Storey's Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills : 214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do

Have you ever wondered how to capture a swarm of bees? Predict the weather by the clouds? And just how do you darn a pair of socks, anyway? Anyone curious about the myriad ways people have taught themselves to make, grow, and build things will find everything they’ve ever wondered about in this colorful, inviting volume. With dozens of useful and intriguing visual tutorials selected from Storey’s extensive library of how-to books, you can learn how to carve a turkey, create a butterfly garden, set up a dog agility course, keep a nature sketchbook, navigate by the stars, and more. Whether you plan to “do it yourself” or just love reading about how things are done, this rich compendium will educate, fascinate, spark conversation, and inspire new hobbies and experiences. Ever wanted to learn to speak chicken? Capture a swarm of bees? Treat aches and pain with herbal remedies? Sharpen a knife? From Storeys vast library of expertly-authored how-to books comes a compendium of valuable skills covering every area of interest and presented through clear, colorful how-to illustrations and custom photography. Drawing from the worlds of farming, gardening, building, cooking, preserving, crafts, and natural medicine and body care, Skill-o-pedia celebrates the diverse ideas and knowledge that enable a self-sufficient lifestyle. The wisdom in these pages covers the small, the substantial, and everything in between, including how to tell a sheep from a goat; how to pour a beer for great foam; how to field dress a deer; how to navigate by the sun; how to put a bike chain back on; how to darn socks; and how to build a homestead from (and in) the woods. Some skills are purely enriching, like learning about nature through sketching or teaching a cat to jump through a hoop, while others can be lifesaving, such as learning how to dismount a horse in an emergency or how to find fresh water when water is scarce. Whether casually curious or deeply invested in living more independently, Skill-o-pedia opens the mind while teaching readers just about anything they could ever wish to be able to do themselves. "With dozens of visual tutorials, this rich compendium will educate and inspire new hobbies and experiences"-- Knowing how to do things for yourself is more than just rewarding-- it's the bedrock of a healthy, self-sufficient lifestyle. From building a fire pit for outdoor roasting to fixing a broken windowpane, building a chicken coop, or making a tincture to ease aches and pains, the step-by-step how-to knowledge in this book takes you on a journey of discovery. The projects in the book are derived from hundreds of Storey titles published over the past four decades. -- adapted from back cover, Welcome! [page 7], and perusal of book Readers With A Hunger For Knowledge And An Interest In The Myriad Ways People Have Taught Themselves To Make, Grow, And Build Will Discover The Ins And Outs Of How To Do Everything They’ve Ever Wondered About In This Colorful, Inviting Volume. With Dozens Of Useful And Intriguing Visual Tutorials That Cover How To Carve A Turkey, Capture A Swarm Of Bees, Predict The Weather By The Clouds, Darn Socks, Create A Butterfly Garden, Set Up A Dog Agility Course, Keep A Nature Sketchbook, Navigate By The Stars, And More, This Rich Compendium Will Educate, Fascinate, Spark Conversation, And Inspire New Hobbies And Experiences. Drawn from 35 years of publishing trusted how-to books, this visual volume gathers entertaining and practical step-by-step knowledge from Storey Publishing’s wide-ranging library, covering topics from gardening and animal husbandry to wilderness survival skills, home repair and improvement, cooking, and self-care. "With dozens of visual tutorials, this rich compendium will educate and inspire new hobbies and experiences"-- Provided by publisher