An excellent, informative guide to sustainable building.
A couple’s autobiographical account of constructing a green, sustainable home.
While “green” has become a buzzword for anything from cleaning products to cars, most people participate in environmentalism only when it’s easy or convenient. The Topels’ passion for an ecologically sustainable home was neither. Before building a green home from the ground up, they had little experience in sustainable construction. The couple never label themselves trailblazers, but their account of building their home in Kennett Square, Pa., makes them pioneers compared to the average consumer. Because their experience primarily revolves around architecture, construction permits, building materials and meeting industry standards, readers should be aware that their home-construction experiences might be very different. However, the authors provide sound advice and education for any builder-to-be regardless of location, with the aid of 20/20 hindsight. They describe their vegetative roof–a living, growing mixture of peat moss, mulch and soil–which provides added insulation and an interesting aesthetic. The book also offers glossaries and definitions of the terminology of green building, as well as a photo essay carefully documenting the construction from inception to completion. The only thing missing are dollar figures–while the Topels reference the cost of the home’s frame, it would have been interesting to view the final financial tally. Luckily, the book remains entertaining and educational for both the average consumer and those looking to embark on their own green journey.
An excellent, informative guide to sustainable building.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4392-1219-6
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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