Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills (Back to Basics Guides)

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills (Back to Basics Guides)

by Abigail Gehring

4.8 (5,333)

4.8 stars from 5,333 reviews. One of the highest rated Nonfiction books we track.

456 pages~7.6 hr readPublished by Skyhorse Publishing Company, IncorporatedPublished 2008-01-01

$1.99Deal88% off peak

Last checked: Jun 12, 2026

Price history: $0.99 $15.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Ina Garten
  • Joel Salatin
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Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Art of Fermentation
  • Homesteading: A Practical Guide to Self-Sufficient Living
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Perfect for you if...

  • You're drawn to homesteading or off-grid living and want practical, tested instructions before you commit.
  • You live in a city but find yourself fantasising about self-sufficiency and want to start small with real skills.
  • You're tired of modern convenience culture and want to reclaim hands-on crafts like cheese-making, weaving, and carpentry.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You prefer theory and philosophy over step-by-step project guides and practical how-tos.
  • You're looking for advanced techniques or specialist deep-dives into a single craft.
  • You need a book focused on sustainable farming at scale rather than household DIY projects.

About this book

Back to Basics is a fully updated guide to traditional living skills adapted for modern life. The book contains hundreds of projects with step-by-step instructions, photographs, charts, and illustrations covering topics such as dyeing wool with plant pigments, grafting trees, raising chickens, making cheese and jam, building log cabins, and crafting furniture with hand tools. The guide appeals to both practical learners and those seeking inspiration for a more self-sufficient lifestyle. It includes instructions for activities ranging from simple projects like weaving rag rugs to ambitious undertakings such as constructing an adobe brick homestead. The book also features old-fashioned recreational activities including square dancing calls, homemade toy instructions, and kayaking tips. Whether you live in a city apartment or rural setting, the guide offers projects and ideas for learning traditional skills and exploring voluntary simplicity.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$8.00$15.99Mar '20Jun '23Jul '24Dec '25
$0.99$15.99

Currently on sale at $1.99 — 88% off peak. Price has dropped 10 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 127 days. Typically stays discounted for 1508 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#1,795#184,870#367,944Apr '18Sep '22Nov '23Jun '26

Currently #4,810 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

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4.0★4.5★5.0★May '23Dec '23Aug '24Jun '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.8★ from 5,333 reviews

Gaining approximately 35 new reviews per month. Steady word of mouth growth. Rating has remained stable at 4.8 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$8.00$15.99Mar '20Jun '23Jul '24Dec '25PredictedJun '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $1.99. It typically returns to around $15.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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Abigail Gehring

1 book on Vagrant Press

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