Modern Homesteading

This book was interesting as our family is slowly working to become more self sustainable. It included lots of helpful tips and colorful photos. Overall, very enjoyable to read.

Bought this for my husband, who has been a wranglarstar fan on youtube for quite a while. It is neat to read their story (without having the plugs to buy certain brands/equipment etc. that are mentioned in his videos). This book was written primarily by Mrs. Wranglerstar (the books says that)....and is very interesting. I find myself just as "into it" as my husband. Glad I purchased it for him.

The Wranglerstar family consists of Cody (Wranglerstar), Mrs. Wranglerstar, and their son Jack. Modern Homesteading: Rediscovering the American Dream isn’t a how-to book. Rather, it’s a book about their journey from city life to rural country life. While they weren’t always Christians, they are now, and their faith is woven into their lives. They share their faith in a very organic way throughout the book as it was and is a part of their journey. They don’t shove it down your throat, but they don’t shy away from sharing how their faith plays a role in how they live their lives.

I really like that they are okay with sharing all the mistakes they made while getting to their current homestead. I appreciate the fact that they don’t believe that their way is the only way. In fact, they point out that homesteading will look different for each family. They are quick to point out how important it is to know yourself and your family when making decisions on where to live as living “way out” isn’t right for everyone.

In many ways, the Wranglerstar family isn’t a typical homestead family as they don’t have animals. They knew that at this point in time it wasn’t right for them, so instead of automatically doing the animal thing because that’s what homesteaders are supposed to do, they opted for focusing on what was important to them. They homestead is far from complete as they do things as time and money allows. They share how money has made a big impact on what they can and can not do. They also share some of the money mistakes that they made along the way and how they strove to get out of debt.

While this isn’t a how-to book, there are sections that get into some basic how-to things. The Wisdom from the Journey sections help readers really think about the decision to homestead and some issues they may face. Planning, while critical, doesn’t make everything go right. (Boy do we know this from personal experience with our homestead.) It should be no surprise to anyone who knows Cody from youtube that he shares some things about tools and how to care for and utilize them around the homestead.

I received a review copy of this book to provide my feedback.

https://youtu.be/QYnrxlpGFAk <--- Video review

Thanks, Cody and family, for a wonderful book on homesteading. Their insights as a family by sharing their experiences with us is perfect for those starting out or those already homesteading who may be hitting dead ends. To know that another family has been in those shoes is an encouragement. The way the book dovetails with the videos and expresses their Christian faith and how that influences their decisions made on the homestead speaks volumes about their character.

This is a story of two imperfect people, who happen to be perfect for each other. This is their story, the good, the bad, and yes the ugly. The good...Their love for each other, for Jack, the outdoors, hard work, and more importantly God. The bad...Difficult decisions and tough breaks in their quest of finding a homestead. The ugly...well now, you may have to read their story to figure that one out.

What this book is not is a how to book on homesteading. There are some very good sections on homestead skills and thinking in the homestead way, but a step by step guide, it is not, and that's a good thing. Readers come to this book because they likely know the "Wranglerstars" through their youtube channel and want to hear more of their story. If you have been following them on their youtube channel you will likely know their basic story. Modern Homesteading expands on the youtube experience and dives into the "Wranglerstars" how they met, their successes and struggles. Spoiler alert: You may even get to see Cody in a tux.

All in all a very good book to sit back, prop your feet up and get to know the "Wranglerstars" even better.

I'll start by saying I am new to reviewing books so forgive me my inexperience... I really enjoyed the book.

Being a "Wranglerstar" subscriber on YouTube, I have been following their story for a few years now. I look forward to the new content and share the videos with my wife, we both appreciate the work and commitment this lifestyle takes along with all the extra work that filming, editing, and uploading from a off grid location. For those of you that don't know, YouTube is a JOB that takes time and great effort to be just watchable, these videos are exceptional in my opinion.

This book has really good and well thought out picture placement that lends to very good story telling and instructional parts. You get to see more of Mrs. Wranglerstars perspective in the book compared to the videos. I enjoyed the differences in the styles they both contributed to the story. This book filled in more of the details that will allow newer viewers to be up to speed when starting out on the channel.

I imagine the faith aspect of the book will bring a mixed bag of opinions, that will be no different here then their channel. I like when people share all the driving forces good and bad. Its great when people refuse to sanitize things and be who they are supposed to be. The religious aspect and verses flow well in the book to me, but I am biased, since I am a believer as well.

I enjoyed the book, and the advice and instructional portions lead me to believe that another book may follow?? It is a great introduction and example for anyone wanting to learn more, and still entertaining for veteran homesteaders.