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...)

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.

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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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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Jim Locke sets gently on the undisturbed earth a mahogany box, opens it, and takes out his transit, which looks like a spyglass. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
extra pilasters, red shingles, temple end, framing hammer, framing plan, brick day, balloon framing, clear pine, ridge board, block plane, workmanlike manner

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Apple Corps, Greek Revival, Apple Valley, New England, New York, Bill Rawn, Bay Road, Connecticut River, Richard Gougeon, Jim Locke, Ned Krutsky, Alex Ghiselin, Dick Staelens, United States, Jonathan Souweine, Judith Souweine, Shelburne Falls, South Carolina, University of Massachusetts, High Moral Tone, Pelham Hills, Thomas Jefferson, Bernie Herman, Cape Cod, New World

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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 31 books:

• The Village Carpenter by Walter Rose on page 249, and Back Matter
• Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe on page 90
• Your Engineered House by R. Roberts on page 25
• Encyclopedia of Religion Vol 4 Conc - Ecol by Mircea Eliade in Back Matter
• Building the Dream: A Social History of Housing in America by Gwendolyn Wright in Back Matter

See all 31 books this book cites

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic by Gabrielle M. Lanier

Discusses:

• balloon framing
• ridge board
• Greek Revival

Ultimate Guide to House Framing by John D. Wagner Mr.

Discusses:

• framing hammer
• framing plan
• balloon framing

The Very Efficient Carpenter by Larry Haun

Discusses:

• framing hammer
• framing plan
• ridge board

House Framing by John D. Wagner Mr.

Discusses:

• framing hammer
• framing plan
• balloon framing

Precision Framing by Mike Guertin

Discusses:

• framing hammer
• framing plan
• ridge board

Advanced Framing Methods by Scott Simpson

Discusses:

• framing plan
• balloon framing
• ridge board

Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic by Gabrielle M. Lanier Discusses: balloon framing ridge board Greek Revival Ultimate Guide to House Framing by John D. Wagner Mr. Discusses: framing hammer framing plan balloon framing The Very Efficient Carpenter by Larry Haun Discusses: framing hammer framing plan ridge board House Framing by John D. Wagner Mr. Discusses: framing hammer framing plan balloon framing Loading...

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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews 5 star:  (13) 4 star:  (11) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (4) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 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. 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. 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.		Ad feedback   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 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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.

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.

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.