Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community

Book Description

Gardening can be a political act. Creativity, fulfillment, connection, revolution--it all begins when we get our hands in the dirt. Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens." But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden--simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community--to all aspects of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces. Flores cares passionately about the damaged state of our environment and the ills of our throwaway society. In Food Not Lawns, she shows us how to reclaim the earth one garden at a time.

Customer Reviews:

An inspired 40-something.......2007-09-04

Food Not Lawns speaks to my heart and has inspired me in my home gardening. I bought copies for two dear gardening friends who are in their 20's and 30's, and they are also excited by the ideas presented in the book. The author takes a holistic view of community and gardening, of working with Nature as an orchestra of forces influencing each other and working collectively together. Heather Flores encourages us to think out of the box and some might find that uncomfortable, but I still think her vision and sense of hope is so needed in our world today. Share this book with family and friends!

completely false advertising.......2007-07-05

I see that this books appears a hit with many reviewers, but I am unfortunately going to dissent. I was excited to read this book when it arrived and was subsequently dissappointed in the overall quality of the work as a whole. First and foremost, Flores leaves out a great deal of detail with regard to the actual work involved in any form of agriculture, be it animal husbandry, permaculture, or anything between. I say this not only as an avid reader, but also an environmental studies major reviewing the work for a class as well. Second, Flores' method of combining the topics of agriculture and social change is facetious at best, with no real segway from the former to the latter. In other words, this is literally two unconnected books sharing the same binding. Finally, and most disheartening of all, the work gives faulty advice at best, especially with regard to her advice on dealing with numerous aspects of gardening (traditional and permaculture), pending jail time, and conflict management strategies(with latter are potentially dangerous). I will also note that I resold this book immediately upon completion due to the above. Those interested would be better served to read The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, or other such related books by other reputable authors such as Joseph Jenkins, Eliot Coleman, Louise Riotte, or John and Martha Storey. In short, do not purchase this book if you are serious about either agriculture or social change.

if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X.......2007-05-25

This is a very shallow book by the new generation of writers that find fault with everything done in the twenty years before they were born,
Its very shallow, big type and very preachy.
If you are interested in gardening, try Giaas garden, a much more serious study of permiculture.
In this rambling book, the aurthor boasts of not making over 8 k a year, but inherited the money to buy her farm!
I liked camping living until I was thirty, now I am 45 and really like my freezer and new stove.( yes, I have my own three hens and belong to a CSA)
I know a number of the original flower/farm people, and as they got older they liked having a few more comforts.

So this is one of the new gen X books, shallow to a fault. Nothing but sound bites.
the aurthor sems all hyped about third world living, but I am not sure she has ever been to a third world and seen how hard that style of life is,,it is easy to glamorius the distant!!!

Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism.......2007-01-23

I picked up this book to learn practical application of permacultural principles applied to urban yard scales--and there is a wealth of such information here. However, I do feel like Flores preaches just a little too much about the environmental destruction and political problems currently plaguing our country. In my view, anyone picking up a book called Food Not Lawns probably is already well-versed in such issues, and Flores is essentially preaching to the converted. That said, this book DOES have tons of practical information, and I would recommend it as an excellent counterbalance and companion book to Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden.

Keys to change any reader can use........2006-12-14

For activist readers who believe activism is a political pursuit, FOOD NOT LAWNS: HOW TO TURN YOUR YARD INTO A GARDEN AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A COMMUNITY offers a different viewpoint, maintaining that growing food where you live is a key method of becoming a food activist in the community. Chapters advocate planting home and community gardens with an eye to drawing important connections between the politics of a home or community garden and the wider politics of usage, consumption, and sustainability. Another rarity: chapters promote small, easy changes in lifestyles to achieve a transition between personal choice and political activism at the community level, providing keys to change any reader can use.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Fundamental Book on Sustainable House Design

Sustainable Residential Interiors
Associates III , Kari Foster , Annette Stelmack , and Debbie Hindman
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Renewable Energy | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Sustainable Commercial Interiors
Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials
Residential Interior Design: A Guide to Planning Spaces
Fabrics: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects
The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design

ASIN: 0471756075

Book Description

An illustrated guide to "green" design strategies

"This is a book that many in the design community have been waiting for--a volume that clearly and succinctly lays out the strategies and tools at our disposal for creating interiors that will serve not only our clients' needs, but also those of the planet. Best of all, it's an inspiration to read, allowing each of us to see our way to becoming a part of the design solution needed for a sustainable future. If you are a designer, you need this book!"
--Sarah Susanka, FAIA, author of the Not So Big series and Home by Design

"This excellent book will benefit designers of residential interiors that incorporate sustainable design into their practices or are looking to begin to do so. Designers may be surprised by the variety of projects shown that are great examples of residential sustainable interiors."
--Bernadette Upton, ASID, LEED AP, founding member of the Sustainable Design Council and member of the Florida Green Building Coalition

Issues of sustainability and environmental consciousness have been increasingly important to designers of residential interiors. A leading firm that has built its expertise in addressing environmental concerns in residential interiors, Associates III presents solutions for the design practitioner in this book. Covering topics such as indoor air quality, identifying low-impact materials, conserving energy and water, and support of construction teams in reducing waste, Sustainable Residential Interiors provides designers with the necessary information and tools to integrate environmentally responsible design into their practice.

Sustainable Residential Interiors takes readers through an integrated design process, showing how sustainable principles and practices can be applied on virtually every level of interior design. Taking a practical, hands-on approach, this accessible and easy-to-understand resource guide includes:
* Visual examples of sustainable projects and applications
* Critical thinking about environmental issues within homes
* Guidelines for clients and project teams
* Helpful checklists for greening projects and specification
* In-depth information to promote understanding and assist in specifying interior finishes and furnishings
* Questions for manufacturers and vendors
* Effective methods of marketing sustainable design services

Customer Reviews:

Fundamental Book on Sustainable House Design.......2007-07-19

This book has the format of a text book and it is a fundamental read for any architect, interior designer or product designer. Very clear explanation of materials and systems used in construction, what is bad about them, what is the better alternative and why we should, as resposible beings, be practising sustainability. Not just recommended, it should be compulsory reading for every building professional and student!

Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs

Average customer rating:

great service
Building Green
Great Book...not for northwestern climates
Excellent and Comprehensive Intro and Education.
Nicely presented intoduction to several green techniques

Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs
Clarke Snell , and Tim Callahan
Manufacturer: Lark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Buildings & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Energy Efficient Design | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Do-It-Yourself | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Environmentalism | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Outdoors & Nature | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Hand-Sculpted House: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage (The Real Goods Solar Living Book)
The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)
Serious Straw Bale: A Home Construction Guide for All Climates (Real Goods Solar Living Book.)
The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes (Natural Building Series)
Cordwood Building: The State of the Art (Natural Building Series)

ASIN: 1579905323

Book Description

Clarke Snell and Timothy L. Callahan, whose popular Good House Book helped environmentally-minded readers create an earth-friendly home, have returned with a photo-packed, amazingly complete, start-to-finish guide to "green" housebuilding.

This absolutely groundbreaking manual doesn't just talk about eco-friendly building techniques, but actually shows every step! More than 1,200 close-up photographs, along with in-depth descriptions, follow the real construction of an alternative house from site selection to the addition of final-touch interior details. Co-authors Clarke Snell and Timothy Callahan (a professional builder and contractor) provide thorough discussions of the fundamental concepts of construction, substitutes for conventional approaches, and planning a home that's not only comfortable and beautiful, but environmentally responsible. Then, they roll up their sleeves and get to work assembling a guest house that incorporates four different alternative building methods: straw bale, cob, cordwood, and modified stick frame. The images show every move: how the site is cleared, the basic structure put together, the cob wall sculpted, the bales and cordwood stacked, a living roof created, and more. Most important, the manual conveys real-world challenges and processes, and offers dozens of sidebars with invaluable advice. It's head and shoulders above all others in the field.

Customer Reviews:

great service.......2007-09-05

recieved product within one week great book thinking about building using all natural products

Building Green.......2007-02-12

This is an excellent book that is easy to read and actual tells you step by step with over a 1000 beautiful photos how to build your own "Green" building. I am an inexperienced owner-builder and after reading this book I feel that each step of the process was described so clearly that I can use it as a guide for building my own house. None of the other books I've read on the subject have provided this level of clarity or detail - all in an upbeat, easy to read and sometimes humourous style.

The first part of the book does a good survey of the differnet types of materials used in green building and the considerations of siting and design as well. The second part covers actually building the house and what to do or to avoid in the process.

Great Book...not for northwestern climates.......2007-02-07

This is a VERY informative and educational book. I LOVED it, however, I live in a wet climate in Northwestern Canada and the methods used in this book are not condusive to this area.

Excellent and Comprehensive Intro and Education........2006-04-29

I have been looking for a book that would educate me on exactly what green building is, whether it is actually practical and what it would take to achieve it. This book answered all those questions. I think it has filled a void in the information market. So many people are not satisfied with current building practices especially in the US yet finding one comprehensive source for reliable answers is extremely difficult. There is lots of experience bound up in the very well-written, easy flowing text. The mass of photos is extremely instructive and attractive. This book is not clouds-in-the-sky, blindly pro-environment babble. Neither is it full of the marketing lies that exploit the "green" movement. It is useful for normal people who are interesting in trying to build earth-friendly but practical, efficient and affordable homes. The writers are very honest in their educated opinions and recommendations. And they actually built a small green building in order to write this book. So you get the useful, hands-on advice that they learned themselves the hard way even with their past, extensive building experience in the US. I appreciate their effort and book very much, and can't recommend it highly enough as one every non-expert should read if they have a possible interest in green building in the future or even in just building a marginally more efficient home.

Nicely presented intoduction to several green techniques.......2006-02-27

A very nicely presented 'survey' of several green building techniques with a practical and mainstream perspective. Less inspiring and holistic (in terms of presenting an overall philosophy of building AND living) than the likes of The Hand-Sculpted House (Evans, Smiley and Smith), etc. but the beautiful photography and clear writing is a powerful tool to use in convincing the skeptical that green building is a legitimate and aesthetically pleasing option in construction. Really more of a 'complete introduction' than a 'complete how-to guide' in my estimation- if you are really going to build you'll need to suppliment your knowledge with additional in depth books on the particular system(s) you choose to use, but this book will expose you to some of the options and provide you with an informational foundation to 'build' on (pun intended).

Average customer rating:

A good start...
Good book
Beautiful, but....
Real Homes that Make a Difference
Best Book of Its Kind!

Good Green Homes
Jennifer Roberts
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Materials | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture
Green By Design
Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time
The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)
Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials

ASIN: 1586851799

Book Description

Green. It conjures images of a meadow in spring for some, and the color of money for others. What does "green" have to do with our homes? In essence, green building-or sustainable building-means being smart about how we use energy, water, and building materials so that we can live well without needlessly damaging the environment. Creating a good green home isn't just about conservation, about using less or saving more-although that's certainly part of it. It's about creating better homes that are easier on the environment, less expensive over the long term, and more delightful to come home to. That's the message Jennifer Roberts wants to share in Good Green Homes, the ultimate new guide for people who want to live in comfortable, healthy, environmentally conscious homes. With some simple steps outlined in this book, you can save money, and do your part to help save the environment. For instance, using an energy-efficient light bulb saves you money. It also results in less demand for electricity, which in turn results in less pollution from power plants, which may help a child with asthma breathe a little easier. If you associate green-built housing with the unconventional or the quirky-tree houses, geodesic domes, dwellings constructed of tires or soda bottles-think again. Perfect for homeowners, remodelers, renters (who might be surprised by how much is within their power to change), architects, builders, and interior designers, this book lays out seven fundamental principles of green building, illustrated with more than 150 color and 20 black and white photographs of more than twenty-five homes. Jennifer Roberts launched two retail stores in San Francisco specializing in environmentally sensible consumer products, including household goods; and is a freelance writer and editor on topics that include energy-efficient building design and systems.

Customer Reviews:

A good start..........2007-01-18

This is an excellent book for those seeking an introduction to environmentally sound home building. There are many good general points and examples of green homes. It is short on details for actual designers but good for home builders who need to read this information desperately and stop building mega-mansions with 5 bedrooms for families with one kid.

Good book.......2006-07-12

Doesn't give a detailed analysis of anything, but is a great tool for people wanting a basic understanding of green building, energy efficient techniques, etc.

Beautiful, but...........2004-10-29

This book no doubt makes a lovely addition to my coffee table. I feel so inspired and now.. how do I do it?? I was looking for more practical advice that addressed all my reasons for wanting to remodel green - protecting my family's health and our planet's natural resources and my financial savings. If the intention was to create a stunning, inspiring book - great job. If it was to really explain what green is and exactly how to do it, I think I'd look to books like "Green Remodeling" by Johnston and Master or read Environmental Building News....

Real Homes that Make a Difference.......2004-03-03

"A recent poll revealed that an astounding 96% of consumers are willing to pay more for green features in a home, and 91% feel that energy-efficient features in a new home were extremely or very important."

If you are planning to redecorate or remodel, Good Green Homes offers ideas, real-world advice and lots of inspiration. Jennifer Roberts is a freelance writer who specializes in sustainable building, energy efficiency and corporate social responsibility. She helps people make choices that encourage positive change in their living environments. She answers the following questions:

How does having a "green" home actually save money?
How can someone who rents their home make significant changes?
What are some ways to protect and improve the quality of air inside our homes?
What are "rapidly renewable sources?"
How can you afford a green home on a limited budget?

Jennifer is also a merchandising manager for the Marina Green stores and joys introducing consumers to the joys of stylish clothes made from organically grown cotton, healthy paints, energy-efficient light bulbs, tableware made from recycled materials and environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday household products.

Featured Homes Include:

A Delightful Cottage
An Ecofriendly addition to a historic home
A Trio of Healthy and Green City Homes
An Artist's studio on a Wooded Island
A Vacation Retreat in the Wine Country
A Neighborhood of Homes
A Remodeled Victorian Flat

It is rather shocking to learn that the air inside our homes can be five times more polluted than the air outside. One look at your energy bill might convince you to read this book.

These homes don't really look all that different, but there are features like skylights to save electricity or there is a home that is naturally cooled, heated and lit. Some homes have solar water-heating systems for the summer and a unique solar power system blended right in with a backyard trellis to generate electricity from the sun.

The section on air quality was of interest to me because I am always moving my Austin air filter about the house.

The "Wine Country Retreat" looked like a house I could live in because it even has a tower. Well, the pools also looked rather inviting.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Best Book of Its Kind!.......2004-01-01

This book is a gift to the Earth and to so many of the people who inhabit it! Good Green Homes is educational and practical in an amazingly palatable way...that is to say, it is most enjoyable reading; and at the end one is so much wiser than when one began. It is a visual feast. The concept of environmentally sensitive choices in every aspect of the home is brought to the whole spectrum of the population, from new construction to renters to "what can I do with what I've got." This book is beautiful, user friendly and, above all, inspirational. I kept saying, "I can do that! I can take that action. I can make a difference, and I want to!" Bravo!

Ecodesign: A Manual for Ecological Design

Average customer rating:

Good and technical
Complex & useful as well as a pleasant & readable book

Ecodesign: A Manual for Ecological Design
Ken Yeang
Manufacturer: Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Reinventing the Skyscraper: A Vertical Theory of Urban Design
Facade Construction Manual (Construction Manuals)
Ecocells: Landscapes and Masterplans by Hamzah & Yeang
Energy-Efficient Architecture: Basics for Planning and Construction
Strategies for Sustainable Architecture

ASIN: 0470852917

Book Description

Saving the environment from continued devastation by our built environment is the single most important issue for our tomorrow, feeding into our post-millennial fears that this third millennium will indeed be our last.

Ken Yeang reconstructs and revisions how and why our current design approach and perception of architecture must radically change if we are to ensure a sustainable future. He argues forcefully that this can only be achieved by adopting the environmentalist’s view that, aesthetics apart, regards our environment simply as an assembly of materials (mostly transported over long distances), that are transciently concentrated on to a single locality and used for living, working and leisure whose footprints affect that locality’s ecology and whose eventual disposal has to be accommodated somewhere in the biosphere.

This manual offers clear instructions to designers on how to design, build and use a green sustainable architecture. The aim is to produce and maintain ecosystem-like structures and systems whose content and outputs not only integrate benignly with the natural environment, but whose built form and systems function with sensitivity to the locality’s ecology as well in relation to global biospheric processes, and contribute positively to biodiversity (as opposed to reducing it). The goal is structures and systems that are low consumers of non-renewable resources, built with materials that have low ecological consequences and are designed to facilitate disassembly, continuous reuse and recycling a (a cyclic process that mimics the way ecosystems recycle materials), and that at the end of their useful lives can be reintegrated seamlessly back into the natural environment. Each of these aspects (and other attendant ones) is examined in detail with regards to how they influence design and planning.

Ecodesign provides designers with a comprehensive set of strategies for approaching ecological design and planning combined with in-depth analysis and research material not found elsewhere.

Customer Reviews:

Good and technical.......2007-07-14

It is a good and very complete book on the subject. It looks at all the aspects of eco-architecture, but maybe a bit to dificult to read if you are not specialy interested in the subject. It has given me a lot of new thoughts and ideas. Very good indeed.

Complex & useful as well as a pleasant & readable book.......2007-05-22

«Ecodesign, a manual for ecological design», is a complex & useful as well as a pleasant & readable book. The approach followed by Ken Yeang and the structure of the book makes it useful for those interested in sustainability as well as professional designers. Premises & strategies --some of them subject of debate-- are presented in a non-dogmatic fashion, allowing the reader to form its own opinion, thus contributing to build new knowledge on the subject. Chapter B, Design Instructions, the core of the book, is precisely a toolbox that guides the reader in a step by step set of directions that assist designers & planners to make the relevant decisions in the ecological design process, far beyond the concept of green buildings. The book has been very useful to us as socioeconomic & regional planners, allowing not also to determine the main guidelines for a regional strategic plan, but also to determine the specific criteria that should be applied in the specific design at the urban & building levels. The book is much more than a useful tool, it is a «landmark» in the field of sustainability, a much needed line of thought in the world of today, if we want to have a world tomorrow.

Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)

Average customer rating:

not for architects or designers
Great overview of building a green home.
Nice text, appeals to broad audience

Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
Alex Wilson
Manufacturer: New Society Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Renewable Energy | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials
The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)
Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time
Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water And Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
Good Green Kitchens

ASIN: 0865715556

Book Description

More and more homeowners today want houses that are healthy to live in and cause minimal damage to the environment. That's what green building is all about.

Your Green Home is written for homeowners planning a new home-whether you are working with an architect or builder, or serving as your own general contractor. Intended to improve the overall environmental performance of new houses being built, the book sets out to answer some of the big-picture questions relating to having a home designed and built-and getting what you want.

Your Green Home covers:

â€¢ Home location and its relationship to the community
â€¢ Site design
â€¢ Construction systems
â€¢ Building design to optimize energy performance
â€¢ Renewable energy systems
â€¢ Material selection
â€¢ Indoor environmental quality
â€¢ Water efficiency
â€¢ Material selection

Written by the founder of BuildingGreen-North America's premier green building authority-this book will prove useful not only to future homeowners, but also to designers and builders seeking to meet this demand. Building professionals well-versed in green building may find this a useful book to give to potential clients to convey the scope and principles of green building.

Alex Wilson is president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and executive editor of Environmental Building News, the oldest and most respected publication serving North America's green building industry. A green building expert since the 1970s, he has authored countless articles on the topic and several books, including Green Building Products, the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, and Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate.

Customer Reviews:

not for architects or designers.......2007-05-14

I am an interior designer and work for an architectural firm. Because of the information I have learned thru my education and professional experience, I found very little new information in this book. If you have no knowledge of green building practices, this book would be beneficial.

Great overview of building a green home. .......2007-01-09

This book was a overview/introduction to building a green home. Should be a must read for builders and anyone planning on building a new home. Not all strategies will work for every situation, but there's lots here that would apply for any situation or budget.

Nice text, appeals to broad audience.......2007-01-09

The text is well-written and can appeal to a wide audience. It's simple enough to understand for those without a great deal of knowledge in sustainable design, yet interesting and usefull enough for the professional who's more trained in sustainability. The text covers sustainable homes in a logical order, first stressing the foundation concepts like siting, orientation, passive solar, and building envelope efficiency, BEFORE moving on to less critical (but more popular) topics such as green materials.

I am a professor of Environmental Design and am currently building a passive solar, zero-energy home, and if I were to write a text that comprises the whole of the process and goals in sustainable home building, the format and breadth of topics would be similar to this book.

One negative of the book is the absence of color images to illustrate some points. The simple line drawings get the point across, but photos might have a better impact - especailly in sections discussing more advanced systems such as renewable energy systems or rainwater catchment systems.

Green Roofs: Ecological Design And Construction

Average customer rating:

Look elsewhere for technical info
Nice Coffee Table book, but no real information
Green roofs around the world
Great Book
Why produce a book like this?

Green Roofs: Ecological Design And Construction
Earth Pledge Foundation
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls
Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide
Roof Gardens: History, Design, and Construction (Norton Books for Architects & Designers)
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors, Second Edition

ASIN: 0764321897

Book Description

Citywide networks of green roofs can result in cooler summer temperatures, reduced energy demand, controlled stormwater runoff, protected wildlife habitat, and an enhanced sense of urban well-being. Highlighting these benefits, Green Roofs informs and inspires communities, designers, building owners, and government and business leaders by showcasing the environmental and aesthetic potential of green roofs around the world.

"Imagine the effect of community kitchen gardens on the rooftops of New York City," writes visionary green architect William McDonough in his forward. "The gardens would make visible the vital connections between water, soil, food, and human culture, and create a network of living landscapes across the ancient archipelago that is New York City."

Hundreds of photographs, forty case studies of exemplary green roof projects - from Mexico City to Malmo, Sweden to Fukuoka, Japan to Dearborn, Michigan - provide inspiration and guidance for green roof development, as well as design details. The book includes seven essays on green roof development in Berlin, Tokyo, London, Portland, Chicago, Toronto, and New York City. Additional essays detail the technical requirements, architectural history, and design possibilities of vegetated rooftops.

Customer Reviews:

Look elsewhere for technical info.......2007-06-25

Perhaps some of the previous reviewers liked it because they use it for inspiration when designing at the very high visual level -- because really, this book is about pictures.

There is no useful information in the book about the design or construction of green roofs (except a couple of pages in passing).

Want to know more about how to design and construct using membranes, insulation, drainage, soil and gravel? Then look elsewhere.

Want to know more about how to design and construct a green roof on a new versus and existing building? Then look elsewhere.

How about planning the maintenance needed for a green roof whilst at the design and construction phase? Again look elsewhere.

Nice Coffee Table book, but no real information.......2007-01-25

Compared to the wealth of books on the subject in German and Japanese, there has yet to be a single good book in English. This book has nice pictures, but it doesn't even attempt to touch on the detail required to fully understand this subject adequately to qualify people to specify and actually implement Green Roofs. [...].

Green roofs around the world.......2006-04-23

GREEN ROOFS: ECOLOGICAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION advocates the construction of 'green roofs' which can reduce energy demand and protect wildlife, packing in a survey of buildings and communities already using such roofs to their advantage. Some forty case studies of these projects pair color photos of roofs around the world with discussions of sustainable development and project management: thus practical applications appear alongside environmental advocacy. Experts also discuss technical requirements and history, which will please working architects. An excellent survey of working green roofs and their appeal.

Great Book.......2006-01-27

As a very vocal proponet of green or living roofs I love this book. I believe that Mr Collum, previous reviewer must have just looked at the pictures. Pages 9 through 23 tell very well why we should have green roofs. If you are already an advocate or a newbe to green roofs, this book is for you. There is not a lot of technical information here but it gives the bare bones. If everything you needed to know about green roofs was here you couldn't lift the book. This book is ment to inspire you to get behind green roofs and advocate them in your neighborhood.

Why produce a book like this?.......2005-12-23

This book has lots of nice photographs. That is all. The technical section consists of two pages which state that a waterproof membrane is needed between the roof structure and the soil. There is no information of a technical nature in the book. I wonder why use up the earth's resources for no value. An absolute waste.

The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)

Average customer rating:

Excellent introduction to wide array of green building options
An Excellent Overview of Green Building...Superb!
Ok, but not great

The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)
Dan Chiras
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Energy Efficient Design | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling
Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials
The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture
Good Green Homes
Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time

ASIN: 1931498164

Book Description

Shelter, like many other elements of human existence, comes at an extraordinary cost to our planet and its inhabitants. In the U.S. alone, construction of 1.2 million new homes a year results in a massive drain on Earth's natural resource base. Today, nearly 60 percent of all timber cut in the U.S. is used in building houses, not to mention construction wastes and the huge amounts of resources used in the day-to-day operation of the "modern" household. In addition to environmental costs, there are the personal economic costs--the thousands of dollars each homeowner spends each year to heat, cool, and power our homes. Today, a new generation of architects and builders is emerging, intent on creating homes that meet human needs for shelter while causing only a fraction of the environmental impact of conventional housing. The New Ecological Home provides an overview of green building techniques, materials, products, and technologies that are either currently available or will be in the near future. Author Daniel Chiras provides a wealth of up-to-date, practical information for home buyers, owner-builders, and anyone interested in building for a sustainable future. Included are chapters on: * The Healthy House; * Green Building Materials; * Wood-Wise Construction; * Energy Efficiency; * Earth-Sheltered Architecture; * Passive Solar Heating and Passive Cooling; * Green Power: Electricity from the Sun and Wind; * Water and Waste: Sustainable Approaches;* Environmental Landscaping.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to wide array of green building options.......2006-12-11

During the planning phase of building our first home, this book was very helpful. We liked the emphasis right at the start on site selection -- what to look for in everything from the overall community to aspects of the land itself and how to environmentally protect that land during construction. A comparison checklist for assessing lots is included. Even though ours will not be a "natural House" (rammed earth, straw bale, etc.) and though those types of construction are covered, there was plenty of solid information on building a more energy efficient, and less wasteful, home of wood and concrete. Also included are chapters on design, using green and non- or less toxic materials, sustainable approaches to water and waste, environmental landscaping, and enery-efficient design, heating, and cooling. As this will be a retirement home, we especially appreciated the chapter on accessiblilty and ergonomic design.

An Excellent Overview of Green Building...Superb!.......2004-11-05

Author Dan Chiras has produced a series of amazing books on green building, including The Natural House, The Solar House, Superbia!, and The Natural Plaster Book. His books are extremely well written, well organized, comprehensive, and extremely well illustrated. He's truly one of the best, if not the best, writer in the green building field.

The New Ecological Home is no exception. In fact, I think it is one of the best books he has written. Although the cover is pretty drab, the book is a beauty inside. The book is engaging, easy to read, and full of interesting and helpful information that will assist those who want to explore the many options for building homes that are good for people, the planet, and the economy. This book should be read by all who are considering building a new home as well as those who are thinking about remodeling their homes. It is also a valuable resource for architects, builders, and students of architecture. Adding to its value, this book has a detailed resource guide that adds considerably to its value.

Ok, but not great.......2004-10-29

This book was a little bit hard to understand, especially if you are not knowledgable on the subject. I would recommend something more clear and easier to read.

Experiments in Ecology: Their Logical Design and Interpretation Using Analysis of Variance

Average customer rating:

underwood
Conceptual and logical in approach
essential book for ecologists
An outstanding book with a clear leanguage.
good to read, great to review

Experiments in Ecology: Their Logical Design and Interpretation Using Analysis of Variance
A. J. Underwood
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Outdoors & Nature | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Experimental Design and Data Analysis for Biologists
A Primer Of Ecological Statistics
Multivariate Statistics for Wildlife and Ecology Research
Design and Analysis of Ecological Experiments
Practical Statistics for Field Biology

ASIN: 0521556961

Book Description

Ecological theories and hypotheses are usually complex because of natural variability in space and time, which often makes the design of experiments difficult. This book describes how to design ecological experiments from a statistical basis using analysis of variance, so reliable conclusions can be drawn. The logical procedures that lead to a need for experiments are described, followed by an introduction to simple statistical tests. This leads to a detailed account of analysis of variance, looking at procedures, assumptions, and problems. One-factor analysis is extended to nested (hierarchical) designs and factorial analysis. Finally, some regression methods for examining relationships between variables are covered. Examples of ecological experiments are used throughout to illustrate the procedures and examine problems. This book will be invaluable to practicing ecologists as well as advanced students involved in experimental design.

Customer Reviews:

underwood.......2007-06-09

Good guide for the whole scientific community...citated in all the original articles of the last years...without it you can't pubblish anymore on the most popular and important scientific ecological journals.
Very good and written in an easy form.

Conceptual and logical in approach.......2007-02-20

The book is focus on the author's field, it is ecology and on benthic invertebrates. This book is great for people who wants to study community ecology as prof Underwood tries to explain the principles of statistics, how to design your study against pitfalls before conducting it in the field. The numerous examples set to analyze their variances, how to analyze samples and the assumptions made in analyzing samples. All of these are covered by a field practicing ecologist whose book is destined to be a classic in ecology and statistics.

essential book for ecologists.......2000-08-27

This book was one of the best purchases I made upon starting my graduate career. It is extremely well written and de-mystifies the process of hypothesis testing and experimental design and analysis. I consider this book a must for anyone starting out in the field of ecology who has questions about experimental design or analysis.

An outstanding book with a clear leanguage........2000-07-14

Anyone has experience the fear of start reading any statistical book because most of the classic text always confuse us with very sophisticated formulas and terms. Underwood book for me is written in a extreme clear leanguage and examples. I teach this kind of courses and my students find easy to use even if is a foreign leanguage to us. I hope this would help you. Regards, Rafael.

good to read, great to review.......2000-04-06

This is really an excellent book. Concepts are presented in a straightforward and intuitive way. This is great for getting concepts the first time and also works really well as a review/reference text. Anyone who has felt frustrated while using Biometry (Sokal and Rohlf) to learn an unfamiliar statistical concept related to ANOVA should consider this book. It is a good complementary text to that one.

Average customer rating:

Overview of Living Green
Outdated Book
A Perfect Primer
Fluff book with no practical advice
This Book is About "Sustainable Living" in Practice not Just Theory

Green By Design
Angela Dean
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Materials | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Good Green Homes
The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)
The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture
Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials
Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time

ASIN: 1586851721

Book Description

There is no "one-size-fits-all" plan for so-called "green" homes; rather, there are universal principles of design that can be applied to individual tastes and needs. Architect Angela Dean offers a variety of ways to incorporate green building into your home, including using healthy building materials such as straw bales and natural flooring, taking advantage of local materials and resources, reusing gray water for landscaping, and incorporating passive solar design. Her goal is to teach people how to think about building sustainable homes. Green by Design provides a thorough analysis of what it means to build green and offers advice on what to consider when designing a sustainable home. Green by Design features full-color photographs and line drawings of floor plans show different examples of successful sustainable homes. It also includes in-depth case studies of more than a dozen homes so readers planning a green home can see what worked for others. By providing people with knowledge, inspiration, and the ability to ask the right questions (and understand the answers) Green by Design puts home builders and owners on a path to creating beautiful, environmentally responsible homes that they can be proud to live in. Angela Dean, AIA, is principal architect of AMD Architecture in Salt Lake City. She specializes in environmentally responsible designs to create healthy, comfortable buildings that are in harmony with the environment

Customer Reviews:

Overview of Living Green.......2007-04-04

This introductory guide to sustainable living will give you new ideas for building your home in an environmentally-friendly way.

Outdated Book.......2007-02-25

I agree with Bill below - this book is outdated. The author seems to miss the concept of ecological footprint. The first two houses she features in her book are 3,300 sq ft (for three people) and 3,000 sq ft (for two people). Another house is 4,175 sq ft.

Even if people use green materials and building practices, the houses aren't green if they're using excessive materials and space.

There are a number of better green books, but one that specifically focuses on minimizing environmental impact is Little House on a Small Planet by Shay Salomon.

A Perfect Primer.......2007-02-03

I am a SoCA tract homeowner getting ready to relocate to the mountains of northern Utah. My husband and I are committed to building a home that is environmentally responsible, but the "green" concept is absolutely overwhelming. Green by Design is a terrific overview of the concept of sustainable living. Through the several case studies we learned that we would not have to be locked into an ugly straw box or uglier geodesic dome, and this book gave us just what we needed for next steps. If you already have expertise in this area and are looking for a how-to, I'm sure there are more appropriate books to help you build your home. However, if you want an introduction, this book does a great job.

Fluff book with no practical advice.......2006-06-28

This book uses a lot of buzz words and offers very little substantial advice when it comes to actually designing your own house. It touches a little on straw bale and reused materials and barely grazes cob/clay/rammed earth. It doesn't even mention geodesic domes as far as I can tell. The book advocates on one page (p.72) that people should live in small humble buildings, only having the square footage they absolutely need. Then a few pages later (p.79) it shows a 4000+ sq. ft. home, with the title "an excersize in efficiency." I fail to see anything efficeint about a 4000 sq. ft. home, especially when it's a standard A-frame building (granted, it's for a family of 6, but then again there's nothing "green" about having 4 children).

It does cover some good stuff like gray-water use, rain collection, alternative heating and cooling, but it glosses over all of this and takes up a lot of space with strange-angled shots of rooms and floor plans. I KNOW the floor plan I want, and there's very little that a floor plan has to do with green building (it's more about orientation to the sun for passive solar use). What I'd prefer to have seen was simple diagrams of how the systems of the house work. There's a spot that explains how one house has the pool hooked up to the AC such that the hot exhaust from the AC heats the pool. Now THAT's something I can get into, but I want more than a couple sentences about it. That deserves a diagram!

This Book is About "Sustainable Living" in Practice not Just Theory.......2006-02-06

My 50's Florida ranch style home is in the design stage for major remodel. In the the first "case study" in Green by Design the owner's took a 50's style one bedroom home in Utah and incorporated the foundation and concrete masonry shell into the new design. Exactly my plan. The author uses 14 green design homes as case studies with wonderfully insightful pictures and just the right text to accompany the pictures and to explain "process", "design", "site", "materials", "space", "energy"- all concepts I can use to make my newly remodeled home a certifiable Florida Green Home.

Building Green is NOT about the latest designs and materials as the previous reviewers would have you believe. It's about designing for "sustainable living". Go to floridagreenbuilding.org to find a 5 page checklist of features required to build a green home in Florida. Nothing will get you more points (other than a small home) in this 5 page checklist than not having a permament irrigation system. In fact not having a swimming pool, not living on a natural body of water and not having an attached garage all count toward living "green" in Florida. If you want an up-to-date and "exhaustive resource" buy the latest edition of the "Greenspec Directory"-$89.00 here on Amazon. However the last 5 pages of this book is a list of resources, including the Greenspec Directory and 5 local green building programs. With Florida's now you have 6.

The ultimate green home is a SMALL HOME! In Florida, a 1000 sq. ft. home will get you 50 points (out of 200 required minimum for certification) and a 2000 and above sq. ft. home will get you 0 points. Over 50% of the case study homes in this book would have recieved extra points if they would have been built in Florida. Which brings me to the regional focus of this book. Most of the homes featured where located in western states ( a few were in the northeast) and normally that would disqualify most books for a Florida resident, but not in this case.

I highly recommend this book if you are serious about designing a home for sustainable living.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books