APPROPRIATE 'TECHNOLOGY The Guide to Self-Suffic;ency, John ~ Seymour, 1976, $11.95 fr_om: Popular Mechanics Books 224 W. 57th Street New York, NY 10019 Distillations from Seymour's lifetime of managing an 18,000-acre sheep ranch, living on a 5-acre self-sufficient smallholding, being a v~terinary livestock officer in Africa, working in a copper mine, surveying and game hunting, living on a fishing boat, writing and broadcasting. This is one of the best of this genre-comprehensi'\'ely illustrated and covering in det{lil a'range of skills not usually covered in such booksworking stone and splitting slate, basketry, charcoal making, barrelmaking, thatching and ·much more. A refreshingly broader, more experienced and more detailed presentation than.most American counter-culture based books. · Scissors Sam Says Be Sharp, $1. 50 from: Scrimshaw Press 149 Ninth Street San Francisco, CA 94103 An intrica.te thread weaving being sharp, care of topls and the life of a wandering tool sharpener. Lots of good advice for lo'A;'-tech tool sharpen~_ng and on doing something of value forpeople while retai'ning valued freedoms. · · WASHING MACHINES You're right- the best thing is to wear clothes that requ.ire less washing and ironing-;-sweaters, cotton shirts, dark or strong colored fabrics that don't need "cosmetic" cleaning. But eventually things need cl~aning. Traveling in Japan a few years ago }Ve came across two simple washers. The cheapest, costing January 1977 RAIN Page 21 ruri into, and gives simp!~ step by step instructions/photos/drawings explaining the essentials you need to know. If you need a little self-confidence to get in to _figuring things out for yourself, this is quite worth the money. TRANET, $15/year for individuals, quarterly fro'm: TRANET all of 50¢, was a plastic plunger like a ,.. Plumber's Friend. Used with a bucket c/o Wm. N. Ellis , 7410 Vernon Square Drive and warm water left in the Japanese bath, it turned olit to be a real effective way to wash cloths in youth hostels. We later found a tin version from 1873 in a Goodwill Store in Portland. You could make one yourself from a normal Plumber's Friend. Same scientific agitator action as in ~ $300 automatic wash washer, but with~ut all the machinery attached. The Japanese also produce a miniwasher and dryer-smalkr and cheaper than American versions. The most interesting feature i~ that they use a very fast spinning drum to extract almost all the water from the clothes, allowing them to dry very rapidly eve~· in Japan's humid summer. A very effec-, tive alternative to American clothes · dryers that use heat to evaporate the moisture instep.d of just removing it. The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio 44720, imports or make~ these for the U.S .~also mini-refrigerators. Reader's.Digest Complete Do-it-Yourself Manual, 1973, $13.95 from: Reader's Digest .., Pleasantville, ~NY 1057Q. 1 Most home repair~ <~;ren't rea~ ly difficult./, T~e major ha[!,u.g· is ,'fig~ring out the · ·~ tncks, how to..g\>\:abou t It, and what tools y~u. really :~~; <?. f.A99.; t)1 eed to bother With. This'manual covers almost every kind ofsi.tua:tion ydu're likely to Alexandria, VA 22306 The first issue of the TRANET newsletter/directory is out and seems headed for a useful role for people involved in international aspects of a. t. The newsletter contains names, addresses and current projects of active a.t. groups around the world, provides information on relevant activities of the U.S., its agencies and member governments and valuable resources for a. t. workers ih developing c~untries. (Tom Bender) New Address: Northeas-t Carry 110 Water Street Hallowell, ME 04349 They are setting up an a.t. lending library. (eN~RGY ) Woodburning Stoves, Bob and Carol Ross, 1977, $10 from: ' The Overlook Press c/o Viking Press 625 Madison Avenue ·New York, NY 10022 The most detailed and thorough manual we've yet seen on design, operation and installation of wood stoves. Gives a 1 model description of features and design of a very wide range of heaters, using a fireplace for heating, and converting , fireplaces to wood heaters. Complements Shelton's work on efficiencies and Bill Day and Albie Barden's guides to actual use per;formance of various units. Appendices with houses designed for wood heat, details of Ken Kern's barrd stove, chimney installation, manufacturers, tables comparing wood and other fuel costs with various heater efficiencies. (TB) Energy and Employment in New York State, Draft Report, May 1976, available from: Legislative Commission on Energy Systems State of New York 828 Legislative Office Building Albany,.NY 12224 ! This analysis shows that New York State has three viable, indigenous alternatives '~'to coal and nuclear energy that can be
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