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Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 640 EAN: 9780756628888 ISBN: 0756628881 Label: DK ADULT Manufacturer: DK ADULT Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 256 Publication Date: July 30, 2007 Publisher: DK ADULT Studio: DK ADULT Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: Originally published in two separate volumes (The Forgotten Arts and Forgotten Household Crafts), this book brings under one cover the wisdom of John Seymour, a well-known thinker on matters of self-sufficiency, traditional arts, and voluntary simplicity. Seymour is a utopian--he has a vision of a better world where people aren't alienated from their labors. In the introduction he writes, "Are we justified in using articles, no matter how convenient it may be for us to use them, that we know were produced in conditions which bored and even stultified the human beings who had to make them?" This question led Seymour to the research that forms the foundation of the book: rediscovering natural ways of making tools, shoes, furniture, and a variety of other items using methods that follow the grain of wood or the idiosyncrasies of a piece of stone. Seymour respects what he calls "the discipline of natural materials," and he longs for a world free of "mass produced rubbish." Chapters cover an astonishing range: from clog making to spinning to canning. Since this book is intended as a comprehensive survey, don't expect to be an expert on, say, forging metal by reading Seymour's descriptions. He doesn't go into great detail; rather, he gives the basic facts of each forgotten labor of love, and it's up to readers to decide if it's a labor they want to undertake. --Emily White Product Description: Taking the reader on an evocative journey through the worlds of traditional craftspeople from blacksmith to bee-keeper, wainwright to housewife the acknowledged "Father of Self-sufficiency" John Seymour celebrates their honest skills, many of which have disappeared beneath the tread of progress. AUTHOR BIO: John Seymour authored over 40 books, including the DK's best-selling Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency and The Forgotten Arts & Crafts. He died in the fall of 2004 at the age of 90. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - disapointedI was totally disapointed with this book. It was not what I had expected at all nor what the name implied. I would not recommend it to anyone. Rating: - Know the Facts Before Buying this BookJohn Seymoure is one of my favorite authors to read. He is brilliant, witty, wise and sincere about a subject that is dear to my heart: self-sufficiency and homesteding. That being said, please read this review before purchasing this book. This is an excellent book that explains to you how crafts were done before the industrial era. So, for ideas or nostalgic uses, this book is excellent. This book is not good, however, for those that are looking for a how-to book that explains how ... Read More Rating:  - forgotten craftsThis book is great for research . I bought it because it was (I thought) going to teach me how to do some more things. It did not. I would not buy this again. I'll get rid of my copy as soon as I can. Rating:  - NOT USEFUL, but it does have nice sketches of stuffSomehow I was under the impression that this book would be useful, but I was dead wrong. I see the book is tagged with terms like "permaculture, homesteading, organic farming, survival, country skills..." How terribly misleading!!! Who tagged this book with those terms?!?! I am way into Permaculture and it's myriad disciplines, so I bought this book thinking it might help me make something useful with my hands, but not at all. It has nice sketches of things, but ends about there. A great coffee ... Read More Rating: - Careful- not the same as reviewWhile this is a beautiful book, it is NOT the combination of Seymnour's previous works, but a reprint of only "Forgotten Household Crafts", and without any color plates like the original. If you want the compilation, make sure the title indicates BOTH former books ("Forgotten Arts AND Crafts"). The Amazon review is the same for both, but is inaccurate for this book! |
