The Minnesota Book of Skills by Chris Niskanen *****

The Minnesota Book of Skills by ChrisNiskanen is a terrific book about skills that are quickly becoming extinct: homemade sausage, pickling, cutting firewood, canning green beans, and building a birdhouse, to list a few of the six dozen short articles. Some of the articles are specific to Minnesota (Minnesota trails and Five Minnesota trees) and others require a cold winter (dog mushing and ice fishing), but I live in California and found it fascinating. The book has something for everyone (Five adventures for five-year-olds).

Since this is a collection of short articles, it is ideal for situations where you might want to just read a couple of pages at a time (aka a bathroom reader).

 A random selection of interesting topics:

The essential elements of a rope swing

Corn husk dolls and fairy houses

Crop art 101

Showing champion dairy cows

Sauna etiquette

 If you’re interested in outdoor activities and self-reliance, this is the book for you.

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