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Book Review: Five Acres and Independence by M.G. Kains
Written in 1935 and revised in 1940, Kains develops a plan for running a small (let's say, 5 acres or so) farm for a profit. For the prospective homesteader, this is interesting reading, but hardly essential.
The main problem with the book is, of course, that it's dated. There are better books out there to direct the reader toward similar goals that are more up-to-date in terms of the information presented. The dollar figures, of course, are virtually meaningless to the modern reader. The equipment discussed centers are largely antiques now; for that matter, electricity is discussed as a relatively new option for the farmer. It's interest is largely historical, unless one is looking for a conscious reversion toward simpler technologies for one reason or another.
I do not, however, want to discount the value of the information contained here--the basic vision of the book has merit on its own, and many of the techniques are timeless, but it can be difficult for the reader without much prior knowledge of the subject to sort these matters out (and, of course, if you have that background, how much do you really need the book?).