The Appropriate Technology Source Book (Vol I & II)

[Wombat]

The Appropriate Technology source Book (Vol I & II) - Subtitled "a guide to practical books and plans for village and small community technology" - Ken Darrow & Tick Pam (Vol I) Ken Darrow, Kent Keller & Rick Palm (Vol II) Published by Volunteers in Asia 1976 & 1981.

These books are about as self sufficientish as you can get. Apart from being a list of interesting publications (albeit almost 30 years old) each publication is well reviewed and, more importantly, extracts are included. There are lots of diagrams and ideas in these books and solutions to small scale self sufficient technology problems. Sometimes they might provide the germ of an idea that you can develop, but also act as a starting place for internet searches as well. They seem to be well out of print, I got both mine second hand, at different times at Goulds Book Arcade in Sydney.

Subjects covered

Vol I - Philosophy of appropriate technology; practical reference books; tools to make tools; agriculture; agricultural tools; food and crop preservation and storage; energy: general; energy: wind, solar, water, etc.; water supply; architecture housing and storage; health care; health care equipment; print; cooperatives; bee keeping; soapmaking; village industries and other subjects.

Vol II - Local self reliance and AT; the workshop; agriculture; agricultural tools; crop drying preservation and storage; forestry; aquaculture; water supply and sanitation; Energy; housing and construction; transportation; healthcare; science teaching; nonformal education and training; small enterprises and cooperatives; local communications; bee keeping; some home industries.

This book and a whole stack of others about AT are available on CD as part of the AT Library but I keep getting dead links - see this mob anyway....
http://villageearth.org/atnetwork/atsourcebook/

Nev