false 13838 7 Michael Pollan's <I>A Place of My Own</I> might be suspiciously viewed by some readers as a text begging for interpretation. What is it that causes this man at midlife to attempt to put up a structure, an actual wood and concrete dwelling, where he can work on his own craft away from his domestic life? Arguably, Pollan's intentions are more transparent than a too clever postmodern audience can easily appreciate. The author of this fine, well-crafted book offers an explanation that seems honest and understandable: "Whenever I heard myself described as an 'information service worker' or a 'symbolic analyst,' I wanted to reach for a hammer, or a hoe, and with it make something less virtual than a sentence." <P> In Pollan's bestselling book <I>Second Nature: A Gardener's Education,</I> he illustrated his facility with both hoe and pen. In <I>A Place of My Own</I> he hefts the hammer and again records with great intelligence how thoroughly thought and reflection can be woven into our common lives and the patterns of a day's work. His book's subtitle, "An Education of an Amateur Builder," captures much of what this book contains: the lessons learned by a diligent student of architecture, design, and construction. The writing contains no gaps or unsightly seams, and it's full of clues to readers who share a similar desire to build something tangible in a world that prizes the evanescent. 1874181 1997 A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder total:375|5:98|4:149|3:104|2:22|1:2| 375 1444 896 66 5 0 false false Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 15 18:33:17 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 17:10:44 -0700 2009
This book, unquestionably was the one standout fro...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Oct 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 19 11:53:03 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 19:43:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu May 08 15:45:05 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 11 23:38:31 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Sep 28 06:05:44 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 28 06:07:39 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sat Aug 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 10:38:08 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 31 13:29:16 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 14:12:45 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 26 05:53:23 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Mar 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Apr 08 06:07:06 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 08 06:51:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Mon May 04 18:43:15 -0700 2009 Mon May 04 18:48:49 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Mar 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 08:20:15 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 08:22:04 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 24 04:17:09 -0700 2007 Wed Dec 05 06:38:03 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 10:08:31 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 20 06:48:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Thu Jun 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 09:59:05 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 10:01:25 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Mar 28 14:45:09 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 14:49:11 -0700 2009 plus several poignant/hilarious accounts of architect vs. carpenter observations.]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 01 04:36:10 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 01 04:49:38 -0700 2007
I like that formula.

The biggest complement I can give ...more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Dec 08 07:15:45 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 08 07:18:44 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 30 12:18:52 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 07 18:15:04 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Tue Aug 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Nov 20 01:31:18 -0800 2008 Fri Sep 04 14:22:43 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu May 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 11:46:22 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 17:25:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Apr 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Feb 21 15:53:04 -0800 2009 Sun Apr 26 17:49:45 -0700 2009
I found myself falling in love with wood, tools, architecture, the attitudes of the construction workers I grew up around and a sense of place. The dreams I h...more...]]> 1 0 false false Thu Sep 10 13:30:02 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 10 13:30:50 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=13838