Possum Living

[Budro]

Possum Living (Living Well Without a Job and With (Almost) No Money) is a 70's book by Dolly Freed that was recently republished. It's a short book and a quick read, but it's pretty interesting.
Here's a little intro from her blog (http://possumliving.net/blog/?paged=4):

In 1978, as a cocky 18 year old, I wrote a book about how my dad and I lived a rich and happy life in a middle-class neighborhood with only an occasional part-time job. We gardened, raised rabbits and chickens in the basement, and bought bulk food at a feed and grain store. The book was chock full of ideas for frugal living that worked so well we lived on the equivalent of $5800 a year in current dollars. We joked that if possums could live without a job, so could we, hence the title.
It’s been decades since I lived the full possum life, but its principles have given me tremendous confidence. I went to college with only a 7th grade education and lot of reading in the library, become a NASA engineer, switched to environmental education, was a college professor, and started my own business.
Ironically, I now see the same fears and problems occurring that prompted me to write the book in the first place returning—a staggering recession, worries about job markets, and concerns about natural resources.
And as I’ve gotten older, I find myself turning more and more to my possum ways, verifying that even if you can’t go the full possum, so to speak, being part possum can be comforting and prudent. Reprinting Possum Living seemed like a good idea.

More excerpts can be found at http://www.motherearthnews.com/modern-h ... money.aspx

[jacob]

And here's an interview. When I read Possum Living at 25, I found it very interesting but so beyond everything I had known (I guess I live(d) a sheltered life) that it was kinda hard to imagine living like that.
Today, not as hard.

[JohnnyH]

Interesting stuff... added to the to read list.
"I refuse to spend the first 60 years of my life worrying about the last 20."

LOL, looks pretty stupid when phrased so simply.

[akratic]

I read this book after seeing it on the forum, and I definitely recommend it to the ERE crowd. Interesting view into another extreme lifestyle.
Because it was rereleased in 2009, it was actually pretty easy for me to find in the library.

[Rex]

Are there any major differences between the old and new book in terms of material, or what is actually explained in the books?

[akratic]

I think the only differences are
1) a weak introduction
2) a footnote at the bottom of the "Law" chapter retracting the whole thing
3) an afterword where the author looks back on her time living like a possum and afterwards, and draws more general conclusions about life. This is one of the very best parts of the book, and for this reason only, I'd make sure you got the 2009 version.

[murpheyw]

There is a 30 minute documentary you can watch on youtube as well.
note: 3 parts
Here is the 1st part --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvn79E40VSc

[Q]

On reserve at the library now. ERE has now made me read more/use the library...kinda funny.

[Melissa]

I thought the law chapter was one of the most "interesting" chapters lol. I read the 70's version and had been wondering how her life ended up turning out, makes me want to look for the newer one. There were many suggestions I grew up with and many more that are totally impractical in florida.
I think the most important concept of it is that you dont have to follow the crowd, just do what makes sense/works for you.

[runrunruneateateat]

Thanks for the link to the YouTube video; I really enjoyed it. It made me wonder what Dolly's been up to over the last 25 years and I found this article: http://www.paige-williams.com/