The Healthy House: How to buy one, How to build one, How to cure a sick one (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even a healthy homeowner may feel queasy after dipping into this book. Bower, a designer and builder who has written about the environment, states that some people are highly sensitive to household odors, dust, molds and plastics out-gassing, then goes on to warn that the number of such sufferers is increasing. Perhaps, but since Bower presents no hard data, his authority is called into question. And though he offers a long list of technical and scientific references in support of his arguments, at other points the author undermines his credibility, tossing ecological brickbats at many of today's building products, not always with the accuracy expected of a building professional. For example, Bower faults concrete roof tile for its porosity (which encourages mold) and periodic need of repainting (paint chemicals can adversely affect sensitive people), despite the fact that, as most roofers know, much concrete tile sold is permanently color-glazed and non-porous. In a single sentence, Bower dismisses vinyl, the highest-selling siding nationally, as simply "not recommended," with an imperiousness typical and regrettable.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Bower (Healthy House Building, Healthy House Inst., 1997) is an environmentally aware builder and designer whose search began in the early 1980s, when his wife needed a home that would not make her ill, particularly with respect to respiration. Not finding one, he set out to study the alternatives, finally producing this book in its first edition (Lyle Stuart, 1989). The current edition comprehensively expands and completely revises the earlier edition. Bower nicely details the whys, whats, and hows, even including analysis of three finished healthy homes. Resource material and notes are extensive and nicely organized. The index is well done, but two problems persist throughout: the text is very dense and thus not well suited to browsing, which limits access; and the notes are intrusive. Overall, however, this is a continuing fine effort offering a message that needs to be sent and more widely received.?Alexander Hartmann, INFOPHILE, Williamsport, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Healthy House Inst; 3 edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963715607
• ISBN-13: 978-0963715609
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,821,753 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, September 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Healthy House : How to buy one, How to build one, How to cure a sick one, 4th revised ed. (Paperback)

When this book came out, it was the best primer on Healthy Homes/Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. It is easy to read and covers most of the important stuff. John Bower has learned by doing.

He is one of the better authors covering home ventilation. On the down side, there are some vague referances not backed up with objective data.

All in all, well worth the money.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of good info on Indoor Air Quality, March 12, 2006

By	H. Schulte - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are concerned about indoor air quality, this is a good read. However, it left me a little paranoid. There are so many air contaminates listed in the book, it's hard to know how to improve your home. In the book itself it states that people have often replaced items in their home contributing to poor indoor air quality, only to find the replacement item was more toxic than the former item.

If you are building a home, read this first. If you already have a home.... this book will leave you wondering how to improve your life without spending your retirement fund.

Lots of good information in this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic. A must for for any library on healthy homes, August 17, 2007

By	Daniel Stih "Author, Healthy Living Spaces: T... (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Healthy House : How to buy one, How to build one, How to cure a sick one, 4th revised ed. (Paperback)

John Bower is one of the original pioneers in writing books about how to make your home healthy. This is the classic text that describes what might be unhealthy in a home and provides specific suggestions for alternatives. Lots of product information, i.e, where to order alternative building materials, less toxic-paint, safe insulation, etc.

Dan Stih is the author of Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health