Book Review: Old Time Country Wisdom- 1000’s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living by Jerry Mack Johnson; Voyageur Press

A grand encyclopedia of country lore by famed Texas folklorist Jerry Mack Johnson, covering water witching, maple syruping, weather wisdom, country remedies and herbal cures, cleaning solutions, pest purges, bird migrations and animal lore, firewood essentials, adobe making and bricklaying, leather working, plant dyes, farm foods, natural teas and tonics, granola, bread making, beer brewing and winemaking, jams and jellies, canning and preserving, sausage making and meat smoking, drying foods, down-home toys, papermaking, candle crafting, homemade soaps and shampoos, Christmas wreaths and decorations, butter and cheese making, fishing and hunting secrets, and much more.

My Review

It seems SO long ago that people lived off the land. Now we have to read/watch the weather to tell what the day is going to be like. We have to go to stores to buy our food, drinks, cleaning supplies, and candles.

BUT- what if I were to tell you that it isn’t as hard as you think it is to all these things AND MORE by YOURSELF? The world would be a WAY better place if we learned to do MORE things at home instead of CONSUMING so much.

In the book Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore 1000’s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living it brings us back to the much simpler times. I’ve always been interested in how our ancestors lived and now we get a glimpse just HOW to live off nature and do things for ourselves just as we did. They didn’t have a walmart in town or the next town..

This is truly an encyclopedia of old country wisdom, something everyone could benefit from. There are over 300 pages, with over 100 different interesting skills and recipes. So t his isn’t a book that you can read cover-to-cover in one sitting—it’s a flip through book for when you’re looking for something or if you’d like to use it as a coffee table book.

This isn’t a guidebook for farming though- some of the stuff is folklore and/or doesn’t apply to us today. It has some really awesome parts about canning, hunting, fishing information, and natural cleaning recipes!

I really liked this book, and if you are interested in doing things in a more natural, country-like way, you’ll enjoy it too!

Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore: Traditional Skills for Simple Living

By Jerry Mack Johnson

ISBN: 978-0-7603-4001-1

Retail: $19.99 US ▪ £14.99 UK ▪ $21.99 CAN

Pub Date: April 2011

Paperback / 352 pages / 8.5 x 11 / 469 b&w photos

Available at bookstores and online booksellers and from http://www.voyageurpress.com/.  

 

Jessica Renee