Description
Book SynopsisWhen the author first lived in sustainable housing, he was young, idealistic, and not much susceptible to compromise - until rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, and loneliness drove him out of the utilities-free yurt he'd built in New Mexico. This book chronicles these two remarkable attempts to live simply in two disparate American eras.
Trade Review"Boye's book brings a human voice and specificity to sustainability."—Richard K. Sutton,
Great Plains Research“Not only is this book beautifully written, with wisdom and humor, it also offers a practical guide for ‘sustainable’ home builders of any age. Boye writes with an impressive intelligence, immediately drawing readers in not only to the story but to the mind and heart of the author.”—Reeve Lindbergh, author of Under a Wing: A Memoir
“Alan Boye’s humor and generosity run through this book, as does his gentle compassion for the people and places he loves.”—Miriam Karmel, author of Being Esther
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
1. What I Lived For
2. Sustainable Compromises
3. Where I Lived
4. Water
5. Design
6. Foundations
7. El Sol
8. Economics
9. The Beautiful Tree and Other Disasters
10. The Amoeba
11. Straw That Broke The
12. Finances
13. Collaboration
14. Artifacts
15. Solitude
16. Visitors
17. Thick Skin in a Winter of Discontent
18. Spring
19. Higher Laws
20. Post script: Mistakes Were Made
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
