David Larkin, an internationally known editor and book designer, first tasted country living at the age of three, as a refugee from wartime London in rural England. Country Wisdom, the first in a projected series of three volumes, is centered around country houses and their outbuildings. Larkin offers a lively, informative text and more than 200 full-color photographs. The text includes everything from vernacular architecture in a historical perspective to restoration and maintenance; from country customs to seasonal festivals; from the kitchens of resourceful country cooks to the secrets of underground storage; from traditional recipes for cleaning formulas to the proper pitch of a roof.