Newer Book to Recommend

I checked out The Self-Sufficient Suburban Gardener by Jeff Ball (Rodale Press, 1983, out of print, but available used) from the library a few days ago for a possible holiday read. It is more like a reference book, with all kinds of charts in the back (do beets need a lot of nitrogen? There's a chart to tell you.). He takes you through five stages (five years) to turn your backyard turf into a food-growing paradise, without irritating your urbanized neighbors with unseemly weedy dirt patches. He advises to start slowly, build skills and familiarity with your climate and soil, and grow things your family will actually eat. Good stuff. Even includes bits about chickens, rabbits, bees, and fish for the really brave. With all the gardening books out there, I think this one is really, really good if you need an all-in-one reference for growing food in your backyard.