Has anyone gone nuts with John's book list

[Chuckca]

I now own all but two of the books on John's book list...that makes 11 in my library....plan on ordering the last two....NOW....I find reading and re-reading helps me to pre-visualize the plan...Pattern language was my fav....Sat while I was having coffee in Berkley CA....2 Archs joined me...we talked for 5 hours...my wife was at home..!  Anyone else have stories about owning any or all of John's book list?  Sure are a good investment!

Here is John's book review list:  http://www.countryplans.com/books.html

[MtnmanMikeM]

I am new to this good forum so I don't even know what or where John's book list is.   I am sure it is good.  

In 1985 I bought for $125 the Survival Library which has 100 books and I have added quite a few since.    This survival Library was this low price for it is on microfiche which is like microfilm only on 3x5 inch cards.   I had to buy a microfiche reader which was over $200 though.    I only saw a reader like this a couple times a year ago on eBay.    It is called the Cube.

I could try to list all the books but quickly they are many govt military field manuals, wilderness and other medicine books, 12 Kurt Saxon books and my favorite the Nuclear War Survival Skills book which is free at>  http://www.oism.org/nwss  I used the small pole shelter plans from this book when I built my underground shelter.   I have pics at my site> http://free.hostdepartment.com/M/MMMtnman

I have not bought a book for a couple years now since I read and learn so much on the Internet.    Have to be careful about info from the Internet though.    But some good stuff such as this group and frugalsquirrels.com among quite a few others also...

[Amanda_931]

I don't have all of the books on John's list.  But I've got a lot--and look there for suggestions when I want information about a certain topic.

(Chuck gave a link to it, I do believe--stuff in blue tends to be a link, even if it doesn't otherwise look like one).

But I love books, my mother was a partner in a bookstore in the 50's--it's still in business, amazingly.  My friends all tell me that my car is programmed to stop at every bookstore.

And it's really a shame that the bookstore in Tuscumbia--one of the prettiest I've ever seen--never figured out how to buy books, seems to be going out of business.

[Sassy]

Amanda, I'm like you about books!  :-/ we could probably open our own little bookstore... from the time I could read, I went to the library every week to check out the max # of books, & even now, when I read tons of stuff on the internet, I love to sit down with a good book to read.  Chuckca, we have a few of the books John lists.  Mike, I've read some of those gov't sites on surviving a nuclear blast, etc.  Actually, the gov't has a lot of good survival guides.  BTW, Mike, I enjoyed looking at your pics & reading your website.  Welcome to the forum!

[MtnmanMikeM]

Thanks Sassy and any others for the welcome.    Wish I would have found this group earlier instead of spending too much time in www.frugalsquirrels.com  which is good for most but not for those like me, my site shows fairly much what I am like.    Out of the thousands in that group only a couple ever said they liked my website.     I think most there do not like mountain man loner hippie like survivalists.     Too many military types there also which is not bad but not for me...

Also there is www.falloutshelter653.org   but it is very slow with almost no one posting there anymore.   Some good info going back four years though. This looks like the group for me but I am going back to my mtn place by mid June and Off the internet until at least November.     I do not like too many govt sites and almost none of the sites about nuclear survival except the Nuclear War Survival Skills book which has about everything and not Just Nuclear Survival either but can be applied to other things also.  

Thanks for reading my website.   I would not  blame anyone for not reading everything and some links do not work.   I should update it for I made it three years ago when on webtv which was easy although took a few hours to make.  But I would have to spend a Lot of time and totally rework it at free.hostdepartment.com ....   I am on a 3 year old eMac computer now which is pretty good, good graphics and color etc.    I never have taken a computer class and do not plan to either...  

I do like the gov't survival guides and the abundance of military field manuals although do not like the military. We all should take advantage of the gov't publications, field manuals etc. for the gov't has spent many many millions of our tax money making them and testing etc.!   Some might think I am an old hippie for I have always had a beard although never too long hair.    And never did drugs etc.    But I have liked hippie ideas otherwise such as alternative lifestyles.    Mike Oehler is the most interesting and main hippie I have met.    I should find a good place in this group to post about him and some experiences I remember about Mike O.   Which thread though?    

About John's list is the main book i would or maybe should order is about working alone although I think I have perfected that somewhat after working almost always alone on my mtn. place since 1987 mainly in the warm months.       One book about building a cabin by yourself,  I really like is "One Man's Wilderness"  It has been on PBS tv also about that guy named Dick Proennke?   in Alaska...   Maybe most of you have seen it?    

[MtnmanMikeM]

Well, I just saw the link www.dickproenneke.com  in the off topic forum and alone in alaska thread.    Good link although like most sites they are selling a lot of stuff.    I almost never buy anything over the internet and the couple times I have just use a money order.   Never have owned a credit card.  

Would like to know exactly where I should post about Mike Oehler ?

[glenn kangiser]

I think it would be fine if you posted your comments on experiences with Mike O.  on my Underground Cabin Update if you'd like, Mountain Mike.  It is his design I followed.  In the Owner builder forum.

BTW - how did you find us?  Just curious.

[glenn kangiser]

BTW, Chuck, I have the Working Alone book.  A friend of ours bought it for me.   It is a good book for those who haven't done it, although I've been doing it for years.  Lot's of good tips in there for things you may not think you could do by yourself.

[MtnmanMikeM]

Glenn, I just found you a very few days ago when I was searching on a good search engine about hobbit housing etc.    I remember Mike Oehler called his underground housing hobbit housing.    Although in 1986 I remember he still had not read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books.  Hope he has by now...

I will try  to post some about Mike O.  real soon.

[Chuckca]

John's list is fantastic...."Pattern Language" has given Nancy and me so many ideas....plus....I've met lots of new friends - while cafe hopping...we've gained about 30 + ideas from reading his book list...ideas that we'd never think of...!  I recommend buying as many as you can.  Remember:  "It's better to spend more than you planned than less than you should."  Quote from Zigg Zigler (sp)....

Keep on reading!

[sherab]

I have been reading House Framing and have learned a LOT. (Of course I have learned a lot just reading these forums too)
Julian

[Chuckca]

My library is NOW complete....my reading shelf is full and checking accout is empty .  

[Bellla]

I've got quite a few of the books on John's list.  I would also like to add a suggestion for people who haven't built anything before.  I found a book and companion set of video tapes at our library.  The book is "The Very Efficient Carpenter" by Larry Haun.  The tapes are what made the set work so well for me.  I can watch the building, rewind, pause, and really understand how it works.  As a construction newbie (is there a rating below newbie?) they give me the confidence to try my hand at a shed.

Bellla

[glenn-k]

That's a good way to do it -- a shed or a dog house or a playhouse- etc.  If the dog and kids make it back out alive then move on to something bigger.  It's a good hands on way to learn.

[MIEDRN]

When I first ran across this forum a few years ago, I bought the framing book. I have four sons and believe me, it didn't last long in my library. Now I know that I have to buy duplicates if I'm really interested in keeping them for myself!

Over the next few months I'll add the others. We'll need all the resources we can find!

[jpatti]

I would also like to add a suggestion for people who haven't built anything before.  I found a book and companion set of video tapes at our library.  The book is "The Very Efficient Carpenter" by Larry Haun.  The tapes are what made the set work so well for me.  I can watch the building, rewind, pause, and really understand how it works.  As a construction newbie (is there a rating below newbie?) they give me the confidence to try my hand at a shed.

Absolutely agreed.  When we first watched the videos, we'd never seen a chalkline used!  I remember being SO overwhelmed and *angry* that there were so many bits to a floor or roof! 

Seems hard to remember that far back, when we knew nothing.  We (along with about 10 others) built a stick frame house for a disabled friend since (we did a chicken coop and rabbit hutch before the house though!) 

I doubt we'd have ever signed on for that project had it not been for Larry Haun. 

We have several hundred books on building, electricity, plumbing, home repair, etc... entire encyclopedias of stuff.  But that book and those tapes were 99% of what we needed to understand.  Especially me.  Hubby watched them and "got" it immediately, I had to watch again and again to "get" it.

I'm most fond of Mike Oehler's stuff, but you have to know post-and-beam construction to follow along, even with the tapes.  Whereas Haun's stuff is good for the complete newbie.

[felineman]

Nope my personal library has 15,307 pdf books in it right now, but I'm always looking for more

[rick91351]

Nope my personal library has 15,307 pdf books in it right now, but I'm always looking for more

Quick way to get kicked off this site is self-promotion of a product or at least receive a nasty gram.  I do think your site is worthy of a mention or a like or a _________.  Now if you had read all 15,307 of you PDFs I would be a heck of a lot more impressed.  Owning a Carnegie Library does not impress me near as much as having a good foundation of knowledge.
   

[felineman]

I promote nothing Have I read them all HA I wish, only gone through a couple hundred but I'm a sponge for knowledge and won't stop till I'm dead. Was just stating what I have NO I won't send you a copy copyright laws are different from country to country. But I will answer any questions to the best of my ability if asked.