I am thinking of buying this book for my dad and his partner, who are very eco-friendly and practical but might enjoy the descriptions of 'off-grid' people the guy met on his travels.

However I've been quite put off by some of the reviews on Amazon- people clearly think the author is a middle-class yuppie who can't write and talks about himself more than the other people who are really doing it.

I don't want to give it as a present if it's really that bad, so if anyone has read it please let me know. Thanks

I'm interested in this too - I'll watch this one -bump!

I've just bought this for dp from Oxfam (so someone must have hated it!) - and am reading it myself first

I think its quite good and interesting reading. The author is a bit more focused on himself than he needs to be [tactful] but it manages to be interesting anyway. I can't say how mauch anyone else would like it - part of my interest is because I know some of the people and places he talks about.

I haven't got through the part about how to DIY off-grid systems but from the flick through I have had, its not that comprehensive as a how-to guide. Useful, but you'd need something bigger and more detailed if you were going off-grid yourself.

I have read it as has my partner and a few of our friends. I thought it was an interesting read but I agree with amazon peops that its not very well written. His style annoyed me TBH but if you can get past that and want to read something which gives lots of examples of people living off grid then I think its an ok book.

The author is the nephew of Robert Maxwell. Not that that is very relevant to OP, but just thought I'd throw it in [hgrin]

meant

thank you all. Still not sure whether to buy it or not. Has anyone bought a similar book they would like to recommend instead? I'm definitely looking for something quite anecdotal instead of a how-to.

I wouldn't recommend it either, I also thought it was annoying. Do you specifically want something about being off grid, or just something that is a good read in the eco line IYSWIM?
If the latter, what about this which is pretty much about the author's travels around staying with a whole lot of people who are doing the low impact living thing. Its quite dense at first look (mostly I think because it is on rather thin unbleached paper) but I thought it was a good read.

Oh thanks takver, that looks like just their kind of thing.

There's an article in the New Scientist about this, i stood reading it in M&S for as long as I dared as didn't want to pay £3+ and only be able to understand 25% of the mag, but may go to public library and read it. It seemed to suggest would be quite feasible.

I quite liked it and wish I could live off-grid. But you do seem to need an awful lot of money!

suppose it depends how you want to live off grid. I guess if you went and lived i a yurt and washed in a bucket could be cheap enough

madlentileater newscientist article online here?

Not so much as all that, the American off grid people all seem to have mad amounts of electric consuming stuff. But yes, not cheap, probably an absolute minimum of 5 grand if you want a noticeable amount of power (eg not just lights and music in a caravan). Depends how you do it, like the NS article says tiny micro hydro is much the cheapest option for various reasons, but that isn't possible for many .. .

thanx redclover, last time i looked they had put all the things I anted on a subscription only basis!

I love New Scientist! I subscribe to it on and off - I usually cancel my subscription when the special offer has run out.

Thanks for the link. Living off grid won't be a possibility for me and dp anytime soon unless we build our own house in rural Wales or somewhere similar, but it's reminded me to at least switch energy suppliers .

Haven't read the article but was amused by the fact that I saw 3 copies in my local Tesco express and can't imagine that they'd sell them all! Also was amused about making your own gas - DS makes huge amounts and he's only 3 1/2 weeks old!

lol at your ds's gas production lizum

I felt the article in NS was interesting and fairly well balanced , pointing out that living 'off grid' may not be the best aim and that just reducing energy consumption could be more worthy and more achievable for most of us.

anyway wanted to say thanks for the alternative suggestion from takver, my lovely dad and partner are already reading it and it turns out we know some of the people in the book. I have asked to borrow it when they have finished.

Cool, glad it went down well

What is the Grid? Apart from the top-secret base in Spooks.

mains electricity - the National Grid

Oh! That simple. I thought it meant something more allusive.