Customer Reviews

How to Build a Concrete Dome House: How to Build the Strongest, Most Fireproof, Tornado and Earthquake-resistant Concrete Dome House

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I agree with Mr. Morgan's review in a couple of points. The book does look like it is homemade, but I think the was on purpose. I Also agree that in a few sections, the author rambles a little bit too much. But those points are minor, overall I thought the book delivers on showing the reader how to build a concrete dome, he gives good advice on recommended tools for certain tasks, and he sounds like he has mixed cement on more than a few occasions. My beef with this book is there aren't any photos, at all.
A few hand-drawn illustrations of how to put up the rebar, one of a cross-section of wall, and a few floorplans at the very end, all hand-drawn. I need alot more detail if I am going feel confident enough to try to build my own concrete dome, to live in. Only one time did he say anything about where or how to position plumbing pipes, for example.
I would only buy another book from this guy only if it had alot more detail, and lots of photos so I can see how things are supposed to look like.

I agree with the other two coments, they could'nt have said it better. The book lacks a good "how to" picture section,a step by step of sorts. If I was given the confidence from this book on how to build my dome home I would write a book that would be thorough on the subect myself, for the sake of the benefit of others. If you can find it used it's worth the few dollars to have it around to fuel your dream. The writer does give a desent understanding of a simple method though. Three stars for production effort, time and some knowledge lol.

A couple things any prospective purchaser of this book should be aware of.

First, it is published by one of those on-demand web publishing concerns, thus, the quality is basically what you would get if you printed it off of your PC printer.

Secondly, the book is very short, by it is OVERWHELMINGLY LOADED with the authors rants and ravings that have very little to do with actual concrete dome construction. Matter of fact, I would say that 50% of this book is actually dedicated to concrete dome construction, while the rest is made up of "folksy advice" that has precisely zero to do with building a concrete dome.
Sorry, I don't need someone to tell me to "get a lawyer" when buying land or "go with my gut instinct" when hiring contractors. I bought this book to learn about how to build concrete domes- not advising me that in order to feel comfortable in my office, I "should never have a door to my back- I guess so no one could sneak up on you..." (You think I am kidding with that last quote- I am not)

Basically, this author comes off as a complete paranoid moonbat (he really does. I could go on and on with quotes, but for the sake of brevity, I'll spare you) who uses this book as a vehicle to promote his own skewed ideas on the world rather than to really teach people how to build concrete dome homes.

Still, I give this two stars instead of one because building concrete dome homes, while not Lincoln-Log simple, isn't that difficult and he does lay out the basics. Sadly, there aren't many other books which do that, so this book does have a purpose. Nevertheless, this book is just comes up short in so many ways.

All I could think of while I was reading this book was "Man, couldn't someone else have written this?"

I really liked this book, though simple and without any good pics, but a few diagrams. What would really
have made it much better is if I could have found Jan Hornas, the author - and found out more about how any
of his/her creations have held up over time, and any updated info since the book was written. After all, dome homes do seem to have a tendency to hold up much, much better than conventional houses in extreme weather such as hurricane's, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc --- but that is with very limited dome homes actually being
exposed to such things. I am anxious to see how these homes hold up in more of the actual world conditions.
For me, if I was to build a house today, I think it would be a dome home - but is the proper mix of concrete really the material of choice?

This book has major flaws too numerous to mention. The author bills himself as an "artist, inventor, and adventurer," "single, Pisces, forty-plus, and in search of a compatible, intelligent female companion," as if I may be interested in his dating preferences. The book itself is crude and appears homemade, as if it had been dictated into a pocket recorder, typed on a word processor, and then xeroxed. It is only 37 pages long, yet says very little about the actual details about concrete dome construction. It speaks mainly in generalities that can be found on the Web. Want to know what type of rebar to use? He tells you to consult an engineer. How to install windows? He simply tells you to "plan ahead." What specific type and mix of concrete to use? Who knows? How to get flat foam insulation panels to bend around a curved form and stay in place afterward? Beats me. He spends an entire page talking about Feng shui. I came away from reading this "book" with practically nothing I didn't already know (and I went in knowing only what I'd found on the Web).

We are looking to build a dome house. Great insight and truth about dome houses.

[ASIN:0741402246 How to Build a Concrete Dome House: How to Build the Strongest, Most Fireproof, Tornado and Earthquake-resistant Concrete Dome House]] Not worth the paper wasted to produce it!!

I was looking at a book about goedesic structured home but it wasn't really the main object of the books. Good information about dome construction anyway!!!!!!!!!