What are your favorite how-to books?
We've embarked on a background project of accumulating a small reference library on what I guess could be most easily summarized as "sustainable living" topics. Things you might want to have on hand post peak oil, whether than comes suddenly or gradually, but especially if Internet connections or even content get less reliable. Or, you know, sometimes you just want a book, even if the Internet is still there.
So I hereby request your recommendations for good, useful works on things like: gardening, food preservation, cooking from scratch and with wild foods (and game, I suppose), low/no electricity living, tools, solar/wind, DIY health/healing, water collecting and conserving, community organizing, and, well, you get the idea. Favorite field guides too.
This will largely be a matter of wish lists and keeping our eyes open in used bookstores, but it's good to have an idea of what we shouldn't miss. Or maybe we should just splurge on all the back issues of Mother Earth News, though it's often a bit rural focused.
For others with similar interests: Definitely check out the recently out Toolbox for Sustainable City Living. it's awesome. (This is the book I was so excited to get to copyedit last winter.)