If you had had this book in 1998, it would have helped you cope with the Sydney water crisis, the Victorian gas emergency and the Auckland blackouts. Who knows what lies ahead? This book contains a wealth of practical information and advice to help you become more self-reliant and less dependent on traditional sources of food, clothing and energy. It includes 180 practical household hints; 150 recipes for cheap, healthy meals; information on growing your own food; and tips on making your own bread, cheese, preserves, candles, soap, insect repellent, glue, ink and lots more. By following the authors' sensible, realistic advice you will be able to survive the hard times, save money and consume fewer of the world's diminishing resources.