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House (Paperback)

by Tracy Kidder (Author) "Jim Locke sets gently on the undisturbed earth a mahogany box, opens it, and takes out his transit, which looks like a spyglass..." (more)
Key Phrases: extra pilasters, red shingles, temple end, Apple Corps, Greek Revival, Apple Valley (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Tracy Kidder takes readers to the heart of the American Dream: the building of a family's first house with all its day-to-day frustrations, crises, tensions, challenges, and triumphs.

About the Author
Tracy Kidder, whose most recent book is Home Town, is also the author of Among Schoolchildren and Old Friends. He has won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He lives in Massachusetts and Maine.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Mariner Books; 1st Mariner Books Ed edition (October 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0618001913
  • ISBN-13: 978-0618001910
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,997 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #17 in  Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > House Plans
    #80 in  Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Design & Construction
    #82 in  Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Building Types & Styles > Residential




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32 Reviews
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 (3)
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This story pulls no punches, July 4, 2000
By Dave Typinski (High Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews
If you are thinking about becoming a builder, or are thinking about having a house built for you, this is a must-read. Be prepared for Kidder's no holds barred account of how devious a home buyer can be just to save relatively little money, how unprepared a builder can be to deal with such situations, and what crucial role good communication between the home buyer, architect, and builder plays getting the project completed on time and on budjet. Kidder emphasizes the fact that building a house is not just about people doing buisiness in an impersonal manner, but that personalities play a crucial role in any business relationship. Kidder also makes clear that the involved parties' abilities to see the other sides point of view in a dispute are paramount to achieving the ultimate goal in business: the customer gets a quality product on time and no one feels they're cheated at the end of the transaction. This is not an instruction manual; Kidder offers little advice on what is proper or what the characters could do better. Kidder simply relates an accurate account of the process of building a home, mostly with an eye toward human relations; a wise reader will learn from the successes and mistakes of the characters herein.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars House: A teacher's tool !!!, September 30, 2003
By Frank DeSantis (Staten Island, NY United States) - See all my reviews
When I first read House I was enthralled. Finally, a book about the building of a house from inception to possession. I started to use excerpts from the book in my high school construction classes, and then bought 35 copies to use with my students. I now have the book broken down into about 25 lessons and read it each year with my new classes. It adapts very well in a construction technology program for Vocational high school students, and with the current emphasis on literacy we get an added bonus. Thank you Tracy Kidder, you have helped many students over the past 5 years.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to those in the building trade!, December 19, 2005
By M. T. Guzman "squeakychu" (Rockville, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I think this book is wonderful. It gives an insight into and expresses an appreciation for those individuals in the building trade -- many of whom are extremely bright, talented and quite often underappreciated.

The characters in this book are so lifelike; the conversations so real. I can feel the tension in the air between Jim (the builder and lead carpenter), Bill (the architect), and Jonathan and Judith Souweine (the owners) The workers are great, too. Their comments are snide and funny. I often hear stories from my husband in his concrete business of how architect's plans are not always practical or realistic when construction actually takes place. I love seeing how this situation plays out in the book.

SPOILER--> I really felt for the builders when their profit was disappointingly small in the end. Kidder not only captured the nuances of interpersonal relations between those involved in all aspects of the house's construction, but also the very essense of each character's personality.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hints and whispers
I fail to understand the criticisms of Judith and Jonathan Souweine in so many reviews.

99% of professional people know zilch about the actual process of... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Paul E. Schoaff

5.0 out of 5 stars Dream home, and a few nightmares
A friend who is planning to build a house was asking me some questions. (My husband is a contractor and has built many custom homes; he now works as an author and as a home... Read more
Published 5 months ago by M. Barker

2.0 out of 5 stars i'd rather have a root canal
This is obviously well written, but oh, what a bore! I HATE having to deal with contractors in real life. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Manola Sommerfeld

5.0 out of 5 stars Please build me a house
I fell in love with these builders. I was so happy to see that Jim Locke did his own book and is apparently successful in his business. I just hope the others are too. Read more
Published 15 months ago by C. Harper

2.0 out of 5 stars Psycho-Drama of building
Unlike most others, I disliked this book. I tried to get through it twice, separated by a few years, but I give up. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Lynetta Anne

4.0 out of 5 stars New Homeowners Get Lucky
As a builder myself, I find that Kidder presents a fascinating picture about the process of building a house. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Cape Fear Thespian

4.0 out of 5 stars good read
If the Souweines were happy about their house, they probably weren't happy with this book. I got the feeling that Kidder set out to be totally impartial about all of the people... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Daniel McCauley

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good
We're going through a major remodel, so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. It's been a pretty good read, with fairly accurate descriptions of each party's position... Read more
Published 23 months ago by B. Argov

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
I have enjoyed all the other Tracy Kidder books I've read (Among Schoolchildren, Old Friends, Home Town, My Detachment, Mountains Beyond Mountains), so it was with a heavy heart... Read more
Published on July 9, 2007 by T. Hill

4.0 out of 5 stars Writes about one of the key needs we have as adults - housing and self image
There are perhaps four non-fiction authors I really admire - John Keegan, John McPhee, Dana Sobel, and Tracy Kidder. Read more
Published on June 16, 2007 by Sandra Jones

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