How To Live Without Electricity - And Like It

[Muddypause]

How To Live Without Electricity - And Like It
by Anita Evangelista
ISBN 0-9666932-1-3

Regular forumers may remember that I've refered to this book several times in a slightly mocking sort of way. Fact is, it has one of the most startling book titles you're likely to come across, and every time the issue of saving electricity arises, pointing to an ad. for this book seems to be a sort of ironic trump card.

Well I have actually had a copy of this book for a couple of years, so maybe I should let you know more about it.

It's mainly written for people in remote parts of the world (lets not beat about this bush - remote parts of America) where there is no grid supply of electricity - 'off gridders'. To this extent, it is full of practical advice on how to live in reasonable dignity without electricity. There are chapters on alternative lighting (gas, kerosene, candles, etc), cooking (from wood burners to solar cookers), heating, cooling and refrigeration, and also about alternative ways to generate electricity. Many of the ideas would be pretty expensive to apply, so you should not be fooled into thinking this is a money saving guide. And nor is it in any way a planet saving guide. It only gives a broad overview of things, without going in to much detail, and very little of it could easily be transposed to densly populated urban life.

But what disappointed me most about this book was that, despite the '- And Like It' suffix, there is no real philosophical consideration given to the idea of living without electricity. In fact the inclusion of chapters on generating your own electricity seems to undermine the title of the book somewhat. It's eminently practical if you live somewhere without a grid connection and need to know what options are available, but really rather pointless if you are connected.

[Wombat]

Thanks Stew, you just stopped me from wasteing some cash!

Nev