Source data
Type Book
Authors Jeff Siegel
Year 1982
Subpages menu
AT Sourcebook

Appropriate Technology Sourcebook, published by Village Earth, reviews over 1,150 of the best books on Appropriate technology. The complete text of the Sourcebook can be accessed on Village Earth's website here. Most of the books reviewed in the sourcebook are available as a collection in the AT Library on (28) CD-ROM or (2) DVD available for sale from Village Earth for $495 [1]. Village Earth offers very generous discounts for NGO's and orders to the Global South. Most of the literature in the sourcebook is under copyright although some is in the public domain.

Many of the books can be found Faith and Sustainable Technologies.

Please review the list below and mark the copyright of the individual books. For those in the public domain please provide links or port them. You may need help on Porting or Porting PDF files to wiki

Complete List of Books by Subject in the Sourcebook and the AT Library[edit | edit source]

Background Reading[edit | edit source]

  • Direct link to AT Sourcebook Chapter
  • Appropriate Technology for African Women
  • Appropriate Technology: Problems and Promises
  • The Barefoot Book
  • Coming Full Circle
  • Design for the Real World
  • Experiences in Appropriate Technology
  • High Impact Appropriate Technology Case Studies
  • Introduction to Appropriate Technology
  • Paper Heroes
  • Participatory Approaches to Agricultural Research and Development
  • Questioning Development
  • Radical Technology
  • Repairs Reuse Recycling
  • Rural Women
  • Sharing Smaller Pies
  • Strategies for Small Farmer Development Projects
  • Technology and Employment in Industry
  • Technology for the Masses in Invention Intelligence
  • Towards Global Action for Appropriate Technology
  • Village Technology in Eastern Africa
  • When Aid is No Help
  • The World of Appropriate Technology

General References[edit | edit source]

  • Direct link to AT Sourcebook Chapter
  • Appropriate Technology and Research Projects
  • Appropriate Technology Directory
  • Appropriate Technology for Rural Development
  • Appropriate Technology Institutions: A Directory
  • Appropriate Technology Institutions: A Review
  • Appropriate Technology: Directory of Machines Tools Plants Equipment Processes and Industries
  • Bibliography of Appropriate Technology Information for Developing Countries
  • The Book of the New Alchemists
  • China at Work
  • Dick's Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes
  • Economically Appropriate Technologies for Developing Countries
  • Fichier Encyclopedique du Development Rural
  • Field Director's Handbook
  • Field Engineering
  • The Formula Manual
  • Foxfire Book 1
  • Foxfire Book 2
  • Foxfire Book 3
  • Foxfire Book 4
  • Foxfire Book 5
  • Foxfire Book 6
  • A Guide to Appropriate Technology Institutions
  • Guide to Convivial Tools
  • Guide to Technology Transfer in East Central and Southern Africa
  • How to Build Up a Simple Multidimensional Documentation System on Appropriate Technology
  • Intermediate Technology in Ghana
  • Introducing Family Planning in Your Neighborhood
  • The Journal of the New Alchemists Volume 1
  • The Journal of the New Alchemists Volume 3
  • The Journal of the New Alchemists Volume 4
  • The Journal of the New Alchemists Volume 5
  • Knots for Mountaineering: Camping Climbing Utility Rescue Etc.
  • Liklik Buk
  • The Mechanical Engineers' Pocket Book
  • Mini Technology II
  • Mini Technology
  • MINKA
  • More Other Homes and Garbage
  • NonAgricultural Choice of Technology
  • One Hundred Innovations for Development
  • People's Workbook
  • Pictorial Handbook of Technical Devices
  • RAINBOOK
  • Simple Technologies for Rural Women in Bangladesh
  • Simple Working Models of Historic Machines
  • Soft Tech
  • Teknologi Kampungan
  • Tinker Tailor Technical Change
  • Traditional Crafts of Persia
  • The Use of the Radio in Family Planning
  • Village Technology Handbook
  • Visual Aids Tracing Manual
  • World Neighbors in Action

Local Self-Reliance[edit | edit source]

View expanded section

Workshop[edit | edit source]

  • Direct link to AT Sourcebook Chapter
  • Amateur's Workshop
  • Basic Machines and How They Work
  • Bearing Design and Fitting
  • The Beginner's Workshop
  • Blacksmithing
  • Blacksmithing Welding and Soldering
  • A Blacksmith's Bellows
  • DeCristoforo's Book of Power Tools Both Stationary and Portable
  • Electric Motor Test and Repair
  • Electroplating for the Amateur
  • Equipment for Rural Workshops Fabricating Simple Structures in Agricultural Engineering1
  • Fabricating Simple Structures in Agricultural Engineering
  • Farm Shop and Equipment
  • Foundrywork for the Amateur
  • Gear Wheels and Gear Cutting
  • General Metal Work Sheet Metal Work and Hand Pump Maintenance
  • Handtool Handbook for Woodworking
  • Hardening and Tempering Engineers' Tools
  • Heavy Duty Drill Press
  • How to Make a Folding Machine for Sheet Metal Work
  • How to Make Planes Cramps and Vices
  • How to Make Twelve Woodworking Tools
  • How to Mill on a Drill Press
  • How to Use Metal Tubing
  • How to Work Sheet Metal
  • How to Work with Copper Piping
  • Lathe Sanders
  • LeJay Manual
  • LostWax Casting
  • The Making of Tools
  • A Manual on Sharpening Hand Woodworking Tools
  • Metal Bending Machine
  • Metal Turning Lathe Built from Stock Parts
  • Metallurgy
  • Metalworking Handbook
  • The Modern Blacksmith
  • Motorize Your Hacksaw
  • A Museum of Early American Tools
  • Oil Drum Forges
  • Practical Blacksmithing
  • The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding
  • The Recycling Use and Repair of Tools
  • Scroll Saw
  • Sharpening Small Tools
  • Sheet Metal Brake
  • Sheet Metal Former
  • Shop Tactics
  • Small Scale Foundries for Developing Countries
  • Smelting Furnace
  • Spring Design and Calculation
  • Stocking Spare Parts for a Small Repair Shop
  • Technical Drawing
  • Technology Metal 1 Fundamental Skills
  • Three Welding Jigs
  • Tools and How to Use Them
  • Tools and Their Uses
  • Try Your Hand at Metal Spinning
  • TwoSpeed Bandsaw Cuts Wood and Metal
  • The Use of Hand Woodworking Tools
  • Welding Craft Practices
  • Wood Planer for $100
  • Workshop Exercises Metal Fundamental Skills

Agriculture[edit | edit source]

  • Direct link to AT Sourcebook Chapter
  • Agricultural Extension
  • Agricultural Extension: The Training and Visit System
  • AgroForestry Systems for the Humid Tropics East of the Andes
  • An Agromedical Approach to Pesticide Management
  • Alternative Agriculture
  • Animal Husbandry in the Tropics
  • Approved Practices in Soil Conservation
  • The Art of the Informal Agricultural Survey
  • As You Sow
  • Backyard Composting
  • The Basic Book of Organic Gardening
  • Basic Soil Improvement for Everyone
  • Better Farming Series #1 The Plant: The Living Plant The Root
  • Better Farming Series #2 The Plant: The Stems; The Buds; The Leaves
  • Better Farming Series #3 The Plant: The Flower
  • Better Farming Series #4 The Soil: How the Soil is Made Up
  • Better Farming Series #5 The Soil: How to Conserve the Soil
  • Better Farming Series #6 The Soil: How to Improve the Soil
  • Better Farming Series #7 Crop Farming
  • Better Farming Series #8 Animal Husbandry: Feeding and Care of Animals
  • Better Farming Series #9 Animal Husbandry: Animal Disease
  • Better Farming Series #10 The Farm Business Survey
  • Better Farming Series #11 Cattle Breeding
  • Better Farming Series #12 Sheep and Goat Breeding
  • Better Farming Series #13 Keeping Chickens
  • Better Farming Series #14 Farming with Animal Power
  • Better Farming Series #15 Cereals
  • Better Farming Series #16 Roots and Tubers
  • Better Farming Series #17 Groundnuts
  • Better Farming Series #18 Bananas
  • Better Farming Series #19 Market Gardening
  • Better Farming Series #20 Upland Rice
  • Better Farming Series #21 Wet Paddy or Swamp Rice
  • Better Farming Series #22 Cocoa
  • Better Farming Series #23 Coffee
  • Better Farming Series #24 The Oil Palm
  • Better Farming Series #25 The Rubber Tree
  • Better Farming Series #26 The Modern Farm Business
  • Better Farming Series # Freshwater Fish Farming
  • The Book of Geese
  • China: Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture
  • Code of Practice for Safe Use of Pesticides
  • Composting for the Tropics
  • Composting in Tropical Agriculture
  • Composting: Sanitary Disposal and Reclamation of Organic Wastes
  • Conservation Farming for Small Farmers in the Humid Tropics
  • The Design and Optimization of Irrigation Distribution Networks
  • Environmentally Sound Small Scale Agricultural Projects
  • Farm Management Research for Small Farmer Development
  • The Farmer's Guide
  • A Farmer's Primer on Growing Rice
  • Fields and Pastures in Deserts
  • Friends of the Rice Farmer
  • Gardening for Better Nutrition
  • Gardening with the Seasons
  • Goat Health Handbook
  • Growing Garden Seeds
  • Guayule
  • Guide for Field Crops in the Tropics and Subtropics
  • Guide for Small Holder Coffee Farmers
  • Guidelines for Watershed Management
  • Gully Control and Reclamation
  • Handbook of Tropical and Subtropical Horticulture
  • The Homesteader's Handbook for Raising Small Livestock
  • How to Grow More Vegetables
  • How to Make Fertilizer
  • How to Perform an Agricultural Experiment
  • Hydroponics
  • Illustrated Guide to Integrated Pest Management in Rice in Tropical Asia
  • Insights of Outstanding Farmers
  • Integrated Farm Management
  • Integrated Pest Management: A Catalogue of Training and Extension Materials
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Intensive Gardening for Profit and Self Sufficiency
  • Intercropping in Tropical Smallholder Agriculture with Special Reference to Wes tAfrica
  • Introduction to Soil and Water Conservation Practices
  • Irrigation Principles and Practices
  • Jojoba and Its Uses
  • Jojoba Happenings
  • Jojoba: A Guide to the Literature
  • Keeping Livestock Healthy
  • Leucaena Based Farming
  • Lost Crops of the Incas
  • Managing Pests and Pesticides in Small Scale Agriculture
  • Manual for Calculation of Check Dams
  • More Water for Arid Lands
  • The Nursery Manual
  • Operation and Maintenance of Small Irrigation Schemes
  • Permaculture II
  • Pigs and Poultry in the South Pacific
  • A Planning Guide for SmallScale Livestock Projects
  • Practical Poultry Raising
  • The Rabbit as a Producer of Meat and Skins in Developing Countries
  • Rabbit Production
  • Raising Goats for Milk and Meat
  • Raising Healthy Cattle Under Primitive Conditions
  • Raising Healthy Goats Under Primitive Conditions
  • Raising Healthy Pigs Under Primitive Conditions
  • Raising Healthy Poultry Under Primitive Conditions
  • Raising Healthy Rabbits Under Primitive Conditions
  • Raising Poultry the Modern Way
  • Raising Rabbits
  • Raising the Home Duck Flock
  • The Samaka Guide to Homesite Farming
  • The self-sufficient Gardener
  • Sheep Health Handbook
  • Simple Assessment Techniques for Soil and Water
  • Small Farm Development
  • Small Farm Weed Control
  • Small Plastic Greenhouses
  • Small Scale Irrigation
  • Small Scale Pig Raising
  • Soil Conservation
  • Soil Tillage in the Tropics and Subtropics
  • Soils Crops and Fertilizer Use
  • Surface Irrigation
  • Technology Applications Gap
  • Test the Soil First
  • Training and Visit Extension
  • Tropical Feeds
  • Tropical Legumes
  • Tropical Vegetables
  • Try the Rabbit
  • Two Ears of Corn
  • Underexploited Tropical Plants with Promising Economic Value
  • Understanding Small Farmers
  • Understanding Traditional Agriculture
  • The UNICEF Home Gardens Handbook
  • Vegetable Production Under Arid and SemiArid Conditions in Tropical Africa
  • Vegetable Seeds for the Tropics
  • Vetiver Grass
  • The Water Buffalo
  • The Winged Bean

Agricultural Tools[edit | edit source]

  • Direct link to AT Sourcebook Chapter
  • Adjustable Width VDrag Ditcher/Bund Former
  • The Agribar Operator's Manual
  • Agricultural Technology for Developing Nations
  • American Farm Tools
  • Animal Power in Farming Systems
  • Animal Traction in Africa
  • Animal Traction
  • The Animal Drawn Wheeled Tool Carrier
  • Animal Drawn Wheeled Tool carriers: Perfected Yet Rejected
  • Appropriate Industrial Technology for Agricultural Machinery and Implements
  • Bell Alarms and Sack Hoists in Windmills
  • Carts
  • Cassava Grinder
  • Cereal Processing
  • Chain Link Fence Making Machine
  • Chitedze Ridgemaster Toolbar
  • Clod Crushers Two Designs
  • Dibble Sticks Donkeys and Diesels
  • The Draft Horse Primer
  • Eight Simple Surveying Levels
  • The Employment of Draught Animals in Agriculture
  • Farm Implements for Arid and Tropical Regions
  • A Feeder to Improve the Performance of a Hand Operated Groundnut Sheller
  • Foot Powered Thresher
  • Guide Book for Rural Cottage and Small and Medium Industries: Paddy Rice Cultivation
  • The Handcart Handbook
  • A Hand Operated Bar Mill for Decorticating Sunflower Seed
  • A Hand Operated Winnower
  • The Harness Maker's Illustrated Manual
  • Harnessing and Implements for Animal Traction
  • The Harnessing of Draught Animals
  • Harrows
  • Horse Drawn Farm Implements
  • How to Repair Briggs and Stratton Engines
  • IDC Weeding Attachment for EMCOT Plow
  • IDCBornu Groundnut Lifter and IT Groundnut Lifter
  • Introduction of Animal Powered Cereal Mills
  • IT Expandable Cultivator
  • IT Granule Applicator
  • IT High Clearance Rotary Hoe
  • Kabanyalo Toolbar
  • Lightweight Seeder/Spreader
  • Making Coir Rope
  • Mechanics in Agriculture
  • MultiAction Paddy Field Puddling Tool
  • Oil Extraction
  • Oil Soaked Wood Bearings
  • Old Farm Tools and Machinery
  • OxDrawn Tie Ridger/Weeder Implement
  • A Pedal Operated Grain Mill
  • The Potential for SmallScale Solar Powered Irrigation in Pakistan
  • Prototype multipurpose OxDrawn Tool
  • The "Rasulia" Bladed Roller Thresher
  • Repair and Maintenance of Stationary Diesel Engines
  • Rice: Postharvest Technology
  • Root Crop Processing
  • Rotary Corn (Sorghum) Thresher
  • Rotary Weeder for Row Planted Rice
  • Rural Africa Development Project
  • The Scythe Book
  • Seed Dressing Drum (Hand Operated)
  • Single Row and ThreeRow Rice Seeders
  • Sled Type Corrugator Irrigation Furrow Former
  • Small Farm Equipment for Developing Countries
  • Small Gas Engines
  • Small Scale Maize Milling
  • Small Scale Oil Extraction from Groundnuts and Copra
  • Small Scale Processing of Oilfruits and Oilseeds
  • SmallScale Solar Powered Irrigation Pumping Systems
  • Solar Photovoltaics for Irrigation Water Pumping
  • Solar Water Pumping: A Handbook
  • Tools for Agriculture
  • Tools for Homesteaders Gardeners and SmallScale Farmers
  • Treadle Operated Peanut Thresher
  • The Tropicultor's Manual: Field Operations
  • The Weeder Mulcher
  • The Winnower
  • Winnowing Fan

Crop Preservation[edit | edit source]

  • Direct link to AT Sourcebook Chapter
  • Appropriate Technology for Grain Storage
  • China: Grain Storage Structures
  • Construction of a Brick Hot Air Copra Dryer
  • Cookbook for Building a Solar Crop Dryer
  • Domestic Grain Storage Bins
  • Dry It You'll Like It
  • Drying and Processing Tree Fruits
  • Drying Equipment for Cereal Grains and Other Agricultural Produce
  • Evaluation of the Bissa
  • Fish Processing
  • Food Drying
  • Fruit and Vegetable Processing
  • Guide to the Manufacture of Metal Bins
  • Handling and Storage of Food Grains in Tropical and Subtropical Areas
  • Home Scale Processing and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables
  • How to Build a Solar Crop Dryer
  • How to Dry Fruits and Vegetables
  • How to Make a Solar Cabinet Dryer for Agricultural Produce
  • How to Salt Fish
  • Manual on Improved Farm and VillageLevel Grain Storage Methods
  • Systems
  • Postharvest Food Losses in Developing Countries
  • Potential of Solar Agricultural Dryers in Developing Areas Preservation of Foods
  • Principles of Potato Storage
  • Rural Home Techniques: Food Preservation
  • Simple Grain Drier
  • Small Farm Grain Storage
  • Small-Scale Processing of Fish
  • Solar Drying: Practical Methods of Food Preservation
  • Solar Grain Drying
  • Stocking Up
  • Storage Management
  • Storage of Food Grain
  • Storing Vegetables and Fruits in Basements Cellars Outbuildings and Pits
  • Sun Dry Your Fruits and Vegetables
  • A Survey of Solar Agricultural Dryers

Forestry[edit | edit source]

View expanded section

Aquaculture[edit | edit source]

Page data
Keywords appropriate technology
Authors RichardF, Scott Gennings, G.Armster, Jerome Arthur, Dan, Landon Gardner, John Lyons, Sean Seemann, Abby, Jessica Larmer, David Luke Oates, Jianlang Mai, Mike Saunders
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Language English (en)
What links here 373 pages
Translations Persian, Romanian, Chinese, Chinese, Indonesian, Chinese, Bulgarian, German, Spanish
Impact 1,862
Suggestions Add a main image
Created December 20, 2009 by Joshua M. Pearce
Modified April 13, 2023 by Felipe Schenone
Cite as RichardF, Scott Gennings, G.Armster, Jerome Arthur, Dan, Landon Gardner, John Lyons, Sean Seemann, Abby, Jessica Larmer, David Luke Oates, Jianlang Mai, Mike Saunders (2009–2023). "AT Sourcebook". Appropedia. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
API queries basic, semantic, html, files, more
Retrieved from "https://www.appropedia.org/w/index.php?title=AT_Sourcebook&oldid=717247"

Discussion[View | Edit]

See the AT Sourcebook usage instructions for how to add and manage citations.

License - what's suitable[edit source]

I'm very happy to find this great project underway.

I just want to clarify that the only kinds of work that are suitable for import as a regular Appropedia page are:

  • public domain content (e.g. most publications from the US federal govt)
  • Work licensed under a compatible Creative Commons license - i.e. CC-BY and CC-BY-SA only.
  • Work where explicit permission is obtained from the copyright holder to release under Appropedia's CC-BY-SA license.

If it doesn't fit one of these criteria it should be marked with {{open access}}. Such pages are still great to have, as it's still much more accessible and searchable than if it's locked away in a PDF, for example, and we can add suitable categories.

E.g. What is AIDS? doesn't meet these criteria, so it should be marked with {{open access}}. To explain in more detail: Why is this incompatible? Two key reasons are that this permission statement:

  • doesn't say whether derivatives are allowed.
  • only allows for free distribution. While Appropedia itself meets this requirement, Appropedia content is not restricted in this way. We can't make this commitment.

Sorry to be a wet blanket! I just want us to avoid problems down the road, and respect the copyrights of any work we use here. --Chriswaterguy 01:46, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Naming[edit source]

Minor point: pages of original text from a publication should be moved to the "Original:" namespace, e.g. What is AIDS?.

Then if they use a compatible license (i.e. they're not just "{{open access}}") the text can be copied into one or more regular Appropedia pages (with attribution, i.e. a link pointing to the original page... of the form of these notices.

Thanks to all the students working on this great project! --Chriswaterguy 01:46, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

Question[edit source]

What sort of bibliography format would you like? --L.Gardner 23:02, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

I just replaced your page on "Where There Is No Doctor" with a redirect to the Where There is no Doctor page I created last year. Have a look at that page to see what sort of information I thought was useful to put on an Appropedia page.
The most important info is the details of where to get the information. A link to a web site where it can be downloaded is best,
The next important piece of information is what it is about? Enough info so readers can decide if they want to seek it out. Even if you don't know enough about the subject for a detailed review you can still say how many pages it is, what level of detail it has, who it is aimed at / would be useful to.
Proper attribution of the copyright owner is useful. Add a link to the page for that organisation. If the page doesn't exist then consider creating it.
Please add the page to the appropriate category. This helps others find it.
Remember that the page is meant to be useful to someone with a slow internet connection who doesn't know much about the subject but would needs to know more so they can do something.

Joe Raftery 18:08, 21 February 2010 (UTC)

better way to arrange this?[edit source]

Can we find a better way to arrange this information? We currently have pages for the bibliographic detail of each reference, which means there are lots of pages with very little content. Joeturner 04:39, 16 April 2013 (PDT)

I started to move the related site pages to subpages under section subpages, which are shown at the top of this page. This allows the subpages to be categorized as Category:AT Sourcebook subpages. That way, the pages can be managed at multiple levels - Sourcebook, section, page - and it's clear they are part of a larger Sourcebook article structure. That's also the basic way I manage Portal subpages. --RichardF 18:43, 19 April 2013 (PDT)

AT Sourcebook usage instructions[edit source]

The AT Sourcebook usage instructions for how to add and manage citations now are available at Talk:AT Sourcebook/Usage. These usage instructions show how to lay out:

  • a main page section (Level 1) so that it links to its corresponding section subpage;
  • a section subpage (Level 2) so that it links to its corresponding citation subpages;
  • a citation subpage (Level 3) so that it can be transcluded to its corresponding section subpage; and
  • a citation subpage (Level 3) so that it can be transcluded to its corresponding section subpage without including the paraphrased article text.

--RichardF 19:17, 28 April 2013 (PDT)

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