Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology [Hardcover]

Ken Butti (Author), John Perlin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This product is not a traditionally bound book. Many ProQuest UMI products are black-and-white reproductions of original publications produced through the Books On Demand ® program. Alternately, this product may be a photocopy of a dissertation or it may be a collection reproduced on microfiche or microfilm if it is intended for library purchase. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: Cheshire Books; First Edition edition (June 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0442240058
• ISBN-13: 978-0442240059
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Energy Policy & Human Nature, February 12, 2002

By 

James Clayton (Santa Rosa, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology (Hardcover)

I found this in a used bookstore while I was on the road throughout California installing solar drinking water distillers that a bitter, old curmugeon and I built. He was apparently wrecked emotionally by the fact that no one was interested in solar thermal technology in the eighties. I was fascinated by the fact that, as we worked and philosophized, we caught the play-by-play of the Gulf War on television. An American Solar Energy Society editorial lamented that US foreign aid to Israel was building "California Ranch Style" homes on the West Bank complete with solar water heaters while California refused to even subsidize research let alone tax incentives for such energy conservation measures which is what wrecked the American solar thermal industry.

Long before glass, construction was perfected that offered comfortable housing based upon proper site orientation and architectural principles apparently long since forgotten.

Photos of early Los Angeles with Day & Night brand solar + natural gas water heaters on roof after roof.

This is a book for honest to goodness leaders to ponder and then roll up their sleeves and start changing the world.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, April 29, 2008

By 

josinc (San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Golden Thread: Twentyfive Hundred Years of Solar Architecture and Technology (Hardcover)

We've grown so addicted to plentiful and cheap energy that we've forgotten what we know about energy conservation and alternate sources of energy. This book reminds us. We were going to build an envelope house in 1982. This book convinced me to build a super insulated house instead (works better and is less expensive). We build and sold two of them in '83, and they worked perfect. This is a delightful history full of good ideas that will work today and tomorrow. Now in 2008, as I contemplate retirement, I will reread the book and build myself a super insulated retirement house soon. (Note that a super insulated house is a specific design, not just more insulation.) This book is a gem.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solar energy in perspective, May 26, 2009

By 

Dennig Glasser - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book. This book is a must for anyone interested in solar energy. It places the art (and science) in a historical perspective and traces its development through relatively modern times. It also makes it clear why there is not more solar energy utilized in our present society.

I found a passive solar home for sale. I made an offer and lost out to another buyer. But that started me doing a lot of research. Our library had a lot of books that were written in response to the "energy crisis" in the 70's as well as a number that were strongly influenced by the counter culture and those wanting to drop their dependance on an economy based on a large central based system of power suppliers.

I read almost all the books they had. This book was among them. It is the one book I would most want. It is not a "how to" book. It was a look at things that showed that there was really nothing new under the sun. Simple put solar energy and energy conservation flourished when traditional energy was high or even not available and sunlight was plentiful.

The fastest way to get everybody to become reinterested in solar energy: Let energy prices quadruple. The higher energy prices get, the easier it becomes to justify the technology.

Final note: the deal the other buyer had for the house fell through and we were able to buy it. Of course it was in Michigan and one of the books I read was a case study of solar homes in Michigan. It noted what I was to find out - passive solar homes in a place that is overcast most of the winter do not perform that well. It was still a great house and had wood heat and because of the passive part of the design the house was full of light all day long. And it was extremely well insulated. Our monthly energy bill was never more than $30. When the sun did shine we could let the fire go out and the house would stay around 65-70F, with nothing but the sun.