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Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities
Most of us have noticed the new subdivisions filled with McMansions pumped up on steroids, neighbors who demolished their cottage and replaced it with a mini-castle, the friend of a friend's childless brother who just added on a third bedroom. Many of us have suffered the consequences of an inflated mortgage, an unmanageable construction project, or a house simply too large to keep clean. Will our dream home always be a celebration of excess, and a drain on our lives?
Some wise people buck the trend. They build, remodel, redecorate, or just rethink their needs--prudently and calmly constructing a joyful, sane life around themselves. They think, sometimes literally, outside the box, and they live close, warm, and simple, applying spiritual and social solutions to their material desires. Pockets of people all over the continent are realizing the benefits of scaling down. They are designing a new dream, one that reunites extended families, makes space for friends, and emphasizes home life over home maintenance.
Little House on a Small Planet is a guidebook to this movement, and an invitation to join. Author Shay Salomon offers fourteen basic principles for the design and habitation of efficient, high-density homes. These fourteen principles outline the invisible supports of a happy home, set within the context of a future, more caring society. With floor plans, photographs, advice, and anecdotes, Little House on a Small Planet asks and answers, "What fills a home when the excess is cut away, and how do we get there from here?"
Some wise people buck the trend. They build, remodel, redecorate, or just rethink their needs--prudently and calmly constructing a joyful, sane life around themselves. They think, sometimes literally, outside the box, and they live close, warm, and simple, applying spiritual and social solutions to their material desires. Pockets of people all over the continent are realizing the benefits of scaling down. They are designing a new dream, one that reunites extended families, makes space for friends, and emphasizes home life over home maintenance.
Little House on a Small Planet is a guidebook to this movement, and an invitation to join. Author Shay Salomon offers fourteen basic principles for the design and habitation of efficient, high-density homes. These fourteen principles outline the invisible supports of a happy home, set within the context of a future, more caring society. With floor plans, photographs, advice, and anecdotes, Little House on a Small Planet asks and answers, "What fills a home when the excess is cut away, and how do we get there from here?"
265 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
11 people are currently reading
709 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 9, 2020
The book is written in an accessible, common manner which is refreshing. The book is full of ideas for building an earth friendly small home or renovating an older home in a cost effective way. Very practical information which also includes cohousing. and using readily available, low cost products to save money and maximize investment. Very practical and clever. I'm excited to have my own tiny house one day.
November 10, 2011
While I marked this book as "read", in reality I skimmed it. It's interesting enough and well-written enough that it could be a cover-to-cover read. I set out to read it that way, but since we just bought a house in the suburbs three months ago, I could't bring myself to do any more than skim it.
Things I liked:
-The approach. The book got me thinking about what "home" means to me and the way in which I use the spaces in my home.
-The profiles. Seeing the variety of people and living situations of those living in smaller houses gave me a sense of the possibilities for my family at different stages in our lives. I also found it comforting when people moved from a small house into a larger one until their kids moved out and then moved back to a smaller house. It helped me feel a little better about our "bigger" house (our house isn't huge, but I was hoping to keep it closer to 1000 square feet. We're closer to 2000. *sigh* I know...horrible problem to have, whine, whine).
-The floorplans. I am a sucker for floorplans. I wonder sometimes if I ought to have been an architect. Or perhaps just a person who does architectural drawing. I loved that class in junior high. The good old T square and I were good buddies.
-The history. I knew houses were smaller back in the day, but I didn't really understand how that worked in real life. How do you raise four children in 850 square feet?
Things I didn't like:
-The author seems to assume a baseline level of practical ability and home building/improvement practices. Small house living doesn't seem to be for the all-thumbs neophyte. Even if you've got a pre-built home and you don't plan to mold it from mud and straw yourself, you still need to have some level of know-how to, you know, put in a loft or rig a system for elevating your dehydrated apple slices. The suggestion to "go vertical" requires some knowledge of how to build a stable structure that goes upwards. Between my husband and me, even choosing paint colors is beyond our combined abilities. When we move into a house, the walls stay just the way they were when we moved in. In fact, everything stays just the way it was. I even base where I hang photos on where there are already nails in the walls. If something---anything---breaks, we have to hire someone to fix it. We even had to hire someone to get an interior door to stop sticking. We have one here that won't even close all the way, but since we've not yet found a handy-person in our new town, we just leave it ajar all the time. We are seriously inept.
-The majority of the small houses were in areas where the climate allowed for at least some level of year-round outdoor living. A small house in New England would mean something different than a small house in southern Arizona. (No outdoor shower, for one thing.)
I guess that's all I didn't like about the book. It really was quite good, and I can see myself using some of the insights as I choose how to use the space we have in our current home. I can also see myself picking it back up next time we go to move into a new home. Who knows...maybe by then my husband or I will have acquired some practical skills. It could happen.
Things I liked:
-The approach. The book got me thinking about what "home" means to me and the way in which I use the spaces in my home.
-The profiles. Seeing the variety of people and living situations of those living in smaller houses gave me a sense of the possibilities for my family at different stages in our lives. I also found it comforting when people moved from a small house into a larger one until their kids moved out and then moved back to a smaller house. It helped me feel a little better about our "bigger" house (our house isn't huge, but I was hoping to keep it closer to 1000 square feet. We're closer to 2000. *sigh* I know...horrible problem to have, whine, whine).
-The floorplans. I am a sucker for floorplans. I wonder sometimes if I ought to have been an architect. Or perhaps just a person who does architectural drawing. I loved that class in junior high. The good old T square and I were good buddies.
-The history. I knew houses were smaller back in the day, but I didn't really understand how that worked in real life. How do you raise four children in 850 square feet?
Things I didn't like:
-The author seems to assume a baseline level of practical ability and home building/improvement practices. Small house living doesn't seem to be for the all-thumbs neophyte. Even if you've got a pre-built home and you don't plan to mold it from mud and straw yourself, you still need to have some level of know-how to, you know, put in a loft or rig a system for elevating your dehydrated apple slices. The suggestion to "go vertical" requires some knowledge of how to build a stable structure that goes upwards. Between my husband and me, even choosing paint colors is beyond our combined abilities. When we move into a house, the walls stay just the way they were when we moved in. In fact, everything stays just the way it was. I even base where I hang photos on where there are already nails in the walls. If something---anything---breaks, we have to hire someone to fix it. We even had to hire someone to get an interior door to stop sticking. We have one here that won't even close all the way, but since we've not yet found a handy-person in our new town, we just leave it ajar all the time. We are seriously inept.
-The majority of the small houses were in areas where the climate allowed for at least some level of year-round outdoor living. A small house in New England would mean something different than a small house in southern Arizona. (No outdoor shower, for one thing.)
I guess that's all I didn't like about the book. It really was quite good, and I can see myself using some of the insights as I choose how to use the space we have in our current home. I can also see myself picking it back up next time we go to move into a new home. Who knows...maybe by then my husband or I will have acquired some practical skills. It could happen.
May 23, 2009
I was interested in small houses before I found this book, but now that I'm reading it I am convinced that small houses are the way to go. In the US it seems like having a small house has become a sign of deprivation, and it's hard to get around that mental block or to believe - really believe - that less is more. And having a small house would mean, logically, having less stuff. Less stuff can translate into less time cleaning, more time to do other things, more energy to spend on the activities and the people you really enjoy. Smaller houses may also mean less money in heating and cooling costs, less money on rent or mortgages which means more money to save, travel, or simply the freedom not to work full-time. Small houses are often greener than large ones; smaller footprint, lower energy usage and hopefully a more mindful consumerism, which means less waste.
Small houses. Yeah.
Small houses. Yeah.
September 19, 2010
This book is kind of like a textbook with large pages, lots of images and anecdotes, which makes it easy to read in excerpts if one didn't have the time or attention to read the book like a novel.
I enjoyed hearing the message to live simply and reading of the many ways the authors and contributors are moving towards that goal, primarily in housing. This certainly isn't preachy; the book clearly sends the message that there's no one right way to live. But it does encourage us to live simply for our own benefit - decreased stress about mortgage payments, less time spent cleaning the house and more time spent enjoying it, improved health from healthier building materials and increased time living outside, improved relationships by being more of a community and less isolated. I think anyone would be able to draw one idea from this book that would increase their happiness - even those who are not concerned about ecology.
I enjoyed hearing the message to live simply and reading of the many ways the authors and contributors are moving towards that goal, primarily in housing. This certainly isn't preachy; the book clearly sends the message that there's no one right way to live. But it does encourage us to live simply for our own benefit - decreased stress about mortgage payments, less time spent cleaning the house and more time spent enjoying it, improved health from healthier building materials and increased time living outside, improved relationships by being more of a community and less isolated. I think anyone would be able to draw one idea from this book that would increase their happiness - even those who are not concerned about ecology.
April 7, 2011
A little bit more environmentalist than me.
I started feeling guilty about all the junk stored in my garage. It was quite interesting reading all the case studies describing different small spaces that various people live in. Many built themselves, without a mortgage. Lots of outdoor time. It's good to read something that challenges the status quo of home ownership. Lots of thought provoking ideas. Many I'd read about before. Co-housing. Tumbleweed Tiny houses. Adobe. Straw Bale.
I do love living outside. And I enjoyed thinking about my relationship to the outdoors. And thinking about what is the minimum is important. Because all too often we want to "own" as much house as the bank will let us have. And then spend our lives filling up too much space with too much junk. And heating and cooling and paying interest and upkeep on those rarely used rooms.
I started feeling guilty about all the junk stored in my garage. It was quite interesting reading all the case studies describing different small spaces that various people live in. Many built themselves, without a mortgage. Lots of outdoor time. It's good to read something that challenges the status quo of home ownership. Lots of thought provoking ideas. Many I'd read about before. Co-housing. Tumbleweed Tiny houses. Adobe. Straw Bale.
I do love living outside. And I enjoyed thinking about my relationship to the outdoors. And thinking about what is the minimum is important. Because all too often we want to "own" as much house as the bank will let us have. And then spend our lives filling up too much space with too much junk. And heating and cooling and paying interest and upkeep on those rarely used rooms.
August 13, 2007
This book explores possibilities and real people in what seem like impossibly small spaces. Not just single hermits, but families, partners and communities thriving in their chosen small spaces.
It makes our 1,200 sq/ft seem huge. It was important to me that we live walking-distance to everything when we chose a home and I'm so glad that we did. Last night at 9 p.m. I walked to the grocery store to pick up some milk and just enjoyed looking up at the stars in the clear sky.
The emphasis of the book is how living "small" is actually "living big" and I hope after reading all these books about down-sizing and simple-living that I can change my lifestyle and perspective.
Love to all!
It makes our 1,200 sq/ft seem huge. It was important to me that we live walking-distance to everything when we chose a home and I'm so glad that we did. Last night at 9 p.m. I walked to the grocery store to pick up some milk and just enjoyed looking up at the stars in the clear sky.
The emphasis of the book is how living "small" is actually "living big" and I hope after reading all these books about down-sizing and simple-living that I can change my lifestyle and perspective.
Love to all!
March 28, 2016
This book is a great resource for those who are thinking about going green (& not with envy at all the folks already living their tree change). Whist it is not a book that I read in the read in the traditional sense, it was one that I dipped my toe into, reading some bits here and other parts there. In fact, as this copy was borrowed from my local library, I was sorry when I had to return it, as there was so much more to be learned in its pages.
July 2, 2008
This is a book you may never think to browse at the bookstore, but I recommend you do so. It triggered a paradigm shift for me in the way I think of "home". There's a reason the "small house movement" has been sweeping the country in this age of McMansions and ritualistic compulsive consumption.
August 20, 2011
This book makes me feel cozy.
November 29, 2011
Inspiring, eye opening, life changing to see what freedom looks like and what is possible!
August 11, 2015
What I thought I was getting:
Here's a bunch of clever projects to eek out more space while minimizing your energy usage of your small house.
What I got:
"Why would someone spend $1000 on a composting toilet when they can get the same result with a bucket and a light bulb."
Why indeed.
This has nothing to do with making small houses more livable or more efficient. It's about justifying a particular brand of bat-shit crazy minimalism through profile after profile of people who live in not small, but ridiculously small houses. And possibly shit in buckets.
Sample profile: Jeannie lived in a house with her husband in the suburbs. He started thinking she was crazy when she asked everyone she came in contact with how to build houses out of corncobs and mud. She built a 100 square foot house for herself in the desert, where she has lived quietly since the divorce.
Hmm. Has two major components of sanity: being extremely alone in a small space and, of course, corncobs.
And according to the book, tiny spaces are great for parties. People love to sit in the small attic room where knees can't help but touch. It's cozy. So what if Jim never blinks? So what if you can tell that Moonbeam opted for walla walla sweet onions instead of leeks this week. So what if a dick may or may not have grazed your ear. You're together and involuntarily touching in a mud house just like people did 10,000 years ago.
What are the odds that people who live in a 10x10 house made of mud enjoy deodorant? Who cares, man? This is communal and raw and the only way to get it is through a community of small houses. Large houses are for Earth raping capitalists...
Stop. Stop. Stop. Fuck this book. Fuck it right in it's stupid, fucking ear.
I live in a small house and I think if someone wants to live in a large house and has the means, there's nothing wrong with that. You want a bedroom for every day of the week? Cool. You have a bowling alley and a retro arcade in the basement? I will make a generous offer if I ever play/win the lottery.
What this book does is turn house size a moral judgement. Large house = bad. Small house = good. Tiny house made of mud and fish heads housing 8 people, moral bliss.
There are places that have clusters of tiny communal homes. In the first world they're called trailer parks. In the third world, they're called slums. If you have to live in one, you do the best you can. If you don't have to, you probably don't seek to. It's an odd perspective to propose that being packed into a slum is somehow superior to living in a mcmansion suburb. It's an even odder one that suggests building a mud hut and shitting in a bucket as superior to that. If that's you, and you need backup, this book IS your backup. If you're not, this book is not going to do anything for you but exercise your eyeballs as they attempt to roll out of their sockets.
Here's a bunch of clever projects to eek out more space while minimizing your energy usage of your small house.
What I got:
"Why would someone spend $1000 on a composting toilet when they can get the same result with a bucket and a light bulb."
Why indeed.
This has nothing to do with making small houses more livable or more efficient. It's about justifying a particular brand of bat-shit crazy minimalism through profile after profile of people who live in not small, but ridiculously small houses. And possibly shit in buckets.
Sample profile: Jeannie lived in a house with her husband in the suburbs. He started thinking she was crazy when she asked everyone she came in contact with how to build houses out of corncobs and mud. She built a 100 square foot house for herself in the desert, where she has lived quietly since the divorce.
Hmm. Has two major components of sanity: being extremely alone in a small space and, of course, corncobs.
And according to the book, tiny spaces are great for parties. People love to sit in the small attic room where knees can't help but touch. It's cozy. So what if Jim never blinks? So what if you can tell that Moonbeam opted for walla walla sweet onions instead of leeks this week. So what if a dick may or may not have grazed your ear. You're together and involuntarily touching in a mud house just like people did 10,000 years ago.
What are the odds that people who live in a 10x10 house made of mud enjoy deodorant? Who cares, man? This is communal and raw and the only way to get it is through a community of small houses. Large houses are for Earth raping capitalists...
Stop. Stop. Stop. Fuck this book. Fuck it right in it's stupid, fucking ear.
I live in a small house and I think if someone wants to live in a large house and has the means, there's nothing wrong with that. You want a bedroom for every day of the week? Cool. You have a bowling alley and a retro arcade in the basement? I will make a generous offer if I ever play/win the lottery.
What this book does is turn house size a moral judgement. Large house = bad. Small house = good. Tiny house made of mud and fish heads housing 8 people, moral bliss.
There are places that have clusters of tiny communal homes. In the first world they're called trailer parks. In the third world, they're called slums. If you have to live in one, you do the best you can. If you don't have to, you probably don't seek to. It's an odd perspective to propose that being packed into a slum is somehow superior to living in a mcmansion suburb. It's an even odder one that suggests building a mud hut and shitting in a bucket as superior to that. If that's you, and you need backup, this book IS your backup. If you're not, this book is not going to do anything for you but exercise your eyeballs as they attempt to roll out of their sockets.
January 22, 2008
Little House On A Small Planet
I loved this book. It's a reminder that you dont have to automatically buy a tract home in the suburbs because 'thats just what you do when you grow up'.
For me, it's a reminder that I am not the only one who feels this way. There are other options. Personally, I've always loved the idea of small houses. Even as a teenager, I already had a small-house ideology. My housing motto was "I dont want a big house, I want a bunch of small ones so I can move around, take vacations, and offer them to my friends and family to use." As I got older, "I want small houses so I dont have to worry much about my job" was added on.
The book profiles a wide range of individuals and lifestyles, from people living in small but luxe homes in exclusive areas to couples living in less than 200sq ft in rural areas. While you may not aspire to emulate most of these people, this book has the potential to open your mind to possibilities in your own living situation.
Like one of the couples profiled in the book, I often find myself confessing "We live in a tiny house". I try to hold back the urge to proselytize and convert... To explanation that we are not poor, we can afford a 'nicer' house, but We Choose Not To. We want to live more and work less. We want to travel. We want to maintain and store less stuff. That we want to opt out of the 'house size = income level = measurement of success = social worth' equation.
Recently, we moved from a 670sq.ft. home to a 1100sq.ft. home with a correspondingly larger mortgage payment. The floorplan in the smaller house felt a little too cramped for our household of 2 + dog and a work-from-home office. It could have been reconfigured to meet our needs in that size space, but we didnt plan to live in that neighborhood long term and would never get back the renovation costs. Our new house is light-filled and better suited to our needs. But we are feeling the price of that, in our wallets and in heightened anxiety levels when we hear about layoffs, forclosures, and recessions.
And I feel a sense of space guilt. We now have more than we need and it feels gluttonous. I try to remind myself that we are well within the 'average'. When we visit the homes of our peers, I feel the occasional twinge of envy, and then I remember that we dont want that kind of debt. We dont want the emotional weight of all those possessions. And I sure don't want to have to clean all that!
Maybe you can relate. If so, this is a book you will probably enjoy reading.
I loved this book. It's a reminder that you dont have to automatically buy a tract home in the suburbs because 'thats just what you do when you grow up'.
For me, it's a reminder that I am not the only one who feels this way. There are other options. Personally, I've always loved the idea of small houses. Even as a teenager, I already had a small-house ideology. My housing motto was "I dont want a big house, I want a bunch of small ones so I can move around, take vacations, and offer them to my friends and family to use." As I got older, "I want small houses so I dont have to worry much about my job" was added on.
The book profiles a wide range of individuals and lifestyles, from people living in small but luxe homes in exclusive areas to couples living in less than 200sq ft in rural areas. While you may not aspire to emulate most of these people, this book has the potential to open your mind to possibilities in your own living situation.
Like one of the couples profiled in the book, I often find myself confessing "We live in a tiny house". I try to hold back the urge to proselytize and convert... To explanation that we are not poor, we can afford a 'nicer' house, but We Choose Not To. We want to live more and work less. We want to travel. We want to maintain and store less stuff. That we want to opt out of the 'house size = income level = measurement of success = social worth' equation.
Recently, we moved from a 670sq.ft. home to a 1100sq.ft. home with a correspondingly larger mortgage payment. The floorplan in the smaller house felt a little too cramped for our household of 2 + dog and a work-from-home office. It could have been reconfigured to meet our needs in that size space, but we didnt plan to live in that neighborhood long term and would never get back the renovation costs. Our new house is light-filled and better suited to our needs. But we are feeling the price of that, in our wallets and in heightened anxiety levels when we hear about layoffs, forclosures, and recessions.
And I feel a sense of space guilt. We now have more than we need and it feels gluttonous. I try to remind myself that we are well within the 'average'. When we visit the homes of our peers, I feel the occasional twinge of envy, and then I remember that we dont want that kind of debt. We dont want the emotional weight of all those possessions. And I sure don't want to have to clean all that!
Maybe you can relate. If so, this is a book you will probably enjoy reading.
June 26, 2009
My friend Matt loaned me this book. He was very clearly excited about the ideas presented here, particularly community housing. I can see why he is so excited. There are some very appealing ideas the author conveys. I basic idea is that people can live in smaller homes, being more ecologically concerned, and improve their lives and the lives of those around them. I like the idea of building your own home and specially keeping it small so that you can own it outright or in a few years rather than on a 30+ year mortgage. The author talks a lot about finding financial freedom through smaller living. There are a lot of other currently popular ideas that go along with the small housing, such as gardening, using alternative power sources, reducing consumerism, using ecologically sound building materials, etc. I like a lot of what is presented in this book and I feel like it meshes with some of the changes I've made recently in my thinking about being more environmentally friendly, caring for my family, being healthier and happier, and keeping the consumer in me at bay. I don't know if I could personally live in a much smaller home than I already live in, not to mention living in a co-housing community, but I think the book will shape some of my future thoughts an opinions on what I want to do and where I want to go. Thanks Matt.
February 20, 2010
This book is about so much more than small houses. I think even if you live in a large house and want to stay that way, this book will inspire you to change in some other way, by planting a garden, renting out your daylight basement so your house doesn't feel so empty, getting solar power and superinsulating your home, or whatever. There are just so many stories of families who are doing amazing things, living by choice on so little, or helping their communities, creating community, etc. The book is not at all preachy, and every story is told with the knowledge that what works for one family may not work for everyone else. But it can be done! Quite inspiring.
And not only that, but I now feel totally at peace with owning our own tiny house. I had started to feel some worry that we would outgrow it as our kids get to be young men, but the stories in this book illustrated so many ways that people benefit from their tiny houses, and make their small spaces work. This book is a refreshing course in looking at your house, your neighborhood, and your community differently.
I would recommend it to everyone I know.
And not only that, but I now feel totally at peace with owning our own tiny house. I had started to feel some worry that we would outgrow it as our kids get to be young men, but the stories in this book illustrated so many ways that people benefit from their tiny houses, and make their small spaces work. This book is a refreshing course in looking at your house, your neighborhood, and your community differently.
I would recommend it to everyone I know.
February 15, 2010
I was the lucky winner of a copy of this book from Goodreads. For anyone interested in ways to reduce their impact on the environment, this book has many useful ideas. Even if you are not interesting in selling your home and moving into a 300 sq. ft. house, there are many other options for reducing your human footprint. The author takes you through three main ideas- reduce, rethink and relax. The reader is forced to rethink why they live the ways they do. Many different homes and floor plans are presented to the reader with the stories of the people actually living in them. A guide to finding financing and working with housing bylaws is also included but this is the one area of the book where I thought the author was a little naive. Many of the homes would fit in well in the unregulated countryside but would never be approved in the city. Hopefully as more people publish and read books about alternative housing methods, the rules will start to change. (On a personal note, I was delighted to see my own Uncle Doug MacDonald's housing included in the book.)
Read
July 31, 2011This is a fascinating book, written by authors who are knowledgeable and entertaining. They led me to examine assumptions I had about house size and function that I did not even realize were assumptions - and I've done a lot of reading on alternative housing. This book is full of ideas people have applied to the design and organization of their homes in order to minimize ecological footprint and maximize functionality. The ways this has been done run from very utilitarian approaches, to very artistic, even whimsical. The topics run from design of homes and living spaces, to development of communities, rural and urban. The people interviewed range from isolation loving singles and couples, to large families and extended / blended families. One of the features I particularly enjoyed was the follow through over a span of years, giving updates on how the people and their living systems and situations have changed over time. This book is packed full of information, packaged in short sections easily read and understood.
June 24, 2014
I borrowed this book from the library because I am thinking about eventually buying a small home and wanted tips/ideas/advice from other small home owners. This book gave me some advice about what I want in a home and how to figure out what I want/need in a home, but it lacked practicality. Many of the people featured in the book are wealthy individuals and almost all of them are located in hot regions. As someone who lives in a 4 season region, it was not helpful for so much of the book to be dedicated to outdoor spaces. Overall, I liked the book and am glad that I read it; it just wasn't what I expected. The book really got me thinking about small homes, but I wish it had spoken more about using existing homes.
August 2, 2011
Jo Seeking out inspiration I've been reading, browsing any book I can find on little houses. Altho on first glance this book didn't seem to be of much h...moreSeeking out inspiration I've been reading, browsing any book I can find on little houses. Altho on first glance this book didn't seem to be of much help to my particular needs, I found myself drawn into the stories of the people who built themselves small and eco-friendly homes. All different reasons, and so many different outcomes. I found myself turning to this book more often than not when having time to read, while the other small house books are still in a pile.(less)
February 7, 2012
This book is about a lot more than little houses. It goes into broader topics such as co-housing, family structure, energy efficiency, zoning, bank interest, recycling, population density, building codes, wildlife habitat, construction methods, etc. At first I liked it. I think it was because it made me feel better about living in a little house. Suddenly I can feel righteous for doing my part to save the planet (even if the decisions were made more out of necessity than by choice). But by the end I was not as enamored. I felt informed but I also felt tired of being scolded and preached at.
March 1, 2008
Tiny houses! I've always loved little rooms, cozy cabins, and cute cottages. I have been pouring over this book for weeks now, peering closely at the photos and reading the stories of people who have decided to live small. It gives you serious down-sizing, de-cluttering fever. Little House on a Small Planet is surprisingly informative (zoning laws, history of mortgages, etc.), entertaining (some of these people are crazy!), and inspiring. Whether your reason for living small is about community, finances, environmental impact, or personal preference, you'll find something engaging here.
January 27, 2010
This book was great. I was browsing in the architecture section at the library and came up with it thinking I might take some ideas from it on a house design. I did get some ideas, but the biggest was the epiphany that these house designs I've been fiddling with are too big. I mean they are pretty modest, but still too large. There are all sorts of things I could do to economize them. The book was very thought provoking. At least for me. I really enjoyed all of the profiles of people living in smaller houses.
January 15, 2015
Fascinated by tiny houses, but wonder what it is like to live in one? This book gives you that answer and a million more.
I have been reading bits of this for about 6 months-I love all the real people and real houses. Each is unique and representative of a special type of living.
I've become more aware of "orientation on the lot", which I was only aware of from a gardening perspective.
The concrete action this book has inspired is that I want to pay off my house. I'm going to start by making an extra "half payment" each month. Wish me luck!
I have been reading bits of this for about 6 months-I love all the real people and real houses. Each is unique and representative of a special type of living.
I've become more aware of "orientation on the lot", which I was only aware of from a gardening perspective.
The concrete action this book has inspired is that I want to pay off my house. I'm going to start by making an extra "half payment" each month. Wish me luck!
February 26, 2008
This book was really inspirational. Trevor and I are developing plans for our next potential house, and this book helped us shave 300 sq feet off the current plan. In an age of bigger is better, this book is probably not one most people will make time to read. For me, it will probably be on my top 5 list of 2008. It did start off really strong and in my opinion, got a little weak towards the end. I especially loved the chapter of families and children--very inspiring!
April 14, 2008
A mix of the usual super-hippie cob-building/pueblo dwelling people with a surprising sprinkling of mainstream, but conscious moves. There was much talk of some alternative living situations (alternative to the one-family-one-house model) and of some ideas people are implementing which intend to make advantage of the setting most of us live in: the city. Not a bell-ringer, but certainly worth reading.
December 13, 2011
A book that completely panders to my green, decluttering, minimizing side! I loved seeing examples of ways people have lived in small spaces and made it work. There are a lot of emotional barriers to paring down the objects in your life and I thought they were really well addressed. And, while I never plan to live in an earthship, have an outdoor shower or share a living space in any type of commune, the book itself was a fascinating read.
September 16, 2014
There's not a lot of black and white photos, and only 1 section of color photo inserts. The articles showcase a variety of people from different backgrounds, urban to rural, West coast to East coast. But really, reading this feels like a one-sided conversation with a hippie radical. (no judgements, just FYI)
I did enjoy the architectural layouts, but as a visual person, I would have liked more photos to pair up with it.
I did enjoy the architectural layouts, but as a visual person, I would have liked more photos to pair up with it.
October 23, 2015
This is an excellent read on small, planet-friendly housing. It is full of ideas and stories of people who have purposefully chosen to live in a smaller home. The authors make you think about what it is that you want from your house and what you really need. There are floor plans included in the book. I would have like even more of them, because they give you an idea of space and what might work for you.
April 18, 2007
This was a quick, absorbing read, that explores in-depth the benefits of living and building small. It also devotes a great deal of space to psychological readiness for living in minute dwellings. It's not so much a how-to, but more of a discussion of the pros and cons (totally skewed toward pros) of living smaller.
December 16, 2007
I really love this book. It lays out the case for thinking small with respect to your living quarters and shows examples of other people who've done the same. I really hope to use some of the ideas I've gained from this book, and at the very least it provides ample inspiration for modest living and thoughtful design.
March 6, 2008
this book has some amazingly practical thoughts and ideas on what home-ownership means in reality, how to save and manage money, and what realistic thoughts one should have on a home purchase when that time comes up for them. i actually highly recommend this book for anyone considering owning a home someday.
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