I have been studying self-reliance for most of my adult life. It is a subject that has been almost constantly on my mind. Because I didn't know anything when I started, I began to read. I would read and listen to anyone that had experience on the topic. I have found that searching out and reading good source material is a key element of becoming self-reliant and so that habit is an important part of the Self-Reliant Community.
I learned several years ago that I could not rely on electronic copies of key information. I actually have an extensive library of self-reliance material as .pdf documents stored on my protected hard drives. Material that I only have as electronic files is kept on my hard drives and my tablet. I do not rely on cloud storage or online articles for keeping material. Those sources have failed me in the past and I fully expect they will fail me in the future. As a result of real and expected failures, I decided long ago to maintain a library of key books in hardcopy form. I regularly add new volumes to my library. Even some of the materials I have in electronic form, I have printed and bound to have access to hardcopy.
I believe every well-prepared home should have a library of written materials that are key to the family's well-being. This library should include at least the following categories:
spiritual resources
self-reliance resources
governance resources
wisdom of the ages resources
Furthermore, we should take time over the years to become fully knowledgeable of the contents of the books in our library. In the words of Morgan Snyder, "Read much, not many". It may take years to compile and read and re-read our library. That is totally okay. Do not be discouraged if your library has only one book to start; just start.
To help, I have added a Reading section to this web site. The site includes a reading list with a short description of each book. I will add new entries from time to time as I find new material that I feel is worth sharing. In the mean time, I hope you will explore some of the entries and maybe add some of them to your reading list and your library. When you are reading these books, you are reading with purpose and that makes all the difference.
Enjoy.
コメント