check out lindsey publication at
http://www.lindsaybks.com/
they have all sorts of books that are republished, and newly written on all manner of do it yourself projects.
also check out homepower magazine, they have books on all sorts of stuff
http://homepower.com/
also you might look into what the sponser of this board have to offer,
i don't know where you live but here in the seattle area there are tons of old book, used book, half price book stores. i hunt these regularly to find old books on everything from motor rewinding, refridgeration, electrical, electronics, wood/metal working etc.
alot of the books written before, during and after the first world war, are written by folks that did the work, so are more practical and easier to understand.
also books written around the great depression where alot of folks were heading from the cities and back to the land are pretty well written, with alot of useful idea's on building and all kinds of other stuff.
my wife refer's to me, as the keeper of odd knowlege, i hope before i die to amass as large a collection of these old books as i can.
i once passed up and autographed set of electrical books, (the set was 6 volumes, one was missing) by nikola tesla. i am still kicking myself in the ass over that one! not that anything withing them was terribly useful to me know, but just to have them would have been very cool.
other books that might be of interest are from the mid 70's when the arab oil embargo really woke folks up in this country, alot was published then on all manner of AE, and alternative building techniques, they run the gamit from very useful, to at least entertaining.
i usually stop at every garage sale i see that has books, have found a few gems there over the years.
btw, having gone thru a horrible divorce, a couple of years back, i lost my library of alexandra so to speak, i suspect she trash canned all of them just to spite me.
but i have found many replacements the last couple of years.
books i like that have some usefull info that are old
"five acres and independence" by M.G. Kains, originally from the late 30's or 40's butis still being reprinted
"Walden" by Henry David Throreau , from around 1848 or so, still be reprinted and is a classic. personally i think it should be a class in high school myself!
"back to basic's" by Reader Digest Press, not sure but i think from the mid 70's
good overview on all facets of going it on your own., alot of good basic information, and points to ponder.
start digging, whatever your politics re: saving tree's and all that, for godsakes save the old books where ever you can
bob g