Amber K. (Kelleysvt) reviewed MIxture of semi-useful and pointless - some good gardening and herbal remedy information though on 1/18/2009 + 9 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

The book is separated into ten chapters -Car Care, Cooking, Gardening, Beauty, health, Home Repair and Remodeling, Housekeeping, Crafts, Pet Care, and Outdoor Life. There is also a short section on "supply sources". (Skip to the bottom of this review if you don't want all the details.)
I found very little of use in the bulk of this book. Some 'formulas' were nothing more than basic instructions. For example - the 'formula' for cleaning Aluminum Alloy Wheels was nothing more than a list of stuff like gloves, hose, rags, steel wool, and aluminum pan cleaner with two paragraphs on how to use it. Pointless.
There are 40 pages of recipes in the cooking section - you would think in this sort of book the recipes would be for substitutions or replacements for store bought goods but these aren't - they're basic recipes like Irish Soda Bread and Apple Crisp. There is a short list of substitutions in the chapter though and a couple of recipes for spice blends.
The gardening section seems to have been the shining star of this book for me (a fairly new gardener). There are nearly 100 pages of mostly organic or at least fairly chemical free garden tips like a egg based deer repellent and a wireworm trap made out of a potato. There's also information on making your own soil mixtures.
The 'beauty' section is very short, only about 10 pages including such information as apple cider astringent and egg& oil hair conditioner. Nothing stunningly new here.
I was also somewhat pleased with the "Health" section, it contains nearly 40 pages of mostly natural remedies and mixtures. Included are a stinging nettle itch relief formula, a canker sore formula, several formulas for PMS, UTI and other feminine issues, even a swimmer's ear remedy. This chapter is one of the few shining stars of this book.
The next two chapters on home repair and cleaning yielded a few gems but relied a bit too much on strong chemicals such as bleach and ammonia, and some that are so strong that they must be purchased at hardware stores or even ordered through pharmacies. I suspect that many of these items are not available over the counter; though they are used in tiny quantities.
The craft section has a great selection of basic recipes like homemade paste, bread-glue dough, fingerpaint and some good information of flower drying and natural dyes.
The pet section also seems to offer some useful information and recipes for everything from ringworm to a weight loss food for cats and homemade pet treats.
The final section on outdoor life has a good mixture of the familiar (Gorp, granola, etc) and some new ideas (Hiker's potato-cheese soup, Hiker's ground beef mix). The substitutions list is a bit of a stretch ( use a shower curtain instead of a ground cloth - ok if your still at home packing, not so useful if your already out in the woods).
All in all this book is about 50% useful, maybe a tad more. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. If your looking for natural substitutes there ARE some here but the book does not focus on natural vs chemical choices. It seems to use a mixture of both. If you're looking for ways to get by without running to the store then this book probably won't be much help. If you just enjoy a good tip book then you might appreciate this one. I'll be keeping mine but probably in an out of the way place because I don't expect it to get used too much.

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