Lloyd Kahn

Should this review be about this book or about the concept of tiny homes? The book, I guess, because this is an Amazon review, but it is hard to disengage the two. I live a lot of my time in hotels and short-term apartments and I know that I can be comfortable in a small space, but I would not like to call one of these Tiny Homes, my home. Why? Because I like physical books, I cook with pots and pans, and I need to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. This last is the deal breaker. show more No way can I, with a bursting bladder, crawl down a ladder from a sleeping loft to stagger outside to the outhouse. Nor are lofts safe for people who enjoy alcohol or other drugs, or suffer from balance disorders. Not all tiny houses use lofts or outhouses, of course, but the problem remains that living in a tiny space and pursuing a serious hobby are mutually exclusive. Storing all your gear in a shed is cheating.

So while I can appreciate the aesthetics and cleverness of many of these house (some of which are spectacular), I would gladly take some of them as holiday rentals, I just don't think that tiny houses meet the needs of an aging population and I think that the enthusiasm for them will eventually peter out. Trying to make a bed that is crammed against a wall gets old really fast.

So back to the book review. I agree with several other reviewers that much of the material here is not original. I would not buy this book for myself or a friend because the same info and photos are available free on the web.

I received a review copy of "Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter" by Lloyd Kahn (Shelter Publications) through NetGalley.com. show less

Got this from the library a few years ago, and still feel inspired by it. Shelter takes one back to the feel of the early 70's, of the back-to-the-land movement of the time, that perhaps some of us missed, and some older hippies still carry on; when dome houses, yurts, dwellings of found materials, and more were confidently built by anyone with a dream to house people in various communal agreements, or solitary hermits. Many forms of indigenous housing from around the world are also show more profiled.

Perusing the inspired projects of the time also brought me a sense of melancholy because the disparity between the wonderful creativity and idealism of the late 60's and early 70's and the dark forces of corporatization that have become an accepted part of existence today is here brought into stark relief. On the other hand, those of us who have grown up within the walls of dead, square, cookie cutter homes are awakened in these pages to a new world of possibility, a new sense of the fundamental importance of consciously choosing the form of one's dwelling. Anyone casually interested in astrology knows that 90 degree angles are not harmonious--and we are caged in them for most of our lives in our culture. There are so many other options! This book is such a beautiful homage to the human spirit. show less

This book is even better than Home Work, which I loved. Lloyd Kahn spent three years travelling along the Pacific Coast to visit all sorts of wonderful handmade homes from Northern California to Canada. Many of them use alternative building styles, while others are built traditionally but with especial care and craftsmanship. The photographs are amazing, drawing the viewer into each house and emphasizing all the astonishing details. I got so many ideas and inspirations from this book, and am show more hugely envious of the builders who possess such skill and motivation. show less

We just bought our first home, complete with septic system - which neither of us has ever lived with before! When we moved in, we realized we knew absolutely nothing (beyond what friends had told us) about what we can and can't put down the drains, water usage, and how the thing actually, ya know, works. I checked this book out from the library, and immediately bought my own copy after reading a few chapters. I have a feeling this book will be invaluable!

We were lucky enough that the show more previous owner installed a new system as part of the deal, so we certainly didn't want to mess up a brand new system. We knew that we wanted to do it right from the start with maintenance and upkeep, etc. I feel so much more confident about it now! We know the do's and don'ts, things to watch for, and it has great chapters on troubleshooting and what to do if something does go wrong with your system. Highly recommended for anyone who has a septic system! show less