30 Energy-Efficient Houses...You Can Build

The opening chapter, Getting Started, reads like it could be talking about the current situation in Australia and the US. "A recent article in the Wall Street Journal indicated that small houses as well as small cars are not selling well. Major tract housing builders are said to be cancelling their construction plans for small houses because'they' (the buyers) don't want just a little box. Maybe the builders should have a look at what is happening to the auto industry. Recently introduced, heavily advertised compacts from Detroit have sold poorly. The manufacturers try to excuse poor sales by saying that the public doesnt want small cars. Yet, well designed, properly engineered and reasonably priced cars are selling so well that there are even waiting lists.".This was written in 1977. We have been infested with McMansions built in a Suburbaslum, this book looks at a lifestyle and a sustainable existence that more people should have a look at. People should stop and consider what they really need as opposed to what the car/TV/House salesman is telling them they need. It is a shame that this book is out of print as I think that the current climate is calling for another era of Owner Builder innovation.

If you want to learn how to lessen your impact on the planet, this book is one of the best guides. It offers plans of homes that are small yet comfortable, non-traditional yet beautiful. It incoporates such techniques as woods heat, composting toilets, and solar energy. It is highly recommended if you want to make a positive improvement to the environment.