by long-time sharpening expert and tool maker Ron Hock. You'll soon find how easy and safe hand tools are to use.This book covers all the different sharpening methods so you can either improve your sharpening techniques using your ...

This e-book contains nine detailed step-by-step demonstrations on composition, texture, perspective and storytelling and includes a glossary of common art terms. It is based on Drawing for the Absolute Beginner (North Light 2006) by Mark and Mary Willenbrink.

The books in this bite-sized new series contain no complicated techniques or tricky materials, making them ideal for the busy, the time-pressured or the merely curious. Plumbing Made Easy is a short, simple and easy to follow guide to mastering some simple plumbing jobs that might occur on an everyday basis. By learning some basic skills and techniques you can learn how to carry out repairs and simple projects - in just 96 pages. Ideal for the busy or the thrifty, Plumbing Made Easy is a q...

All those of us without traditional skills need to know to build with timber framingMany natural building methods rely upon the use of post and beam frame structures that are then in-filled with straw, cob, cordwood, or more conventional wall materials. But traditional timber framing employs the use of finely crafted jointing and wooden pegs, requiring a high degree of craftsmanship and training, as well as much time and expense. However, there is another way...