Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

Book Description

Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver returns with her first nonfiction narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.

"As the U.S. population made an unprecedented mad dash for the Sun Belt, one carload of us paddled against the tide, heading for the Promised Land where water falls from the sky and green stuff grows all around. We were about to begin the adventure of realigning our lives with our food chain.

"Naturally, our first stop was to buy junk food and fossil fuel. . . ."

Hang on for the ride: With characteristic poetry and pluck, Barbara Kingsolver and her family sweep readers along on their journey away from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Their good-humored search yields surprising discoveries about turkey sex life and overly zealous zucchini plants, en route to a food culture that's better for the neighborhood and also better on the table. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet.

"This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."

Customer Reviews:

Great book and fun to read! .......2007-10-01

I loved the book, it was informative and entertaining. Everyone can benefit from reading it and trying to follow Barbara's lead.

Lifechanging book.......2007-10-01

I heard an interview on NPR with the author and purchased this book because her ideas were very interesting to me. I was not disappointed. This book was riveting and eye opening. I've been checking out the websites suggested in the book to find local harvest information and I intend to frequent my local farmers and farmers markets during next years growing season and maybe even try my hand at canning. I'm hooked. Thank you so much for this wonderful informative book.

Totally Awesome!.......2007-09-29

This is one of the best books on what's wrong with our Farm Bill and our Standard American Diet (SAD) and how to fix it! The Kingsolver family have done a great and wonderful service for our country and the world by creating this wonderful book. It should be required reading in every school in the country!

I'm on board!.......2007-09-29

I love farmer's markets and fresh food, but I never thought about the importance of them, and of eating locally. Barbara Kingsolver does a fantastic job of making it clear why this is something we all need to pay attention to NOW. She manages to get her point across without being overly preachy. Of course there are moments when you realize that she is living a life we cannot all live- she acknowledges that and offers solutions and suggestions. Everyone should read this book!

A+++ Book.......2007-09-28

Barbara Kingslover and her family have written a real winner. It's both very interesting and practical in a big way. At times it reads like a novel and at other times her husband shares scientific information. I like the additional information you can excess from the web and the yummy receipes they offer.

Average customer rating:

editing
Foxfire 7

Foxfire 11 (Foxfire)
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Mythology & Folklore | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385494610
Release Date: 1999-12-01

Book Description

With this newest volume in the Foxfire series comes a wealth of the kind of folk wisdom and values of simple living that have made these volumes beloved bestsellers for the last three decades, with more than two million copies in print.

In 1966, in the Appalachian Mountains of Northeast Georgia, Eliot Wigginton and his students founded a quarterly magazine that they named Foxfire, after a phosphorescent lichen. In 1972, several articles from the magazine were published in book form, and the acclaimed Foxfire series was born. Almost thirty years later, in this age of technology and cyber-living, the books teach a philosophy of simplicity in living that is truly enduring in its appeal. This new volume-- Foxfire 11--celebrates the rituals and recipes of the Appalachian homeplace, including a one-hundred page section on herbal remedies, and segments about planting and growing a garden, preserving and pickling, smoking and salting, honey making, beekeeping, and fishing, as well as hundreds of the kind of spritied firsthand narrative accounts from Appalachian community members that exemplify the Foxfire style. Much more than "how-to" books, the Foxfire series is a publishing phenomenon and a way of life, teaching creative self-sufficiency, the art of natural remedies, home crafts, and other country folkways, fascinating to everyone interested in rediscovering the virtues of simple life.

Customer Reviews:

editing.......2007-09-03

Enough with the editing and correcting the language usage of these wonderful people...why take away from their culture and natural use of language...why should I read about mountain people when their speech patterns are corrected?...I might as well read any old book about growing apples anywhere...give me back the language of Foxfire 1.

Foxfire 7.......2007-01-10

It would be good for the theology student to play with, but I didn't really care for it too much.

Average customer rating:

ONE OF THE BETTER FOXFIRE OFFERINGS.
The Entire Foxfire Series

Foxfire 12 (Foxfire)
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Customs & Traditions | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 140003261X
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Book Description

For more than thirty years, Foxfire books have brought the philosophy of simple living to hundreds of thousands of readers, teaching creative-self-sufficiency, the art of natural remedies, home crafts, and preserving the stories and customs of Appalachia. Inspiring and practical, this classic series has become an American institution.

Foxfire 12 is the latest volume, the first in more than five years. Here are reminiscences about learning to square dance and tales about traditional craftsmen who created useful items in the old-time ways that have since disappeared in most of the country. Here are lessons on how to make rose beads and wooden coffins, and on how to find turtles in your local pond. We hear the voices of descendants of the Cherokees who lived in the region, and we learn about what summer camp was like for generations of youngsters. We meet a rich assortment of Appalachian characters and listen to veterans recount their war experiences. Illustrated with photographs and drawings, Foxfire 12 is a rich trove of information and stories from a fascinating American culture.

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF THE BETTER FOXFIRE OFFERINGS........2007-06-06

To start, pay no attention to Publisher's Weekly when the whine about the repeativeness of the Foxfire books. The reviewer obviously has not read all the books. I own, read and use almost all of the Foxfire books. Actually, we owe both the Foxfire people and we certainly owe the characters of a gone generation. This work, Volume 12, is indeed like the others. That is a good thing! A wonderful history of how it was. In this day and age of having most needs meet and something for everyone on the Wal-mart shelf, we tend to forget just what it was like in our not too distant past. These books, the Foxfire books, brings to light skills, attitudes and a way of life that is all but forgotten. Do be warned though, as one reviewer has pointed out, these are not step by step "how to do it" books. But This is sort a good thing as the how to books out there are sort of a dime a dozen any more. When a people lose their history, they lose part of their soul. As the title of this work states, this addresses many of the old forgotten skills and there is so much more. The editors have done a wonderful job. They have made a very honest effort to replicate the dialect of those places and times and I feel that this is a big part of the charm of these books. I am old enough to have known many of the kinds of folks featured in these books, being only one generation past them, and have a great appreciation for what and how they did all the little things we take so for granted now. I might also suggest that you actually try some of the things mentioned in these volumes. It will give you even more of an appreciation for what they did, and hey, who knows, the skill you develope just might come in handy one of these days! This particular volume also includes some great interviews with the decendants of Cherokees who, after all, were the original owners of most of the land involved here. These interviews are priceless. Recommend this and the other Foxfire books highly.

The Entire Foxfire Series.......2007-02-01

I have the entire series, plus the AUNT AIRE "special". I consider them all treasures. The way theu came about and still do, the subjects covered and in such detail too. There are 12 plus the special extra and they are all equel in value to me. To my knowledge, they are the most readily available to the public and a source of old Appalachian ways describing them in great detail.

Average customer rating:

ANOTHER ONE TO ADD TO YOUR FOXFIRE COLLECTION
Foxfire 5 is excellent.
Some information useful to black powder gunsmiths
Another "MUST HAVE" for your bookshelf
As always, a pleasure to read and apply

Foxfire 5 (Foxfire)
Inc. Foxfire Fund , and Eliot Wigginton
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Metal Work | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385143087
Release Date: 1979-06-01

Book Description

The fifth Foxfire volume includes rain-making, blacksmithing, bear hunting, flintlock rifles, and more.

Customer Reviews:

ANOTHER ONE TO ADD TO YOUR FOXFIRE COLLECTION.......2007-04-22

As one reviewer has pointed out, there are more words in this one, and less pictures than previous works. This work, Volume V, is like the others. A wonderful history of how it was. In this day and age of having most needs meet and something for everyone on the Wal-mart shelf, we tend to forget just what it was like in our not too distant past. These books, the Foxfire books, brings to light skills, attitudes and a way of life that is all but forgotten. This is a good thing. When a people lose their history, they lose part of their soul. As the title of this work states, from blacksmithing to rain making,this work addresses many of the old forgotten skills and there is so much more. The editors have done a wonderful job. They have made a very honest effort to replicate the dialect of those places and times and I feel that this is a big part of the charm of these books. I am old enough to have known many of the kinds of folks featured in these books, being only one generation past them, and have a great appreciation for what and how they did all the little things we take so for granted now. I might also suggest that you actually try some of the things mentioned in these volumes. It will give you even more of an appreciation for what they did, and hey, who knows, the skill you develope just might come in handy one of these days! Recommend this and the other Foxfire books highly.

Foxfire 5 is excellent........2006-03-07

The information contained within Foxfire 5 has come in handy for Duane many a times for learning how to do stuff. Most of the old methods are now lost to the current generation of Americans. It is a good reference for someone who wants to learn hands-on skills, such as blacksmithing and other independent living skills.

Some information useful to black powder gunsmiths.......2004-10-03

There are some good pictures of gun smiths in this book, performing various techniques. Also a pretty good history of gun smiths, if that sort of thing interests you. The guns they show are flint lock.

The black smithing, horse shoeing and iron making are pretty slim. How to make a horse shoe, cow bell, and stove poker are about it. They discuss how they rebuilt the iron furnace, but not how to use it.

I would recommend this book only to black powder gunsmiths, or those interested in rifle history.

Another "MUST HAVE" for your bookshelf.......2002-04-10

If you enjoy the Appalachian culture, you'll love the FOXFIRE books. Volume No. 5 covers bear hunting, blacksmithing and gun making. If you've never read these books, it may be difficult, since the text is written in the vernacular of the mountain folk, but this adds to the charm and "character" of the books. The bear hunting stories wer entertaining, but I really enjoyed reading about Hacker Martin and Hershall House. If you want to know how life really was in the Smokey Mountains, read this book.

As always, a pleasure to read and apply.......2001-05-21

One of our nation's treasures is being lost one person at a time, and because of Eliot Wigginton, at least some of the treasure is being documented. The people of Appalachia have been marginalized and treated as backwoods hicks and hillbillies, only because of their poverty. That is what makes the richness of their culture all the more amazing. These people live on what an average family throws away every day. They're frugal, resourceful, and highly intelligent. This book only serves to prove it.

Book Description

In 1966, an English teacher and students in Northeast Georgia founded a quarterly magazine, not only as a vehicle to learn the required English curriculum, but also to teach others about the customs, crafts, traditions, and lifestyle of their Appalachian culture. Named Foxfire after a local phosphorescent lichen, the magazine became one of the most beloved publications in American culture.

For four decades, Foxfire has brought the philosophy of simple living to readers, teaching creative self-sufficiency, home crafts, and the art of natural remedies, and preserving the stories of Appalachia. This anniversary edition brings us generations of voices and lessons about the three essential Appalachian values of faith, family, and the land. We listen to elders share their own memories of how things used to be, and to the new generations eager to preserve traditional values in a more complicated world. There are descriptions of old church services, of popular Appalachian games and pastimes, and of family recipes. Rich with memories and useful lessons, this is a fitting tribute to this inspiring and practical publication that has become a classic American institution.

Customer Reviews:

Four decades of Foxfire.......2007-02-19

The "Foxfire 40th Anniversary Book" is a wonderful tribute to the people of Appalachia as they shared memories of their lives and culture with us. This book follows the same down-to-earth tone as the preceeding volumes. The earlier ones were very informative and enjoyable, and this one certainly lives up to that standard.

Average customer rating:

ANOTHER GREAT OFFERING
too soon old, too late smart
All Foxfire Series
good do-it-yourself stuff in here!

Foxfire 6 (Foxfire)
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385152728
Release Date: 1980-08-26

Book Description

Volume 6 of the Foxfire series covers shoemaking, 100 toys and games, gourd banjos and song bows, wooden locks, a water-powered sawmill, and other fascinating topics.

Customer Reviews:

ANOTHER GREAT OFFERING.......2007-05-26

This work, Volume VI, is like the others. A wonderful history of how it was. In this day and age of having most needs meet and something for everyone on the Wal-mart shelf, we tend to forget just what it was like in our not too distant past. These books, the Foxfire books, brings to light skills, attitudes and a way of life that is all but forgotten. This is a good thing. When a people lose their history, they lose part of their soul. As the title of this work states, from shoemaking to toys, to games and musical instruments, this addresses many of the old forgotten skills and there is so much more. The editors have done a wonderful job. They have made a very honest effort to replicate the dialect of those places and times and I feel that this is a big part of the charm of these books. I am old enough to have known many of the kinds of folks featured in these books, being only one generation past them, and have a great appreciation for what and how they did all the little things we take so for granted now. I might also suggest that you actually try some of the things mentioned in these volumes. It will give you even more of an appreciation for what they did, and hey, who knows, the skill you develope just might come in handy one of these days! Recommend this and the other Foxfire books highly.

too soon old, too late smart.......2007-01-30

The firefox series continues to amaze me with it's simplicity and beautiful documentation of the Mountain life style. The other lesson is that we all need to pass forward what we have learned and loved to the next generation and the next and the next ... Picking up the earlier FF books is well worthwhile, every one a jewel.

All Foxfire Series.......2000-12-26

These books are very interesting and full of knoweledge from our past history. My relatives were from the deep south especialy around the Roam Mountain area;this is where my grandmother and grandfather were from. This information let me know what they went thru doing their life. The Garlands and The Hughes. Thanks again.Gettysburg,Pa.

good do-it-yourself stuff in here!.......2000-06-14

If you're interested in how people did things before Wal-mart, you might want to check out Foxfire 6, as well as the rest of the Foxfire series of books (1-10)... These focus on Appalachian living, and how Appalachian folks did things before moderization. These are the only books I know of that truly show you hands on ways to make instruments, locks, dig a well, make toys, and even cook a good meal--- simply. Another good thing is that even though they are very complete, they are actually pretty interesting to read. Most survival-type books are focused on all sorts of weird Armageddon/nuclear war stuff, but these are just records of how life used to be. All in all, a worthy purchase for anyone interested in actually learning something.

Average customer rating:

Informative and timeless
Outstanding

Foxfire 9 (Foxfire)
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385177445
Release Date: 1986-09-17

Book Description

Foxfire highlights the twentieth year of the Foxfire high school program with a new volume as fascinating as its predecessors. Included are general stores, the Jud Nelson wagon, a praying rock, a Catawban Indian potter, haint tales, quilting, home cures, and the log cabin revisited.

Customer Reviews:

Informative and timeless.......2003-08-05

I bought the book because it has one of the best sections on fire pit firing of homemade pottery that I have seen, complete with excellent photos, as well as step by step info and historical info. The section on Quilting - The Joy Of My Life - Auntie Arie Carpenter is extensive and even has templates you can copy and use for making your own quilts. There is also a wonderful section on the country store, which as I read it seemed to be a combination of pay with cash or goods, like eggs, crops etc. Very worth the expense and a book I will treasure.

Outstanding.......1999-05-23

The entire Fox Fire colledtion should be required reading for all people of this country. You would get a feel for where we came from and our heritage. The books show a deep respect for each other, God and country. Very good.

Motorcycle Adventures in the Southern Appalachians: Asheville Nc, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Nc High Country

Average customer rating:

Great Guide!

Motorcycle Adventures in the Southern Appalachians: Asheville Nc, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Nc High Country
Hawk Hagebak
Manufacturer: Milestone Pr Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown3 | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1889596116

Customer Reviews:

Great Guide!.......2007-08-03

I just returned from a motorcycle trip to this region with my son. One of the routes we used was totally from the guide. It was just as described!
The little extras that change a ride from routine to something special are all there.
I recommend it!

Average customer rating:

The Eighth Book in This Extraordinary Series on "The Old Days"
Pages are printed out of order

Foxfire 8 (Foxfire)

Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0385177410
Release Date: 1984-03-20

Book Description

Southern folk pottery from pug mills, ash glazes, and groundhog kilns to face jugs, churns and roosters; mule swapping, chicken fighting, and more are included in this eighth volume.

Customer Reviews:

The Eighth Book in This Extraordinary Series on "The Old Days".......2005-11-25

The Foxfire series is the creation of English teacher Elliott Wiggington (Wig) who made it a point to have students participating in his program interview older folks to find out how they did things in everyday life. And even though this is the work of high school students, the writing is clear, concise, informative, and very readable. Good writing is good writing.

Each volume is like a time capsule, capturing the wisdom and know-how from individuals born around the turn of the 20th century. And while the focus is based around the inhabitants in and around Rabun County, Georgia, this information shows life as it was in America circa the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

In this eighth volume, the focus is on folk pottery -- how its made, the different styles, and interviews with the artists. Most interesting is the firing process and the history of the kiln. You'll also find information on mule swapping and chicken fighting.

After reading several of these volumes, I think what appealed to me most of all was the fact that these older folks in the 80s and 90s weren't viewed as forgotten relics of a bygone era. They were treated with respect and dignity, and their memories treated as the treasures that they indeed are. It's a shame nowadays that we don't have more publications like Foxfire that highlight the knowledge gained from our older population. So many folks in the 70s, 80s, and 90s sit alone at home, or nursing homes forgotten and alone. They are untapped resources of great stories and wisdom. Fortunately for us, the people at Foxfire realized the value of these individuals and preserved some of those stories for future generations to cherish and enjoy.

If you have an interest in 19th century knowlege and an appreciation or an interest in how things used to be, you cannot do without this series.

Pages are printed out of order.......2005-01-15

I was so disappointed in this book, have been buying the series for my husband. This edition has a blank pages and pages out of order and 2 pages skipped completely. I am going to contact the publisher over this.

Average customer rating:

No house arrangements in here!
Uncommon

Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians
Jean Ritchie , Ron Pen , and Alan Lomax
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0813109272

Book Description

Jean Ritchie is the best known and most respected singer of traditional ballads in the United States. The youngest daughter of one of the most famous American ballad-singing families, the Ritchie family of Perry County, Kentucky, Jean still carries on her family's legacy as a singer of folk songs and traditional ballads. It has been nearly thirty years since she originally published Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians, and the music found here tells the story of the “Singing Ritchie Family” at a time when railroads, coal mines, and hillbilly radio were making their first incursions into the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

Built upon a foundation of balladry inherited from old-world Scotland, the family's repertoire was certainly eclectic but not haphazard. The Child ballads, lyric folksongs, play party or frolic songs, Old Regular Baptist lined hymns, Native American ballads, “hant” songs, and carols brought together in this collection were assembled by family members who actively sought out fragments of tunes and completed them by adding or embellishing verses and melodies.

This new edition has faithfully retained all seventy-seven line scores of the songs and added four new ones, Loving Hannah, Lovin' Henry, Her Mantle So Green, and The Reckless and Rambling Boy. The original headnotes and photographs tell the history of the song as well as how it became a part of the family's life. Chords are indicated for accompaniment; however, music notation and the printed word can only present a reasonable facsimile of any actual song. Jean's singing is simply the best guide to how the song should be sung, so a new audiography and videography have been added to this edition.

Customer Reviews:

No house arrangements in here!.......2002-07-27

I love this book because it preserves the rough edges that the music of everday people has. If JR learned the verse to a song that didn't rhyme, she didn't "fix" it. The melodies are often asymmetrical, the ballads often have odd twists to their stories, and the emotion is just pure.

If you're looking for a book of songs for the camp-fire, this may not be it. If you're looking for the real songs of Appalachia, look no further.

Uncommon.......2000-06-07

As an amateur singer of folksongs, country, and "oldies", I was looking for a book with familiar tunes and lyrics. Although I only recognized a few of Ms. Ritchie's songs, I found the histories of each song very interesting. I took a chance and purchased the book, not sure of what I was getting. What I got was a nice read about the history of song, and a new interest in a person who obviously has a passion!

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books