The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It

Embrace off-grid green living and imagine a more sustainable future with the original guide to self-sufficiency.

For over 40 years, John Seymour has inspired thousands to make more responsible, enriching, and eco-friendly choices with his advice on living sustainably. The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency offers step-by-step instructions on everything from chopping trees to harnessing solar power; from growing fruit and vegetables and preserving and pickling your harvest, to baking bread, brewing beer, and making cheese. Seymour shows you how to live off the land, running your own smallholding or homestead, keeping chickens, and raising (and butchering) livestock. 

In a world of mass production, intensive farming, and food miles, Seymour’s words offer an alternative: a celebration of the joy of investing time, labor, and love into the things we need. While we won’t all be able to move to the countryside, we can appreciate the need to eat food that has been grown ethically or create things we can cherish, using skills that have been handed down through generations. With refreshed styling and a covetable new jacket, this DK anniversary edition of Seymour’s classic title is a balm for anyone who has ever sought solace away from the madness of modern life.

About the Author

John Seymour (1914–2004), one of the founding fathers of the self-sufficiency movement, was an active campaigner for the countryside and advocate for a more sustainable, compassionate way of living. The author of over 40 books, his writing inspired thousands to go off-grid and influenced many more to reevaluate their relationship with the planet. He practiced what he preached, living a self-sufficient lifestyle on his farm in Wales, where he welcomed visitors seeking guidance on a more self-supporting life. 

(Foreword) Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a multi-award-winning writer and broadcaster widely known for his uncompromising commitment to seasonal, ethically produced food. His series for Channel 4 and award-winning River Cottage books have earned him a huge popular following.