Here are 100 books that The Practical Permaculture Project fans have personally recommended if you like The Practical Permaculture Project. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Author Of Permaculture Ecovillages

From my list on sustainable permaculture design.

Why am I passionate about this?

I find these books most compelling because over the years I have become increasingly motivated to study and share the value of appreciating mankind’s responsibility to nature as God’s gift to us! And in doing so, have embraced our obligation as stewards to ensure future generations a “future Earth” cleaner than we found it. The current trend is faulty to the utmost degree, but can be reversed with intelligent design and appropriate education beginning in grade school. This should be everyone’s objective!

Louis' book list on sustainable permaculture design

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Why Louis loves this book

I am so completely dependent upon the simple ingenuity of this book in providing practical advice for symbiotic ecological design integration that I frequently refer to it for my own planning.

Progressing through soil fertility, water conservation, rewilding for beneficial insects and wildlife, and concluding with designing edible food forests, he doesn’t miss a step in efficient biodiversity.

By Toby Hemenway ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Gaia's Garden as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The evergreen classic on ecological gardening, whatever size your garden!

Over a quarter of a million copies sold worldwide!

Working with Nature, not against her, results in more beautiful, abundant and resilient gardens.

In the revised, second edition of Gaia's Garden, Toby Hemenway extends his expert knowledge of permaculture to urban and suburban landscapes. A perfect beginner's guide to ecological gardening, Gaia's Garden dispels the notion that meaningful gardening can only take place on a large piece of land with lots of space to grow.

Readers can expect step-by-step instructions on:

Building and maintaining soil fertility…


If you love The Practical Permaculture Project...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Sepp Holzer's Permaculture

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Author Of Permaculture Ecovillages

From my list on sustainable permaculture design.

Why am I passionate about this?

I find these books most compelling because over the years I have become increasingly motivated to study and share the value of appreciating mankind’s responsibility to nature as God’s gift to us! And in doing so, have embraced our obligation as stewards to ensure future generations a “future Earth” cleaner than we found it. The current trend is faulty to the utmost degree, but can be reversed with intelligent design and appropriate education beginning in grade school. This should be everyone’s objective!

Louis' book list on sustainable permaculture design

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Why Louis loves this book

I loved this book because Sepp Holzer is proficient in sharing precisely how to take each step of permaculture design with clear descriptions of why they become a cumulative abundant foundation for further development of your permaculture system.

From concepts to practical details, he demonstrates the thinking processes based on principles found in nature that can be applied anywhere.

By Sepp Holzer , Anna Sapsford-Francis (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sepp Holzer's Permaculture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sepp Holzer farms steep mountainsides in Austria 1,500 meters above sea level. His farm is an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with productive fruit trees and other vegetation, with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. This is in dramatic contrast to his neighbors' spruce monocultures.In this book, Holzer shares the skill and knowledge acquired over his lifetime. He covers every aspect of his farming methods, not just how to create a holistic system on the farm itself, but how to make a living from it. Holzer writes about everything from the overall concepts,…


Book cover of Restoration Agriculture

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Author Of Permaculture Ecovillages

From my list on sustainable permaculture design.

Why am I passionate about this?

I find these books most compelling because over the years I have become increasingly motivated to study and share the value of appreciating mankind’s responsibility to nature as God’s gift to us! And in doing so, have embraced our obligation as stewards to ensure future generations a “future Earth” cleaner than we found it. The current trend is faulty to the utmost degree, but can be reversed with intelligent design and appropriate education beginning in grade school. This should be everyone’s objective!

Louis' book list on sustainable permaculture design

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Why Louis loves this book

The uniquely special flavor of this gem-packed book that caught my attention and kept me riveted from chapter to chapter is the focus on sustainable perennial food crops. Plant it once and forget it. The productivity continues to generate staple foods, building materials, fuel, and useful oils, all while improving the quality of the environment.

I find this very compelling for my conclusion that climate change can be reversed over time. 

By Mark Shepard ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Restoration Agriculture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Restoration Agriculture explains how we can have all of the benefits of natural, perennial ecosystems and create agricultural systems that imitate nature in form and function while still providing for our food, building, fuel and many other needs — in your own backyard, farm or ranch.

This book, based on real-world practices, presents an alternative to the agriculture system of eradication and offers exciting hope for our future.


If you love Sophie McKay...

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

Book cover of The Elegant and Edible Garden

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Author Of Permaculture Ecovillages

From my list on sustainable permaculture design.

Why am I passionate about this?

I find these books most compelling because over the years I have become increasingly motivated to study and share the value of appreciating mankind’s responsibility to nature as God’s gift to us! And in doing so, have embraced our obligation as stewards to ensure future generations a “future Earth” cleaner than we found it. The current trend is faulty to the utmost degree, but can be reversed with intelligent design and appropriate education beginning in grade school. This should be everyone’s objective!

Louis' book list on sustainable permaculture design

Louis S. Bernier Jr. Why Louis loves this book

I loved this book as essential to all gardeners who would appreciate their "Zone-1" area closest to their home and kitchen to be as beautiful and productive as possible!

This book is the best that I have found for designing kitchen gardens, herb spirals, keyhole gardens, and general outdoor living areas. I also found it compelling that while symmetry and visual harmony were addressed liberally, the functionality of practical symbiosis for chosen fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers was not lost.

By Linda Vater ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Elegant and Edible Garden as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover how to partner ornamental plants with edible ones for a garden that offers both storybook appeal and a plethora of culinary delights.

*Winner of the GardenComm 2023 Laurel Media Awards Silver Award in the Book Publisher/Producer General Readership Category*

Stylish and celebratory, The Elegant and Edible Garden takes food growing to a higher plane. Host of The Potager Blog (@potagerblog), author and garden stylist Linda Vater, shares her vision for creating a garden space where food and flowers grow side by side. Known as a potager, these gardens are formal in their framework yet flexible and personal in their…


Book cover of Environmental and Economic Sustainability

Lex Fullarton Author Of Watts in the Desert: Pioneering Solar Farming in Australia`s Outback

From my list on combat climate change and the disaster it creates.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Lex Fullarton, an innovator of Australia’s first privately owned, industrial-sized solar farm. As a descendant of Australia’s 19th Century Colonials who settled here and turned an ancient productive land into a modern wasteland, I have witnessed the disasters of floods, fires, and hurricanes that plague Northern Australia firsthand. I watch temperatures rise year on year with trepidation. I see hurricanes grow in devastation and experience rising flood levels as deluges pour from the barren land. Action should have been taken decades ago, but today is the only day in our grasp. These books are not the end of the list but rather the beginning.

Lex's book list on combat climate change and the disaster it creates

Lex Fullarton Why Lex loves this book

I found this book in a charity bin. That is definitely the wrong place for it, but it shows a general lack of understanding of the critical message that it carries. If industry must mine the Earth’s resources and assume that the planet’s resources need to be exploited for the good of modern society and to share its wealth, then it must be done in such a way as not to destroy the natural environment when the rich minerals are extracted from below the Earth’s surface.  

This book details how that can be done. It should be compulsory reading for all those engaged in cracking rocks. In sharing nature’s wealth, there is no need to destroy nature in the process.

By Paul E. Hardisty ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Environmental and Economic Sustainability as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Never before has the quest to balance the needs of people, the environment, and the economy been so important. While sustainability has been widely taken up by governments and business, the world has continued to move in increasingly unsustainable directions, from continued dependence on fossil energy to rising greenhouse gas emissions, and erosion of biodiversity. We know what the right thing to do is, but somehow we cannot make the changes that are needed, and so we continue with business as usual, producing business-as-usual results.

Based on more than fifteen years of research and practice, Environmental and Economic Sustainability introduces…


Book cover of Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change

R Bruce Stephenson Author Of Portland's Good Life: Sustainability and Hope in an American City

From my list on urban design for human health and happiness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was fortunate to grow up in a typical 1960s neighborhood where the good life was an option. This was the storyline in The Wonder Years, and it was not just saccharine reminiscence. The physical environment defined sustainability: suburbs marked the distinction between country and city, obesity was not an epidemic, Nature-Deficit Disorder was unknown, most children walked to school, and vehicle miles traveled were 50 percent lower. If home sizes were smaller, face-to-face interaction was more prevalent and despair less common. I’ve worked to extend this privilege of place on sustainable lines because it is essential to solving the existential crises of our time—structural racism and climate change.  

R's book list on urban design for human health and happiness

R Bruce Stephenson Why R loves this book

“Our cities and towns have been on a high carbon diet—and our metropolitan regions have become obese,” Peter Calthorpe states. Plying a generation of path-breaking work, he reveals how shifting to urbanism, “compact and walkable development,” can mitigate climate change and secure health and happiness. The metrics he presents are essential reading. Three types of neighborhoods—urban, compact, and sprawl—are assessed for their impact on land consumption, energy use, infrastructure, and utility cost, vehicle miles traveled, and greenhouse gas emissions. The information delivers a clear message: technology will not save us, but a lifestyle change will. It is “not radical,” Calthorpe writes, “but simply a shift from large lot single family homes” to the “streetcar suburbs” that once flourished in American cities. This seemingly simple solution is a vast undertaking, but the blueprint is fresh, and the next step requires, as Olmsted averred, “the best application of the arts of…

By Peter Calthorpe ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the beginning of his career, Peter Calthorpe has been a leading innovator in sustainable building projects, sustainable development, and walkable communities. A leader in the New Urbanism Movement, he is an important resource for solutions to current problems of urban sprawl, suburban isolation, and the related problems of outsized energy consumption and an outsized share of world emissions. According to 'Ecological Urbanism', relentless and thoughtless development have created a way of living that brings us to a point of reckoning regarding energy, climate change and the way we shape our communities. The answer to these crises is 'Sustainable Development',…


If you love The Practical Permaculture Project...

Book cover of Big Ideas... For Small Businesses: Simple, Practical Tools and Tactics to Help Your Small Business Grow

Big Ideas... For Small Businesses by John Lamerton,

Big Ideas… for Small Businesses is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guide to growing a small business without sacrificing your lifestyle. Written by a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, the book challenges hustle culture and instead champions the idea of an "ambitious lifestyle business" - one that provides freedom and financial stability,…

Book cover of The Crisis of Global Modernity: Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future

Viren Murthy Author Of The Politics of Time in China and Japan: Back to the Future

From my list on profoundly understanding modern East Asian thought.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became interested in East Asia through studying Kung Fu when I was in high school. Through this I began reading translation of Chinese and Japanese philosophical texts. I initially majored in philosophy but eventually also became interested in situating ideas in broader historical contexts. For this reason, I shifted to intellectual history. However, my passion for philosophy and arguments for the validity of ideas remains. For this reason, my work combines both intellectual history and the history of philosophy. 

Viren's book list on profoundly understanding modern East Asian thought

Viren Murthy Why Viren loves this book

I am greatly impressed by the breadth and ambition of this book. It covers China, Japan, and India and is consequently truly transnational in scope. The book also attempts to relate intellectual history or the history of philosophy to problems that we face today, such as how we can transform our practices to that we can avoid environmental disasters. Duara argues that Asian traditions, given their stress on the interdependence between human beings and nature, might be able to help in this path. Duara’s book poses an important question, namely how to connect Asian intellectual history to concrete problems related to global capitalism. 

By Prasenjit Duara ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Crisis of Global Modernity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this major new study, Prasenjit Duara expands his influential theoretical framework to present circulatory, transnational histories as an alternative to nationalist history. Duara argues that the present day is defined by the intersection of three global changes: the rise of non-western powers, the crisis of environmental sustainability and the loss of authoritative sources of what he terms transcendence - the ideals, principles and ethics once found in religions or political ideologies. The physical salvation of the world is becoming - and must become - the transcendent goal of our times, but this goal must transcend national sovereignty if it…


Book cover of The Original Green: Unlocking the Mystery of True Sustainability

Charles L. Marohn Jr. Author Of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity

From my list on thinking like a Strong Towns advocate.

Why am I passionate about this?

Everyone should be able to live a meaningful life in a place they love, where their day-to-day efforts participating in society result in the community becoming a more prosperous place over time, for themselves, and for those who come next. I founded Strong Towns to help people recognize that they have this opportunity, that they and their neighbors working together have the capacity to make things better, despite everything else going on. Cities are works in progress. It is not our job to finish ours, but we all have a role to play in making it stronger.

Charles' book list on thinking like a Strong Towns advocate

Charles L. Marohn Jr. Why Charles loves this book

I had someone laugh at this book for its quirkiness and whimsy. That person is a fool. What Mouzon has produced here is a brilliant compilation of why our ancestors (in the broadest sense of the term) were genius in ways we struggle to even comprehend, let alone appreciate. Steve taught me why it’s not just okay to love a place, but why more places need to become lovable.

By Stephen A. Mouzon ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Original Green as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Original Green is the sustainability our ancestors knew by heart. Originally (before the Thermostat Age) they had no choice but to build green, otherwise people would not survive very long. The Original Green aggregates and distributes the wisdom of sustainability through the operating system of living traditions, producing sustainable places in which it is meaningful to build sustainable buildings. Original Green sustainability is common-sense and plain-spoken, meaning "keeping things going in a healthy way long into an uncertain future." Sustainable places should be nourishable because if you cannot eat there, you cannot live there. They should be accessible because…


Book cover of The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century

Drew Philp Author Of A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City

From my list on why Detroit is the most interesting city in the US.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve lived in Detroit for nearly 15 years, where I built my house with my own two hands out of the shell of one I purchased for $500. A longtime journalist, I grew up in a small town in the countryside of Michigan. When I moved to Detroit after college people told me I was throwing my life away, but I looked at it as a moral decision, as “staying home” when it seemed like most other people were leaving. I’m glad I did—it offered me a look into a world more strange and beautiful than I could have imagined, potentially even a vision into a brave new future. I hope this world comes across in A $500 House in Detroit, and I hope we can make it last. 

Drew's book list on why Detroit is the most interesting city in the US

Drew Philp Why Drew loves this book

This book looks toward the future. A friend, leader, and hero to many in Detroit including myself, Grace Lee Boggs is one of the most important philosophers of the 20th and 21st centuries. However, this book is far from the stuffy philosophy you might remember from PHYL 101. Rather, it’s a road map to a better, brighter future, and a new way to live.

A resident of Detroit for almost 80 years, Boggs once wrote, “The most radical thing I ever did was to stay put.” Her thinking and activism underlie almost anything truly transformational happening in Detroit today, and this book will leave you with more hope than a dog looking at the thanksgiving dinner table.

By Grace Lee Boggs , Scott Kurashige ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Next American Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A world dominated by America and driven by cheap oil, easy credit, and conspicuous consumption is unraveling before our eyes. In this powerful, deeply humanistic book, Grace Lee Boggs, a legendary figure in the struggle for justice in America, shrewdly assesses the current crisis - political, economical, and environmental - and shows how to create the radical social change we need to confront new realities. A vibrant, inspirational force, Boggs has participated in all of the twentieth century's major social movements - for civil rights, women's rights, workers' rights, and more. She draws from seven decades of activist experience, and…


If you love Sophie McKay...

Book cover of Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture

Sexy Selfie Nation by Leora Tanenbaum,

The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.

Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…

Book cover of You Can't Market Manure at Lunchtime: And Other Lessons from the Food Industry for Creating a More Sustainable Company

Alan M. Goldberg Author Of Feeding the World Well: A Framework for Ethical Food Systems

From my list on human animal welfare industrial food production.

Why am I passionate about this?

Professionally, I am a Professor of Toxicology (Emeritus) at the Johns Hopkins University. I devoted my professional career to improving the science of toxicology by developing a program that evaluated risk using non-animal methods. As such, I founded The JHU Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). In addition, I spent the latter part of my career on Food Ethics. In short, my life work was devoted to animals and better foods. In 2022, the American Visionary Art Museum of Baltimore awarded me an Ambassador of Compassion. 

Alan's book list on human animal welfare industrial food production

Alan M. Goldberg Why Alan loves this book

Maisie has more than 30 years of experience working with Bon Appetite to develop sustainable food production on a grand scale. I believe that the methods she and Fedele Bauccio developed are the future of sustainable and great foo systems. It's a great and fun read with wonderful stories. This book provides a clear path to sustainability and good food.

By Maisie Ganzler ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked You Can't Market Manure at Lunchtime as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Five invaluable lessons for doing sustainability right, doing it profitably, and getting the credit you deserve.

Did the title of this book get your attention? Good. Because as silly as it is, the idea behind it is serious, earnest, and authentic: you can't become a sustainable operation if you're doing the right things in the wrong place or at the wrong time.

Many businesses are in the dark about how to actually do better for the planet and the people in their company and their supply chain while also growing their margin. Some believe it can't be done. But it…


Book cover of Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Book cover of Sepp Holzer's Permaculture
Book cover of Restoration Agriculture

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