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Introduction To Permaculture

First published 1991, Bill Mollison Second Edition, Published 2013

Paperback: 216 pages

Publisher: Ten Speed Pr; Revised edition (August 1997)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0908228082

ISBN-13: 978-0908228089

Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 8 x 11 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #47,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #10 in Books > Science & Math > Agricultural Sciences > Agronomy #34 in Books > Textbooks > Science & Mathematics > Agriculture #47 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > Reference

A reviewer is well advised to be mindful of the arrogance that is intrinsic to criticizing another's work.Intro to Permaculture is a book of breath-taking scope. I can only write with authority about those parts that apply to my middle-class, Mid-Western (US) frame-of-reference.While reading the book, I carried it to work and to my daughter's soccer practice. I have never had so many people ask, "What's that?", pick up the book and start leafing through it. *Every* person who picked it up found some illustration that resonated with them and they started reading. I never had THAT happen before. Observation #1, World-class illustrations that are well linked to the text.This is a good book to read with a highlighter (pen). These are just a few of the lines I highlighted:Chapter 1:"-harmony with nature is possible only if we abandon the idea of superiority over the natural world.-The core of permaculture is design...To enable a design component we must put it in the right place...Each important function is supported by many elements...The key to using biological resources is management...-the importance of diversity is not so much the number of elements in a system; rather it is the number of functional connections between these elements. It is not the number of things, but the number of ways things work....-Edges are places of varied ecology. Productivity increases at the boundary between two ecologies because resources from both systems can be used...There is hardly a sustainable traditional human settlement that is not sited on those critical junctions of two natural economies.

This is a great introduction and overview of permaculture concepts. The book covers a lot of material for initiates to permaculture. It's sets the foundation for further reading and studies for those who want to get serious though one could take the principles learned just from this book alone and be quite successful in my opinion. You learn how the sun, wind and rain, all play an important role in siting structures like homes, sheds, barns, green and shade houses and also in garden and plant selection and placement. The book also covers designing for temperate, tropical and dry-land environments. It explains how interconnected relationships between the land, climate, soils, water, structures, flora and fauna can be fostered to the benefit of all. There are just so many creative ideas and diagrams in this book that it is worth it for those alone. The book is 8 1/4 X 11 inches with small print that fills the pages with valuable information. I want to live in the sub-tropics of Hawaii and enjoyed the coverage in this regard but, the book also left me day dreaming about living the permaculture lifestyle in other areas like the High Desert of New Mexico and the Pacific Northwest of Oregon. This book touches on all the possibilities, from the home garden with a few animals to commercial orchards, forests, animal farms, aquaculture, urban gardens and more. But don't get me wrong, it does not cover these topics in depth, it gives a thorough introduction to these topics and an understanding that one would likely not gain by reading just one book. Also each chapter ends with a list of references for further reading. In addition there are appendices listing useful permaculture plants, such as nitrogen fixing plants.

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