Ergonomic Living : How to Create a User-Friendly Home & Office (Paperback)

by Gordon Inkeles (Author), Iris Schencke (Author) "The traditional home entrance with coat closet, hall table and mirror comes to us courtesy of the nineteenth century, when life was much less complicated..." (more)
Key Phrases: ergonomic question, bad ergonomics, ergonomic advantages, New York, San Francisco, Commerce Drive Delray Beach (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
er*go*nom*ic (er-ga-'na-mik) adj: designed to allow people and the things people use to interact in the safest, most effective, and most comfortable manner

You work indoors. You're not on your feet all day and you do no heavy lifting. You have escaped from the brutal nature of most human labor. And yet at the end of the day you feel exhausted. You have vague aches and pains that you are embarrassed to mention to your doctor. If you do, the doctor gives you some equally vague advice: take it easy; don't push yourself; get more rest. If that doesn't work, maybe you're a whiner, a hypochondriac.

Or maybe you're being attacked by your possessions.

Perhaps you've been making do with a worn-out old mattress in the bedroom, an office chair that won't let you sit up straight, and a computer screen that you struggle to read with your bifocals. You bought a desk and a file cabinet whose colors complement each other perfectly, but you had no idea how downright irritating ordinary furniture can get if the only choice you bother with is matching style and color.

Somewhere in this world is a reading light, chair, bed, perhaps even a keyboard and desk, built just for you. This book will show you how to find them.

HOME

• How to Enter Your Home

• The Child-Friendly Home

• How to Prepare Food

• How to Relax

• How to Sleep

OFFICE

• Territory

• The Inner Circle

• Ambience

• Storage

• The Personal Computer

• The Information-Age Habitat

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; 1st edition (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002093081X
• ISBN-13: 978-0020930815
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #697,013 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical, helpful, readable, creative, flexible info., September 15, 1998

By A Customer

A wonderful guide for re-organizing, remodeling or building ergonomically. An idea book offering many helpful, practical suggestions to convert a house or office into a space that serves its occupants' needs in a healthful and affordable way. We recently purchased a new computer. Rather than just plugging it into the old environment, we recognized from reading Ergonomic Living that we could creatively devise a situation that really suited our family -- our bodies, timeframes and specific uses. We changed the room around so window glare was no longer directly on the monitor; we re-arranged computer station components and desks so at least 2 people could work simultaneously; we are investing in a good, adjustable chair which can position each family body at an optimal height to the workspace; we traded lamps for better lighting; and we developed and posted a use schedule to accommodate personal needs. The results have been astonishing in physical comfort and family peace. (and the chair was the only expense) Also as a direct result of Ergonomic Living ideas, we have incorporated a cozy well-lit chess corner, a horizontal space for jigsaw puzzles and gaming, and a ping pong table area; these Fun Spots eliminate frustrating set-up and take-down hassles, so PLAY is now a part of the daily household flow. Other benefits from the book at our house have been: entry hall chaos minimized, reading area improvements, sleep comfort up-grades, and child-friendly cupboard re-organizations. We give the book for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, house-warmings, bridal and baby showers, etc. -- Comfort is an appropriate message for all Occasions!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sleeper, February 4, 1999

By A Customer

How can you NOT love a book with a chapter called "How to Sleep?" Believe it or not, there is zero hype here. The authors have done their ergonomic homework and the solutions they come up with will amaze you. Highly recommended!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to create a healthful environment at home or at work, October 1, 1998

By A Customer

We got this book as a wedding gift and didn't really notice it at first. Then the author's unique world view took hold. Now we consult it everytime we make a purchase for my home or office. There's nothing else like it anywhere.