Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods: Including Sod, Compressed Earth, Plaster, Straw, Beer Cans, Bottles, Cordwood, and Many Other Low Cost Materials

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This book is billed as a "complete guide" when what it really does is present only a thin sketch of the subject matter with very little insight or professional expertise involved. It reads like a high school term paper in which the student spent a few hours madly pulling stuff off of the internet without really doing any serious research. And don't buy this if you what you want is a guide for you to do alternative home building yourself. Every third paragraph ends with an admonishment to leave the job to a professional -- this despite several recipes for do-it-yourself building materials. And the organization of the book makes what little valuable information it has almost inaccessible. For example, although cordwood construction is specifically mentioned on the cover and takes up a number of pages and pictures inside, you won't find it on the table of contents or in the index. You will find it buried in an overlong and overbroad chapter that purports to be an overview of the building process. Supposed "case histories" interspersed throughout the book are frequently little more than thinly veiled ads for the subject's professional services or political agenda. You'd do better spending a few hours cruising the internet for better information than wasting money on this book. Besides, your internet search is likely to be more thorough and illuminating than anything this author came up with.

Just based on the title, this book seems promising. "Going green" is the craze right now, why not start with where we live? Upon opening the book, we are treated with a witty dedication that sets the tone. The rest of the book is just as humorous, clever, and fun.

The book adds a whole new dimension to the classic tale of three piggies. Turns out the piggies who built their houses about of straw, clay, and some new unconventional materials, such as rubber, plastic and glass, prevailed after all. Plus, they can save the planet.

Don't be mistaken. This isn't a how-to book on how to build your own house. By that I mean the book doesn't give step-by-step directions for everything that needs to be done in order to build a house--it just gives an overview of alternative home-building strategies, your choices and why. So if you're really serious about building your own house, you're going to need another, more technical book on what pipe connects to what hole, what each part of a house is, etc. In other words, this book doesn't give much technical basics; it's more specialized.

However, the book is still VERY informative. It doesn't miss much. Though it won't answer your really small, technical questions, it will answer most of your problems. Though the author claims to only cover "some" of the alternative home-building methods, I'd say it covers enough to build at least twenty different types of alternative homes.

If you're like me and are too lazy build your own house but love the idea of alternative home building, this book would make a great gift for your local builder. In fact, I think I'll buy one for them right now.
After all, unless we collectively make the change towards alternative home building, we'll all die of overpopulation and global warming. And to top it off, buying the book will save animals. You can feel that you contributed to a good cause because a portion of your purchase will go to The Humane Society of United States).

Ever consider building your own home? If you have, did it automatically include the use of timber or brick? Author Jon Hunan begins the information on the back cover of his book with this unsettling statement: "The construction of more than one million new homes each year causes a very substantial drain on natural resources." In his book, "The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials and Methods: Including Sod, Compressed Earth, Plaster, Straw, Beer Cans, Bottles, Cordwood, and Many Other Low Cost Materials", he shows his readers how to avoid contributing to that substantial drain and even help the environment by utilizing other more unconventional materials.

"The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building" is a fun look at the myriad possibilities to consider when planning the construction of an alternative materials home. Nunan covers everything from sod and compressed earth to cordwood and even tires and beer cans! He begins by noting that his book is not the only resource his readers should use then goes on to impart a wealth of information on permits and planning, site considerations, roof choices, insulation, and much more. And while he's correct in saying that no one book can truly be a `one stop shop', he gives so many helpful pointers that I kept thinking, `what else is there for me to research?' He continues by addressing the various alternative materials, the pros and cons for each, what works best in which climates, etc, etc, etc. Coupled with Nunan's witty style, the text was both informative and full of personality. I especially enjoyed the color section included in the middle of the book - it really brought the information to life. For readers with little to no exposure to these types of structures, it helped bring a sense of clarity to what Nunan was describing in his chapters. The black and white photographs throughout the book were wonderful as well but it's fantastic to see these amazing projects in full color!

Every green builder - whether novice or professional - needs to consider alternative materials when undertaking a construction project and "The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials and Methods: Including Sod, Compressed Earth, Plaster, Straw, Beer Cans, Bottles, Cordwood, and Many Other Low Cost Materials" is the best place to start!

Reviewed by Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"

The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods by Jon Nunan, is indeed just that, a concisely- written, yet extensive journey from how to build "new" green structures to options for greening existing structures through remodeling. Through step by step sections, case studies, resourceful websites, and a complete glossary, Nunan truly gives the reader an effective general education for green building.

The most impressive parts of the book are the how-to sections, included for everything from laying a foundation to building adobe bricks. These areas are detailed down to precise measures, and follow through to instructions on creation and implementation of materials. I also thought the wiring, plumbing and power source sections were very informative. My biggest complaint regarding the text is that though Nunan does an excellent job reminding us what methods are greener in relation to others, and also potential concerns with the use of certain materials, he suggests the use of Styrofoam or Polystyrene for insulation. Though he acknowledges the "bad rap" Styrofoam has received of late, he mentions that it can now be recycled. However, the most important concern that should be noted about this type of insulation is that it is not flame retardant, and if ignited, as in a house fire, the chemicals released are extremely toxic. It is mentioned that Styrofoam insulation is often covered with a flame retardant material because of this, which adds even more chemicals to the structure, when cellulose, denim, or other more eco-friendly types of insulation are readily available.

Another concern with this book was that Nunan kept referring to types of homes - cordwood, adobe, straw bale, etc., within the "planning" section, when these types of homes would not be defined or fully discussed until later. This causes the reader to have to revisit those sections after completing the book in order to truly grasp the concepts of how heating and cooling, wiring, etc., would be effectively used for the various structures. Aside from this strange organization of information and the suggestion of Styrofoam, I do believe the text contains a great amount of introductory information and serves as a good "first step" in the green building process for any eager new builder.