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This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader | 
 enlarge | Author: Joan Dye Gussow
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
Buy New: $17.90
You Save: $5.05 (22%)
New (8) Used (22) Collectible (2) from $2.77
Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 538881
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 273
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.2
ISBN: 1890132942
Dewey Decimal Number: 635.04840974728
EAN: 9781890132941
ASIN: 1890132942
Publication Date: May 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Joan Dye Gussow is an extraordinarily ordinary woman. She lives in a home not unlike the average home in a neighborhood that is, more or less, typically suburban. What sets her apart from the rest of us is that she thinks more deeply--and in more eloquent detail--about food. In sharing her ponderings, she sets a delightful example for those of us who seek the healthiest, most pleasurable lifestyle within an environment determined to propel us in the opposite direction. Joan is a suburbanite with a green thumb, with a feisty, defiant spirit and a relentlessly positive outlook. At the heart of This Organic Life is the premise that locally grown food eaten in season makes sense economically, ecologically, and gastronomically. Transporting produce to New York from California--not to mention Central and South America, Australia, or Europe--consumes more energy in transit than it yields in calories. (It costs 435 fossil fuel calories to fly a 5-calorie strawberry from California to New York.) Add in the deleterious effects of agribusiness, such as the endless cycle of pesticide, herbicide, and chemical fertilizers; the loss of topsoil from erosion of over-tilled croplands; depleted aquifers and soil salinization from over-irrigation; and the arguments in favor of "this organic life" become overwhelmingly convincing. Joan's story is funny and fiery as she points out the absurdities we have unthinkingly come to accept. You won't find an electric can opener in this woman's house. In fact, you probably won't find many cans, as Joan has discovered ways to nourish herself, literally and spiritually, from her own backyard. If you are looking for a tale of courage and independence in a setting that is entirely familiar, read her story.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 A bit disappointed January 21, 2008
I was hoping for a lot more organic gardening information. I agree with an earlier reviewer who said this book could have used some good editing to help make the content more concise, especially regarding the building the new house parts. It seems to jump back and forth and repeats much. Gets tedious at times.
 A diary January 8, 2008
It's been a while since I have read this, but if I remember correctly, she mentions early on that this book is more of a diary or memoir of her life than a "how-to" gardening book. I like her rambling style, she is telling the story of her life, and this is how such stories are told. For those who want a "how-to" book, there are many others. This book gives you more of reason why to garden and eat locally and the reality of doing so.
Also, those that are upset by the fact that she has no problem killing possums that are in her yard miss the big picture. Animals have to die for us to eat. Even if you are a vegetarian, farmers kill animals that might eat our food. Whether they are using chemical pesticides or outright killing the pest, they will die. I love animals. I even like possums and think they are cute. But, they are pests and can destroy a garden. If that garden provided you with everything you ate, would you be willing to share?
Inspiring and down to earth November 20, 2007
It's an okay read, and expresses the passion of gardening and eating local; and the normal successes and failures of food production, which you don't generally get from how-to gardening books. Strongly recommended for anyone with a dream of growing their own food! But as an experienced gardener I didn't really learn anything.
Unlike some reviewers, I think her musing on vegetarianism and killing varmints are a good effort to grapple with a hard topic; and seriously growing food brings you closer to the realities than the vast majority dependent on markets and stores. Personally, since she eats meat sometimes (several recipes call for sausage), it seems a bit defensive.
very good August 7, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I haven't spent much time looking at the recipes & I'll admit I skipped a few boring(in my eyes) paragraphs here & there.
However I'm growing my first organic garden this year & the reason is similar to Joan's. I don't want to rely on industry for everything. I would like to be able to provide some of the basics for my family. I found the story of her life very motivating. I also know a little bit about the area she lives in & I think she did a terrific job describing it.
This book most certainly inspires me to raise the bar in my organic garden and I will buy locally.
I know some people didn't enjoy her home building sections, but I found them interesting & sometimes funny.
Not so much about organic gardening July 25, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have really enjoyed this book and felt a kindred relationship with the author. I too have gutted a house and had a garden in full swing at the same time. I loved the recipes that went along with her stories of vegetables and fruits and enjoyed the passages about her homes.
This book is a good read if you are not expecting much information about Organic gardening but instead a story of the authors life and how it revolves around her garden.
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