Customer Reviews

Housing Ourselves: Creating Affordable, Sustainable Shelter

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I'm surprised that this is the first review here for 'Housing Ourselves', but if you haven't read this book already, you should buy it now. Or at least go to your bookstore and read it.

'Housing Ourselves' essentially is a theoretical manual for the construction of affordable and sustainable rural houses; not to say that practical applications and examples are absent, or that the ideas can't be used on a suburban or urban lot, but I think Burnham himself makes the point that he's writing this book for the owner-builder out on the land.

Regardless, this is one of the very few books I've seen written for the every-day family who wants to build well, sustainably, and for the future on a budget; in addition, it's an idea-rich and inspirational book for affordable housing in general.

Read it as a how-to manual, read it as an essay on how to get back to affordable and sustainable design simply and for the long haul, but just read it. It's well-illustrated, well-written, and a good gift for your friends who want to build their own house.

- George Oliver georgeolivergo@yahoo.com