Participating in Nature: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills

Average customer rating:

Great if you are into primitive camping, but no survival book per se

Participating in Nature

Not very detailed

Great practical book

A bit overwhelmed...

Participating in Nature: Thomas J. Elpel's Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills
Thomas J. Elpel
Manufacturer: HOPS Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Instructional | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Survival Skills | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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Book Description

Discover nature by using it! Learn to meet your needs for clothing, shelter, fire, water and food from natural resources. Tom's guide gives you a direct, hands-on experience of the world around you. With this book you will discover the thrill of staying warm and comfortable without even a blanket! Experience the magic of starting a fire by friction. Butcher your own deer and braintan its hide to make warm buckskin clothing. Learn about edible plants of the Rocky Mountain region, plus processing techniques and "primitive gourmet" skills like making wild strawberry ashcake pies or stir-fry cooking without a pan.

This book is the source for in depth coverage of tire sandals, bedroll packs and pack frames, felting with wool, quick bows and bone arrowheads, sinews, hide glue, trapping, fishing by hand, water purification, birch bark canisters, willow baskets, primitive pottery, wooden containers, cordage, twig deer, stalking skills, simple stone knives, flint & steel, bowdrill and handdrill fire-starting.

Participating in Nature includes dozens of innovative skills and an incredible 350 pictures and illustrations plus a thoughtful philosophy. Tom does extensive experiential research. He places an emphasis on publishing new information that is not found in any other source.

Customer Reviews:

Great if you are into primitive camping, but no survival book per se.......2007-10-12

This book is fine for understanding and harmonising with Nature, but as a survival book it is very limited.

If you want a good survival guide for any and all situations, I would recommend Ron Foster's "The Rural Ranger.....". This man trains emergency response people and his guide is up to date and practical.

Seriously,
David Highum

Participating in Nature.......2007-10-03

Thomas Elpel practices primitive living skills and is the director of Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School (HOPS) in Pony, Montana. This book is not essentially about how to survive in the wilderness, nor is it about abandoning the modern world and living a primitive, pre-industrial lifestyle. Elpel seeks merely to remind us of our place in the ecosystem and to show us how to get along in the wilderness without the modern conveniences we benefit from in our daily lives. In the second chapter, Mind, he spends some time thinking about the primitive and the modern. "As for a philosophy about technology and society," he writes, "remember that all technologies are relative, and that they are neither good nor bad, but it is how we use them that makes them that way." Speaking of fire during the early ages of humankind, he reminds us: "Fire was a means to keep warm and cook food and makes tools, but it was also a technology that could be used to wage war and ravage ecosystems, both of which happened." (pg 13) The rest of the book is about what some of us would think of as skills and knowledge for survival: shelter, fire, water, cooking, plants, animals, clothing. But his focus is on enjoying those skills and knowledge now, in non-survival situations, as a means to realize or rediscover our place in nature, to "participate in nature", as the title suggests.

It is an extraordinary book, and I would evaluate it beyond the 5 stars Amazon provides. It is certainly well beyond the 4 stars I gave to Davenport's Wilderness Survival in an earlier review. Without the need to create a comprehensive survival manual, Elpel is allowed to go into detail and talk to us, without haste yet to the point, about the procedures he is showing us, and to tell us what has and what hasn't worked for him. The book, in that sense, a personal book, but it is not egocentric, and it is certainly not cloying with emotion, although there are emotions expressed.

His chapters on shelter and fire are excellent. He analyzes the concept of shelter into the four elements of shingling, fire, insulation, and air-proofing, because "instead of merely giving you some various shelters to replicate, I want to teach you how to think shelter." (pg 28) He spends a good amount of time discussing the bow drill and the hand drill, but does not neglect other methods, including flint and steel. In his chapter on Cooking he shows in detail how to find and prepare clay and how to form it and fire it into cooking pots.

The chapter on Plants is, frankly, overwhelming. Many of the illustrations in this chapter are line drawings, not photos, so this is not the place to learn the identification of edible plants, but Elpel does cover a large variety of them, with helpful information on harvesting - where and when, and how long it might take with a simple digging stick - and how they are best prepared and eaten. He is writing from experience, not untried knowledge. The book is not a compilation from other books. It is a report from the field.

It should be no surprise that someone as enthusiastic about primitive living skills as Elpel should prefer hunting with tools he has fashioned by hand. In the chapter on Animals he shows in detail how to construct arrows and a simple bow by hand, using a modern knife. He discusses hide glue and using tendons for sinew. Then he spends several pages, complete with photos, explaining how to butcher a road kill deer. Lastly, he mentions the spear and throwing stick, and briefly discusses deadfall traps, but says little otherwise in this chapter about hunting and trapping.

Having shown us how to butcher deer, he then shows us, in the chapter on Clothing, how to braintan its hide. There is a lot of rich detail here. Elpel is a practitioner of primitive living skills, not just a compiler, so he has years of experience - learning from his own experiments, mistakes and achievements - from which he teaches these skills to others. The chapter continues with making tire sandals and felting wool. As the book nears its end, he shows us how to make a primitive backpack, with or without a frame, and gives us a list of what he takes with him when he camps during the various seasons.

Primitive living skills can be enjoyed in themselves and are useful for wilderness survival. Whatever the basis of your interest, this book is an excellent source and a great pleasure to read. Highly recommended.

Not very detailed.......2006-07-26

This book is best described as an overview. It lacks detail and covers too many subjects.

Great practical book.......2006-06-29

What I liked most about this book is that the author tried to strike a balance between using only the most basic and natural tools and using resources derived from civilization.

A bit overwhelmed..........2006-02-07

Wow, this book is for someone who wants a little more nature than I could handle! I'm very glad the deer gutting is in black and white - I am still a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information in the book. Haven't read it cover to cover yet, but can see why it's getting such high ratings.

I'm not about to go into the deep woods or mountains, gut deers and make my own purified water....but I sure think it would be major fun, making our own fire and some ash cakes in the back yard.

My kids are in Scouts, as well as 4-H and Special Olympics....I can see MANY things in this book that could be used, especially in the Scouts, for the kids to learn and have fun - my favorite way - HANDS ON.

I don't think the book should suffer less than 5 stars from me just because it's bursting with so much information I had a mild nature overdose while reading. I'd absolutely rather have so much info I might not use it all, than the other way around. I don't think it would be possible for me to ever 'outgrow' all the info in this book. So a solid ***** five stars.

Book Description

The heart of the book presents detailed information on specific parks, trails, riverbanks, marshes, and other natural areas where wildflowers thrive. Detailed maps of the locations and directions show readers how to get to each site. A final section lists some 450 wildflower species found in the region, noting each flower's blooming period, its preferred habitat, the locations where it can be found, and whether it is common, uncommon, or rare.

Customer Reviews:

If you love wildflowers and live in the D.C. area get it!.......1998-07-14

This book is a neccesity for anyone looking for fantastic wild flower sites within driving distance of the D.C./Baltimore area. It is co-written by Chris Fleming, field botanist with the Maryland Natural Heritage Program and popular teacher of Wild Flower I.D. at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase, MD. Each site is described by the wildflowers you can expect to see in every season and directions are given as well as any info needed about gaining access to the site. Learn where to see one of the largest stands of Giant-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) you will ever see or visit the only known site in Maryland to observe the beautiful Fringed Gentian (Gentiana crinita). This book will keep you busy for many weekends of wild flower exploration.

An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees: 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland

Average customer rating:

Beautifully illustrated book on an equally as beautiful mtn
THE GOOD WORD
An excellent field guide with exquisite illustrations.

An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees: 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
Melanie Choukas-Bradley , and Tina Thieme Brown
Manufacturer: University of Virginia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology and Natural Lore

ASIN: 0813922518

Book Description

A thorough yet user-friendly companion to the authors' popular paperback 'Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology, and Natural Lore' -- both books are the result of a ten-year collaboration -- this volume is an exquisitely illustrated guide to 350 eastern woodland wildflowers and trees found on site at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. Many of these plants also thrive across a wide region of the eastern United States and Canada, making this guide a remarkably helpful resource for both mid-Atlantic naturalists -- amateur and experienced -- and botanical enthusiasts across North America.

Author Melanie Choukas-Bradley and illustrator Tina Thieme Brown have teamed up once again to create a practical tool for answering the age-old question frequently raised by visitors to the woods: "What is that plant over there?" At the same time, Choukas-Bradley and Brown aim to educate by presenting the plants grouped by family, so that the observer will learn to anticipate the presence of certain plants based on an understanding of their family characteristics. The text describes each plant's flower, leaf, and growth habit, gives its ideal habitat and range, describes similar species that might be confused with the plant, and gives an herbal history where applicable. And because plants are organized by family and genus, the scholarly reader can build on his or her botanical knowledge.

'An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees' includes a user-friendly key, an illustrated glossary of frequently used botanical terms, and is packed with nearly 400 elaborately and artistically detailed pen-and-ink drawings to make plant identification simple and fun.

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully illustrated book on an equally as beautiful mtn.......2004-07-16

This is the second in a series of 2 books on the Sugarloaf Mountain region in Barnesville, Maryland. A must-have for any local resident to Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia, you will literally feel like you are up on the mountain in the pages of this book, whose gorgeous illustrations and writing bring the mountain to life in any reader's mind as vividly as the real thing! More importantly, the beauty throughout the pages of this book will drive you out Hwy 70 right over to and up the mountain to see it first hand. One of the North-east's best kept treasures, Sugarloaf Mountain was once the runner-up for what became Camp David, this field guide provides readers with a truely tangible appreciation for why it was also among FDR's favorite resting spots! Make it yours too, beginning with this book!

THE GOOD WORD.......2004-07-16

This is from the July issue of Pomegranate Seeds
pomegranateseeds@comcast.net

THE GOOD WORD:
A New Field Guide to Eastern
Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs
by Jeri Metz

I just purchased the most authoritative and readable field guide to wildflowers, herbs, shrubs, vines and trees for the Mid-Eastern United States. An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees by Melanie Choukas-Bradley, illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown, is eminently readable and includes all the local native and naturalized species that grow abundantly here without any help from us. This is the perfect book for anyone who is interested in gardening with Mother Nature, creating a water-wise native plant garden, or just identifying the local plants while out walking and hiking. The author describes the plants with expert plant taxonomy, humor, and personal anecdotes, throwing in folklore and history where appropriate. She includes specifics on habitat and range, as well as bloom time and where the plants can be found when walking the trails of Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. The illustrations, drawn from life, are simple and beautiful, appropriately delicate when describing fragile spring wildflowers, richly detailed and imposing when capturing the hardier species. They compliment every page they are on.

The book is a love letter from two naturalists to their adored Sugarloaf Mountain, where they spent ten years hiking and painstakingly identifying the plants. They view the mountain as a rare gift and "a learning laboratory." But this guide is so much more than the plants on Sugarloaf Mountain. It covers every plant I could think to look up. It includes a very readable botanical key and a comprehensive illustrated glossary. There are suggested readings. But what makes it unique and exceptional in my library of field guides, is the personal touch in both the writings and drawings. The love that Choukas-Bradley and Brown feel for these plants jumps from the pages and I can feel and see how wondrous and magical each plant is for them. By sharing their reverence and respect for all these plants, they inspire while they educate.

An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees; 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland, by Melanie Choukas-Bradley. Illustrated by Tina Thieme Brown. University of Virginia Press. $39.95 through the Audubon Naturalist Society and bookstores and on www.amazon.com.

An excellent field guide with exquisite illustrations........2004-07-15

This book is far more detailed than any other wildflower guides I've seen but is written in simple language that I can understand. The illustrations are beautiful and so detailed that it makes it easy to identify wildflowers I find on Sugarloaf Mountain and in walks along the Potomac River. I like learning about medicinal uses of native plants and the book is filled with herbal lore. It's a friendly book that is scientifically accurate and detailed but also contains personal anecdotes in which the author's love of trees and wildflowers comes through. I carry both this book and the companion volume--Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology and Natural Lore on my hikes.

One of my favorite things about the book is that the plants are organized according to families, with information about each plant family. It's fun to find members of the lily family and the rose family growing in the woods. The book helps you understand relationships between plants in a meaningful way. I like thinking about how this onion that I'm eating is related to the trout lily that grows along Sugarloaf Mountain's streams! Plus, its illustrated glossary is an extremely helpful learning tool.

Book Description

While a Tree Grew takes children on a journey of the life of Maryland's great Wye Oak. By tracing its development from the time it was a seedling to the old tree's fall in a 2002 storm, While a Tree Grew gives a new generation a glimpse into this venerable icon of Maryland history.

And Not Alone the Aspiring Trees (The Poet's Domain, Collections of Works by Poets in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia., 8)

Average customer rating:

And Not Alone the Aspiring Trees (The Poet's Domain, Collections of Works by Poets in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia., 8)

Manufacturer: ROAD Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1880016133

Average customer rating:

The Big Tree Champions of Maryland 1990
Robert S.; Brooks, Maureen T. Prenger
Manufacturer: Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LF0NN8

The Big Tree Champions of Maryland 1990. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest, Park and Wildlife Service Forestry Division.)

Average customer rating:

The Big Tree Champions of Maryland 1990. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest, Park and Wildlife Service Forestry Division.)

Manufacturer: Department of Natural Resources.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EY1GOG

Product Description

This is a comprehensive tree guide full of Circumference, height and spread statistics of many trees. Full of info and full of black and white photos.

Our common trees,: How to know and use them;

Average customer rating:

Our common trees,: How to know and use them;
Hollis Howe
Manufacturer: The Natural history society of Maryland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Penn's woods, 1682-1982: The oldest trees in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Eastern Shore, Maryland

Average customer rating:

Penn's woods, 1682-1982: The oldest trees in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Eastern Shore, Maryland
M. Joy Callender
Manufacturer: Published for Green Valleys Association, Birchrunville, Pa. [by] Haverford House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0910702071

A Sense of Ocean and Old Trees (The Poet's Domain, Collections of Works by Poets in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia., 5)

Average customer rating:

A Sense of Ocean and Old Trees (The Poet's Domain, Collections of Works by Poets in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia., 5)

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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1880016087

Thirteenth National Shade Tree Conference. Proceedings of Annual Meeting. Lord Baltimore Hotel. Baltimore, Maryland, September 1, 2, 3, 1937.

Average customer rating:

Thirteenth National Shade Tree Conference. Proceedings of Annual Meeting. Lord Baltimore Hotel. Baltimore, Maryland, September 1, 2, 3, 1937.
A. M. S., ed, Pridham
Manufacturer: NP:
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IUSW70

Customer Reviews:

The "Simple Guide to... Russia" is for the . . . Simple.......2000-09-23

Really-- a "Simple" Guide to Customs and Etiquette in Russia? No such thing is possible. Russia is such a deep and complex society, the title puts me off now. But... that wasn't the case when I purchased this booklet several years ago.

We were preparing for our first trip to Russia-Eastern Europe and were looking for anything that might offer some insight, so we picked this one up. It's small, just a bit larger than a checkbook at 78 pages. I thought it would be useful and something I might want to toss in a jacket pocket. The thing is, after finding our first really good travel guide, we've never opened this one again.

That's not to say there isn't good information in the volume. Slatter talks a bit about the history and turbulent transition taking place in the context of who the Russian people are. From there on out it mostly goes to the travel material.

The question you have to ask yourself now-- Am I going to depend on this book to get me around Russia? The answer is simply "no." You will want, and need, another guide. A good one will include everyrthing you might read in this booklet.

For a little more extensive treatment of the social-cultural topics, I'd pick up "The Russian Way" by Zita Dabars or better yet these travel books: "Lonely Planet Russia, Ukraine & Belarus" or "Insight Guides Russia". "Russian Way" takes a similar approach to Slatter's, but expands significantly to more than 70 important topics. Lonely Planet in my opinion prints the best of the travel guides-- you'll find everything that this book has, plus a lot, lot more. Insight Guides are packed with great writing, information, plus hundreds of excellent photos.

With Slatters book out of print now, you might need to resort to that plan any way.

Average customer rating:

if i have a wicked stepmother, where's my prince?

Great

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

my new Favorite Cinderella Story!

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?
Melissa Kantor
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Release Date: 2005-08-24

Customer Reviews:

if i have a wicked stepmother, where's my prince?.......2007-10-18

this is a fun, predictable book. it's pretty obvious who lucy will end up with and some of her stepmother's antics really aren't believable. there's also a very sudden turnaround in their relationship. lucy goes from hating her stepmother and stepsisters to sort of liking them. it felt like the author was really trying to wrap things up. there is an abundance of art in this book.

Great.......2007-07-16

This book had me hooked from the first sentence. it was like a modern approach to "cinderella". She had problems with her family and her love life. and this book took you through all her ups. and her downs. The plot practically forced me to read it. But in a good way! i would recomend it!

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?.......2007-07-06

I started this book last night and stayed up until almost 2 in the morning reading it. Yes, it's that good.

I love how Lucy starts out as mega uncool and then goes straight to the top in what seems like overnight. With just one comment about basketball, she has the attention of the hottest, most sought after guy in the school who just happens to be big on basketball and the star player. At the same time, she makes two best friend. After that, though her life at home stays horrible, she spends her time gabbing with her friends, going to the A-list parties, shopping for dresses, and kissing her new boyfriend.

But then, on one date, Lucy realizes something isn't right. It seems their relationship is just about touching and basketball. Soon after, she begins having feelings for another guy, but she can't dumb her guy or she'll lose everything she gained, won't she?

This story is fun, unpredictable, and sweet. It really tells the life of the new girl and it's an amazing read. I definitely recommend reading it!

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?.......2007-06-05

As you can probably tell from the title, "If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?" is a Cinderella story- with a twist. Lucy Norton hasn't been having the best year since her dad got remarried and she had to move from California to New York. She has given up on making friends at her new High School, Glen Lake, and her home life isn't any better. With her dad in California finishing up a big case,her evil stepmother Mara, and her two annoying stepsisters,Emma and Amy (a.k.a. the princesses) are in charge. Lucy is forced to live in the unfurnished basement and is often ordered around and ignored even when her dad is home.Things start looking up for Lucy when an inadvertent slip of the tongue catches the attention of the most popular guy in school, Connor Pearson. Soon she is adopted into his crowd and busy with prom details. Meanwhile, she has to deal with her parents and Sam Wolff. Sam is a seemingly cocky and amazingly talented senior in her art class. She tries to befriend him but her first attempts seem useless. Eventually, the problems with her parents are resolved and she realizes Prince Charming isn't all he's cracked up to be. Luckily, she gets a happy ending with an unexpected prince. Although the plot line is predictable,Melissa Kantor, a teacher in New York and author of The Breakup Bible, did a wonderful job. This book makes you believe in fairytales and happily ever afters.

my new Favorite Cinderella Story!.......2007-01-26

"If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's my prince", a current day Cinderella story, is filled with humor and today's problems that teenagers face. This book is so unpredictable you won't believe it! Lucy starts off as the average new kid, in a big school, with no friends but a secret crush. Her mother died but her new stepmother and sisters are there. He dad is always gone to work. Does this remind you of Cinderella? When I was reading this book I was laughing so hard when she told her corny jokes that no one understood, such as: Who is going to win the basket ball game? I think the bears are Lucy answers. Really Lucy is a sports fanatic. I also laughed at how her quantity time with her step mom and dad was furniture shopping.

Some of the problems deal with drugs and drinking at her thirteen year old little sister's party. Other problems are girl problems like what am wearing to prom, and does he really like me? Lucy thinks she loves Conner, but will he be her prince in the end? Let's just say that this is the most unpredictable book I've ever read and love it. The way Melissa Kantor writes pondering thoughts like "Conner Pearson knows who I am, I found myself thinking. He knows my name. Of course, my name was just about the only thing he did know about he, but it was something. After all, what did Prince Charming know about Cinderella besides her shoe size?" Makes you want to keep reading forever.

I hope you enjoy helping Lucy go through all the problems, and laughs in her real life Cinderella story. I know I did.

Average customer rating:

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?
Melissa Kantor
Manufacturer: Bt Bound
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1417774819

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