[.ca] A Little House of My Own: 47 Grand Designs for 47 Tiny ... (ISBN 1579121519)

I don't think so.:
These houses would be interesting to live in, if you don't mind living in houses WITHOUT BATHROOMS! Nice houses to look at, and one or two might be nice to build (two out of the whole 48 could be liveable as a weekend getaway), but if you're looking to buy a housebuilding book to actually build a house, look the other way. Les Walker must be running out of ideas because it's just a reprint of his first book. I doubt HE lives in a 250 square foot house with no bathroom and an igloo cooler for a refrigerator. C'MON LES, SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Not What I Expected:
I have been looking for ideas for a cabin I plan to build and live in full time. This book did not offer much along those lines. The variety of "houses" was surprisingly vast, but as far as structures one could actually live in it was slim pickin's. From an ice fishing shanty to a canvas house this was an interesting read, but didn't offer the sort of home where one would place the computer desk and hang a picture. As a collection it is interesting and sometimes fun. But I don't regard this book as much help for someone wanting to actually wind up with a place to call home.

Grandly Overstated:
This is an attractive book with lots of pictures. However, I was disappointed with the shallow treatment given to most of the houses. The author does explain that he is not presenting plans or architectural guidelines for the houses. But what is presented is a strange mix of information about each building. Some historical, some fanciful. Only the section about "Camp Houses" is dealt with in depth. It's an unbalanced book.

Cute, simple inspiration:
The houses contained in this book are small little testaments to human's need to have their own space. Although I don't own my own house, I hope that when I do, I can create my own little hideaway in the backyard. A writer's den, potting shed, a quiet place to think. The houses in this book show that square footage doesn't equal endearment. Each house is coupled with a short description, diagrams of how it is built and its completed layout.

A Book to Enjoy; Houses to Think About:
What was the average home like in Plymouth Colony? What is meant by "living in a bandbox" (Philadelphia town houses in the Federal period)? Do you want to look inside several "gingerbread" cottages at those Methodist Church summer colonies? Can "America's first architect", Thomas Jefferson, bring the same style and elegance to a very small structure that he brought to Monticello? Where can you turn to for a modern timberframe cabin (or two) that combines style with a pre-cut kit? In "A Little House of My Own", Lester Walker gives the answers--in prose descriptions that hit the high points by explaining useful features; in lovely color pictures of exteriors and interiors; in three-dimensional scale drawings that show rooms as they were furnished for use. The author's selections of experimental small houses take us "inside" the architect's profession to show readers how one uses cutting edge materials or meets special housing needs. Unfortunately, these projects usually only exist as cut-out models and they are not as compelling as the built forms that have stood the test of time in so many of our communities. My conclusion: this is a book I have read and reread with great interest...and I bet you will, too.