I recently received a review copy of a really unusual book that leans towards the crafting life. It is called The Modern-Day Pioneer: Simple Living in the 21st Centuryand is written by Charlotte Denholtz and published by Adams Media. This chunky 304 page paper back explores the idea of living much like the American pioneers did in the sense that you are as self-sufficient as possible, learning to live off the land (even if that means a few plants in a windowsill) and making many of your own necessities.

For the most part, the book is a how-to style text and has a fair amount of detail on topics such as brewing ale, making a quilt, baking bread, preserving food, and making soaps and candles. These topics are obviously where the crafter is comfortable stepping in. One area that I found a tad uncomfortable (because I am an animal lover) is the brief section on raising chickens and rabbits for eating. Thankfully, those sections were not too detailed to completely turn me off to the book.

All of the crafting sections include recipes or step by step instructions to get you started, some of which include drawn illustrations. If you have been wanting to incorporate more crafting into everyday needs, then is a great place to start. Even a city gal like myself could complete many of the instructions provided in the book. You don’t need to live on a farm, for example, to make soap.

The book retails for $17.95 in the US and $18.00 in Canada, but of course, Amazon has it considerably cheaper.