Permaculture: A Designers' Manual Hardcover – January 1, 1997

This is a must have book for every house. It's an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the environment, climate, gardening, farming, responsible living and lots more.Totally recommended

I've been tinkering with the idea of buying farm land and developing it sustainably and at a profit for the past few years and began studying the principles of permaculture two years ago to where I was at the point that I couldn't satiate my need for learning more about it, so I purchased this book. It was well worth the price tag and takes you through EVERYTHING (read Permaculture Institute & Tagari Publishing's review). I have re-read the first several chapters many times and can't stop focusing on the guiding principles behind permaculture and the need to implement these simple systems in place. No more monocultures, no more pesticides, no more squandering resources, and this book outlines how to do just that and more. It has been stressed in the works of Masanobu Fukuoka, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan and every author of sustainable farming literature that an organic polyculture system yields more than any monoculture system especially in the instances of drought and disease. It's common sense, especially for those like myself who want to develop land and make a profit doing it to implement at least some of the basic knowledge of polycultures as an insurance policy against drought or disease, but to also add to soil health and abundance and plentiful opportunities for the food web to grow and prosper with as few inputs as possible. I can't stress enough that this book outlines how to do this with as few inputs as possible, turning it into a zero input natural ecosystem. As much as it's about digging swales, using nurse plants to their full potential and building a living abundant ecosystem, it's about being responsible for the land you own and the food you grow, it provides a better blueprint for tomorrow. One man's weed is anothers pioneer plant building nutrient dense soil for Spring peas next season. If there is one thing I look forward to more than reading this book again, it's applying the knowledge in it.

The book arrived earlier than anticipated and in a pristine condition am very happy with my purchase. It was worth it!

If ecology was the primary intellectual response to the environmental and agricultural crises of the twentieth century, permaculture (or permanent agriculture) was its practical application. Born in the mid-seventies, permaculture co-founder Bill Mollison defines this new field as "the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. Without permaculture there is no possibility of a stable social order." In other words, permaculture is the practical science of sustainability - a whole-systems approach life in the biosphere - and this near-encyclopedic tome covers every aspect of the subject, from soil conditions to climactic factors. The only conceivable drawback of this book is that it is rather difficult to ascertain and won't come cheap. If you enjoy tracking down rare and expensive books, there are none better than Mollison's Permaculture: A Designer's Manual. Large, comprehensive and filled with helpful illustrations and explanations, it is nothing less than the permaculture bible. On the other hand, if you are on a tight budget, and do not wish to spend your time searching for an unworn copy, there are newer and more accessible titles on the subject: like the other permaculture co-founder David Holmgren's Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability, or the concise and slim Earth User's Guide to Permaculture, by Rosemary Morrow. Whatever book you choose, this fascinating subject is perhaps humanity's only hope for a sustainable (read livable) future. Should not be overlooked.An essential reference.j.w.k.

Very comprhensive! This book works especially well as either a reference guide or a book to be discussed in a series of conversations with others. I have learned so much from sharing thoughts about the ideas. We discussed it in six sessions. To make it specific for your area it would be wonderful if you could also have a certified or knowledgeable permaculturalist in the discussion group. I tried to read this on my own years ago and didn't. It's not all that difficult to read but it is a BIG book, heavy and hard to carry around. I would say that it is much more interesting than any textbook you have ever encountered but is still comprehensive and thorough like a text. Considered the bible for permaculture, it's a real must to own eventually but you might not start with it. If you are just starting out and doing permaculture alone, you might start with one of the easier books from him or Gaia's Garden. Whatever you do don't start with David Holmgren's book on the topic, straight theory. Bill Mollison is much more engaging as a writer.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in gardening, raising livestock, natural water harvesting and purification, ecology and land reclamation. A treasure trove of applied science! A great sense of humor keeps this from being a dry read, and Bill Mollison has included many charts and diagrams to help illustrate key concepts and designs. A truly brilliant book.