How can you tell when your pig is fat enough? Why should you never buy mustard? What's wrong with eating potatoes? Which is better, beer or tea? And what type of straw makes the best bonnets? William Cobbett is the man to ask. Here is his book of practical advice to the rural labouring 'cottager' , the precursor in many ways to the handbooks on self-sufficiency that today entice so many city-dwellers. A champion of the rural working class at a time of huge social and industrial change, a radical politician and a prolific writer, Cobbett is opinionated, passionate and enlightening, making 'Cottage Economy' a fascinating and entertaining window on daily life for the smallholders of his day, and still inspirational, almost 200 years later, to those who seek 'a good living' as the foundation of happiness.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The humanist belief in progress is a secular version of the Christian faith that humans are different from all other animals. In reality, there is nothing that can be called progress. #2 The idea that humanity can shape its future assumes that humans are exempt from the truth that species are only governed by the same laws as other animals. If the human species is re-engineered, it will not be the result of humanity assuming a godlike control of its destiny. #3 The human population is growing, and it is causing problems for the Earth. The destruction of the natural world is not the result of global capitalism, industrialization, Western civilization, or any flaw in human institutions. It is a consequence of the evolutionary success of an exceptionally rapacious primate. #4 The impact of human activity on the planet is already changing the conditions of life for much of humankind. Climate change may be a mechanism through which the planet eases its human burden.