Little House on a Small Planet, 2nd; Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities

by Shay Salomon and Nigel Valdez, photographer; Foreword by Frances Moore Lappé

• ISBN13: 9781599217956
• ISBN10: 1599217953
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2009-12-08
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Living small frees up the mind, the wallet, and the soul. As economic uncertainties loom large, and the evidence mounts that humans are responsible for much of global warming, the "new" trend is beginning to seem old: new subdivisions filled with McMansions, 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 needsprudently 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 America 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 Planetis 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 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, this book asks, and answers, "What fills a home when the excess is cut away, and how do we get there from here?"

Author Biography

Shay Salomon is a carpenter, construction manager, and workshop leader. She’s built several tiny houses and now dreams of converting her smallish cottage into two apartments.

 

Nigel Valdez once dreamed of owning half a dozen houses all over the world. Now he dreams of having dozens of friends all over the world, and a small tent to sleep in when he visits them. Salomon and Valdez visited more than a hundred homes while researching this book.

 

Both Salomon and Valdez live in southern Arizona. Their book’s website, where readers can learn more information on how to live simply, is littlehouseonasmallplanet.com.

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Rewards Program

Currently unavailable