false 2205542 1 Finding the perfect house is never easy. Rebuilding one from a crumbling pile&#8212;to say nothing of making it into a home&#8212;is even harder. With their infant son in tow, David Giffels and his wife comb the environs of Akron, Ohio, in search of just the right house for their burgeoning family. Running through David's head the whole time are the lyrics of a Replacements song, ". . . Look me in the eye, then tell me that I'm satisfied," and it gives all the more purpose to their quest. But nothing seems right . . . until they spot a beautiful, decaying Gilded Age mansion. A former rubber industry executive's domain, the once grand residence lacks functional plumbing and electricity, leaks rain like a cartoon shack, and is infested with all manner of wildlife. But for a young man at a coming-of-age crossroads&#8212;"suspended between a perpetual youth and an inevitable adulthood"&#8212;the challenge is exactly the allure. <i>All the Way Home</i> follows Giffels's funny, poignant, and confounding journey as he and his wife and a colorful collection of helpers turn a money pit into a house that will complete their family. Nothing could prepare them for a home restoration epic that includes evicting squatters (both four- and two-legged), battling an invading wisteria vine, hunting a ghost, and discovering thousands of dollars in hidden Depression-era cash. But the story's heart lies deeper, in an unexpected series of personal hardships that call into question what "home" really means, and what it means to grow up. Written with the humor and insight of Bill Bryson and John Grogan, <i>All the Way Home</i> is the engaging tale of a young father's struggle to restore a house and find his way . . . without losing himself. 2211307 1 6 2008 All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House total:178|5:57|4:90|3:27|2:3|1:1| 178 733 326 77 3 1 false false Sun Oct 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 26 22:12:09 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 26 22:12:27 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 17 14:00:13 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 18 18:41:07 -0700 2008
Given my own experience with home renovation and those of my ...more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jun 27 09:35:14 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 09:47:26 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 15 19:57:42 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 15 20:06:32 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Aug 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 30 21:33:03 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 12:58:43 -0700 2009 House, but it might actually be even better. A few years back, David Giffels and his family bought a 1913 mansion in Akron that was days from being condemned and torn down, and being an inveterate fixer-upper, Giffels did his best to fix it ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Apr 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 23 06:52:56 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 26 10:48:05 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Aug 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 22:07:31 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 17 15:12:10 -0700 2008
He tells a good story and he's a very engaging writer. I suspect his main problem is that mostly men don't read this sort of t...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 24 08:52:42 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 27 13:30:11 -0700 2008 1 A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson, which I also loved (thank-you...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 21:12:55 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 17 21:21:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jun 02 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat May 31 09:26:50 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 03 10:00:22 -0700 2008
I had lots of respect for columnist, David Giffels, before and have even more now, but the man is insane!
...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Apr 14 07:42:20 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 14 07:46:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Feb 07 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 12:38:41 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 07 09:23:01 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Feb 25 10:31:35 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 25 10:37:04 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Aug 03 08:06:20 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 21:04:49 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Jul 02 13:26:11 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 02 13:26:30 -0700 2009 ]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jul 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 13:23:28 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 18:20:53 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Aug 18 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 11 08:56:07 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 18 13:08:33 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 08:24:30 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 08:28:57 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 08:27:39 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 08:28:42 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sat Jan 24 12:11:44 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 24 12:13:08 -0800 2009 Good read from an Akron girl!
The author is speaking @ Porter Library on Feb 6th]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=2205542