Living off the Grid:
Living off the Grid: A Simple Guide to Creating and Maintaining a Self-Reliant Supply of Energy, Water, Shelter and More, By Dave Black.
A how-to handbook to free yourself from the constraints of modern living.
In daily life, we can take control of the resources and services we depend on. Electricity and energy don’t have to come off the public utility grid—alternatives abound in solar, wind, and water generated power. Design decisions can drastically affect power consumption, and bio-diesel and alternative fuels can help break the oil habit. Dave Black describes alternatives for eco-pimping your home and lifestyle for independence, economy, and a more integrated way of life. Equally valuable for the urban dweller vaguely concerned about the size of his or her carbon footprint and the rural self-sufficiency enthusiast, Living Off the Grid can help anyone take control of his or her life and way of living. 50 b/w photographs.
More great books and gear for living off grid, self sufficiently, or building green: http://www.green-trust.org/bookshop/.
We have had a variety of generators over the years. Like most newbies we started out with the cheap department/hardware store B&S for about $300, and when that didn’t last the winter, we upgraded. When we had fewer solar panels, we depended on the generator more, so we looked at long life diesels. We experimented with a 50 year old Detroit that was way too big for our needs (and too noisy), and needed constant attention. We had a lister for a while, but that was a assemble yourself item, and it found a deserving home at 
