Living Outside Inside

Book Description

In an effort to blur the distinction between the interior and exterior surroundings of the home, clients are demanding that architects come up with designs that fully integrate the two realms. Through extensive use of glazing, porches and decks, the architects represented in this book see the garden as an outdoor extension of the space of the houses that they design. As a result, the exterior spaces surrounding these houses are in many ways as important as the interior spaces. Courtyards, terraces and pergolas serve as connections between the house and the garden, very much in the Modernist tradition established by such architects as Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler in their designs for houses in Southern California in the 1920s-1950s.

The projects have been selected for their excellence in design, innovative use of materials and methods of construction. Each house comprises a case study that includes interior and exterior photography by some of the finest architectural photographers working today; drawings including site plans, details, and floor plans; and concise, informative text that highlights the design and technical aspects of the house.

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So Much to Talk About Here!
cute story

Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060004681
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Book Description

After long journeys, an inside mouse and an outside mouse each arrive at opposite sides of a window and press their noses up against it to say "Hello!" Did they just meet today? Or do they visit every day?

This fresh take on the the classic country mouse and city mouse tale is perfect for young nature lovers.

Customer Reviews:

So Much to Talk About Here!.......2007-10-02

My son (18mos) LOVES this book and he has learned SO much vocabulary (from spider to mushroom to bat to hose to about every preposition you can think of) from reading it. The 2 mice in the story are very cute and in the end meet at the window (from either side) and say "HELLO!" That is enough to keep my son wanting to read it again and again. If you have a child that enjoys sitting and talking about the pages of a book, this is a great choice and the illustrations are beautiful.

cute story.......2005-01-22

The main characters in the story are 2 mice. On lives inside and the other outside. Each of them are shown going about their day. They do lots of the same things but encounter different objects in their routines.

The book would make a great teaching tool for the concept of compare/contrast
This book would be nice to read aloud to kids ages 4-6. There are very few word per page keeping the attention of little ones well.

Living Outside Inside: A Disabled Woman's Experience Towards a Social and Political Perspective

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Living Outside Inside: A Disabled Woman's Experience Towards a Social and Political Perspective
Susan Hannaford
Manufacturer: Bookpeople
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Outside, Inside, Godside: A Guide to Revitalized Living

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Outside, Inside, Godside: A Guide to Revitalized Living
Richard Thomas Vivian
Manufacturer: Vantage Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Personal Transformation | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0533149444

Book Description

Outside, Inside, Godside: A Guide to Revitalized Living is a new approach to achieving serenity, combining elements of Western religion, Eastern philosophy, and the author's personal insights and experience in mental health and the healthcare industry, garnered over years of travel and study. Dr. Richard Thomas Vivian has spent much of his time with emotionally distressed people, and he theorizes initially that an awareness of God's presence in all things is requisite for a fulfilled life. The personality traits that govern our actions and inform our relationships with others can all be identified on the Revitalized Living Compass, a device first used by the Cheyenne Indians on their medicine wheels. Always remembering that the Northern (one of four quadrants) is the way to peace and balance, the author challenges us to confront our responses to life situations, so we can become Northern Directed and thus live as we were meant to be. Dr. Vivian infuses Outside, Inside, Godside with remarkable wisdom, irrefutable logic, and compelling examples of people whose lives, previously in shambles, were transformed through Revitalized Living. Through this guide, the author demonstrates how one can discard fruitless pursuits using his Seven Steps. So stop, compose yourself, and immerse yourself in this wonderful guide to a healthier life.

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An exceptional guide for the novice

Vincent Coniglario

Better than his first book, but just barely.

Secrets to Drawing Heads
Allan Kraayvanger
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Figure Drawing Workshop

Draw Naturally: How a New Way of Seeing Can Improve Your Drawing Skills

Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice

The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head

The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition

ASIN: 1402747438

Book Description

It’s the first thing anyone looks at when there’s a figure in a painting: the details of the human head and face. There’s far more to creating an accurate portrait than meets the eye, and that’s exactly what this extremely focused, richly visual guide teaches artists. The amount of information here is truly astounding, and it offers help for anyone struggling to master the technique. The study starts with the basic shapes, planes, forms, and values of the head. There’s a “map” to follow as a model, a discussion of anatomy, suggestions for capturing profiles and angled views, advice on recognizing what makes a face individual, historical photos to examine, and so much more. No other art book is its equal on the subject.

Customer Reviews:

An exceptional guide for the novice.......2007-05-04

Capturing the quintessence of the human head and face, as well as character of the individual, is the "holy grail" of all techniques, to most artists; also the most complicated and challenging to achieve. This is mainly due to the fact that most struggle with the tendency towards drawing things symbolically, rather than what is actually seen. Allan Kraayvanger's Secrets to Drawing Heads is a classic of simplicity, yet exceptionally focused, when it comes to helpful direction in this exceptional art, especially for the absolute novice attempting to develop their skills in portrait drawing.

An easy-to-read condensed art tutorial, Secrets to Drawing Head's 112 pages are copiously illustrated with over 230 drawings, including step-by-step instructions and text outlining the core techniques that will help the budding artist reason on why such methods are taken. The reader is shown the building block of an accurate portrait and mastering the techniques in applying the study of basic components such as skin values, geometric shapes, shadows and lighting, perspective, and planes, to develop visual awareness. Advice offered on "individualizing" a face is also exceedingly helpful in capturing the subjects `character' and personal aura in a portrait.

Extremely helpful in guiding and nudging the burgeoning artist beyond the lifeless one-dimensional line drawing, the complexities of the human face and head are abridged to their simplest structures to accommodate easy comprehension. It should be said that, while accurate and recognizable, the final result is akin to a loose sketch, rather than a detailed and refined portrait. Therefore, its richly visual instruction and references are geared more towards the beginner or intermediate, as opposed to the seasoned artist who is looking for a greater echelon of detail in a finished drawing.

Also included are discussions capturing realistic anatomy by understanding bone and muscle structure, advice on capturing tipped profiles and angled views accurately, as well as the use of symbolism. A comprehensive index in the back of the book also aids in rapid look-up of particular topics of interest.

Kraayvanger's own drawing illustrations, coupled with his pointed text and guidance in Secrets to Drawing Heads, strike a perfect equilibrium, as he demonstrates the quick, rewarding way to master the fundamentals of a favorite genre of expression. The beginner artist will appreciate how the author reduces complexities with fun and easy-to-follow instructions. This book is highly recommended to the artist endeavoring to gain confidence in drawing an accurate likeness.

Vincent Coniglario.......2006-01-05

I cannot say enough about the value of this book for anyone who draws the human head and figure. This author seems to have found the perfect balance between too much and too little in both the text and the drawings. He takes you by the hand and leads you through the complexities of this most difficult subject without one second of boredom. His drawings speak for themselves.I only wish this book was available thirty years ago, it would have saved me a great deal of hard study.

[............]

Vincent Coniglario, Chicago, Il

Better than his first book, but just barely........2005-10-11

I approached this book with some trepidation because the Mr. Kraayvanger's first book, "FIGURE DRAWING WORKSHOP", is one of the worst to see print and I expected more of the same here. Surprisingly, this book isn't quite as awful as his first; I'm not claiming that it's perfect by anyone's standards but while it may not be the best book available on drawing the head and it definitely can't be considered a classic or even good by any consideration it does have enough going for it to merit a little attention. I have no doubt that an absolute beginner will find it a somewhat helpful introduction because its profusely illustrated 7 chapters and 112 pages provides basic, if incomplete and diffused, common sense information in a condensed form.

Unfortunately, not only is the information offered incomplete and often very abbreviated, it is presented in a disorganized scatter shot method with vital techniques given short shrift at the end of the book when they would be better served toward the beginning. For example, the "secret" promised in the title boils down to, as the author writes "...this is the secret to professional drawing. I consider the shape factor in drawing so important...". By shape the author means a silhouette of the head, including hair, which is then subdivided into to hair/face and then is further subdivided into features using the skull's structure as guide. Doing this properly not only requires knowing the structural elements which make up the head but also requires the artist to measure these elements against one another to find their proper proportion. The author doesn't bother to mention measuring until page 105. Where he explains his rationale for placing it late in the book: "It's probably a good idea to learn how to use this method (measuring), but I must admit, it bores me to death." And on page 107, after giving it a cursory description, he confesses "To me, measuring ... takes the fun out of it (drawing)....I'm sure that I never learned to do it properly because it makes so little sense to me."

The author's inept drawings attest to this fact. This is the second problem with the book: the drawings are at best amateurish and sloppy; at worst, lazy. They're an improvement from the drawings in his first book but still less than professional, let alone inspiring. He's an adequate sketch artist and this book can help you to be adequate too, but if you aspire to higher skills I suggest you pass this one by and look elsewhere. There are plenty of books around that will provide better instruction.

A more appropriate title for this book would be "The Lazy Person's Guide to Sketching the Head." This is my qualified recommendation: if you're lazy person who fancies sketching the head, this book is for you!

Drawing secrets!: Short cuts and enjoyable instruction on drawing expression, heads, figures, animals, birds, landscape, pixies, cartoon tricks and stunts, etc

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Drawing secrets!: Short cuts and enjoyable instruction on drawing expression, heads, figures, animals, birds, landscape, pixies, cartoon tricks and stunts, etc
Jack Greenall
Manufacturer: Printed by Hepburn & sons, ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B0007JLXMS

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Secrets to Drawing Heads

Manufacturer: STERLING
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GTCB0C

Customer Reviews:

Excellently meets the objective.......1998-06-04

I am about to leave for Africa, so I needed some preparation. McDonald's book exactly served my needs. It is helpful, with both technical advice and inspiring photographs. He makes you believe that you will be successful. I later found referrals to this book in the nature photography usenet group; so it seems that others find the book helpful as well. Small enough to take along. Packing lists too.

Book Description

Short stories and adventures featuring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and other standard Disney characters.

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Vibrant and Colorful

Exemplary Memoir

I hope Cantwell writes another book of this period in NYC

If you love Manhattan, you'll adore this book!

Poignant, compelling, exquisite writing

Manhattan, when I Was Young
Mary Cantwell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Manhattan Memoir: American Girl; Manhattan, When I Was Young; Speaking with Strangers

What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love

I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman

The Year of Magical Thinking

ASIN: 0140232230

Customer Reviews:

Vibrant and Colorful.......2003-01-19

Mary Cantwell takes you on a wonderful journey through her life in the 50's and 60's from single girl to a divorced mother working as a magazine editor. With us she shares the good times, as well as her tough times which makes for a fabulous life and all that she has accomplished for herself and her children........

Exemplary Memoir.......2001-07-07

First of all, this book has the best title in the world, bar none. More importantly, Cantwell writes about hard times without being even remotely self-pitying or tedious, and that's no mean accomplishment. Manhattan, When I Was Young is an absorbing, evocative valentine to being young and confused in New York City. It's also beautifully written and extremely entertaining.

I hope Cantwell writes another book of this period in NYC.......2000-08-18

I read this book a few years ago and LOVED it tremendously, declaring it my new favorite book, which is why I owe it a (belated) 5-star ranking. If it had been written in the '50s and early '60s - the time span she covers - it would have enjoyed as much or more success as the "single women in the city" books of the late '90s (Bridget, Girl's Guide, Sex in the City). However, written as a memoir it is even more mesmerizing in it's evocation of a heady, romantic time in Manhattan - nothing like the coldness of today's Sex in the City. I particularly loved Cantwell's voice/writing style which is full-bodied in a light-handed way - with such great observations of detail and dialogue and the culture of that time, against a great backdrop of fashion and manhattan brownstones. It has the intelligence I wish more of today's books which profile young women would have.

If you love Manhattan, you'll adore this book!.......1999-11-29

Mary Cantwell's Manhattan is vibrant and colorful. She approaches the city with generous admiration and honest trepidation. If you've lived there, her experience will immediately resonate with your own. A must read for stylish and sophisticated New Yorkers or those who aspire to be!

Poignant, compelling, exquisite writing.......1999-07-09

I loved this very memorable memoir. It provides a window into an interesting world in language that sings with truth and clarity. The author is so honest and forthright that one can't help but feel drawn in and compassionate for her. There is no place like New York and this book takes you there during the 50's and 60's, certainly an interesting time. Highly recommend it, I think women and men who were raising children during this time would particularly enjoy it. A friend in publishing in New York commented that what is really scary is that nothing has changed.

Manhattan Memoir: American Girl; Manhattan, When I Was Young; Speaking with Strangers

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A Classic Memoir
Wonderful prose and a fascinating story
Delightful, Engaging and Unflinchingly Honest
A delightful walk through time
A delightful walk through time

Manhattan Memoir: American Girl; Manhattan, When I Was Young; Speaking with Strangers
Mary Cantwell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140291903

Book Description

The New York Times said that Mary Cantwell, in telling the story of her life, "Makes you discover yourself." Now, gathered in a single volume, are her three beautifully etched, unflinchingly honest memoirs. Cantwell's first book, American Girl, evoked the delights of her youth in a small New England town; her second, Manhattan, When I Was Young, told of her blossoming career in New York, her marriage and her children, and that marriage's decline. Speaking with Strangers finds Cantwell alone, a single mother struggling in the big city, bereft of her husband but bolstered by friends, thriving in her career yet personally troubled. With a sensibility as distinct as the city she calls home, Cantwell's autobiographical trilogy brilliantly captures her struggle to forge a life with one foot in her past and the other, warily, in her present.

"Cantwell writes with breathless intensity." --People

"As in the best of memoirs, the place is a character in the play, and Cantwell's courage as a wife and working mother also has a life and inspiration of its own."--Los Angeles Times

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Memoir.......2005-04-27

Mary Cantwell's Manhattan Memoir is three books in one but you will never tell the difference. The stories flow together as Cantwell's memoir's cover her life. Cantwell takes you through a stroll in Manhattan. The good times, the struggles. The best memoir I have read. This is that book you will tell all of your friends about. Cantwell is a fantastic story teller.

Wonderful prose and a fascinating story.......2002-02-25

The other reviews told what the book was about. I just wanted to add to their comments by saying that I couldn't put the book down and was sad when it ended. Her words flowed so beautifully.

Delightful, Engaging and Unflinchingly Honest.......2002-02-06

Mary Cantwell bares her triumphs and joys as well as her shortcomings and insecurities in this collection of three memoirs that span her childhood, early adulthood, and middle- to late-adulthood respectively. Cantwell lead a wonderful, if unremarkable, childhood in an enviably Rockwell-esque seaside town - her depiction of her life through high-school is a real joy to read. Upon graduation from college, Cantwell hits the "Big City" appears to have forgotten some of the lessons learned in her idyllic childhood, however, she still manages to snag a plumb job with Mademoiselle Magazine and occasionally interacts with literary legends with her ambitious young husband. In her later life she is given interesting writing assignments and carves out a life for herself in Lower Manhattan, however, I found it discouraging that she wallows in the collapse of her marriage (which never appeared to be very strong), often to the detriment of her two daughters. I kept wondering how a woman with such a strong background could have allowed herself to sink to the depths Cantwell periodically allowed herself to hit. Regardless, she is not ashamed to remember less-than-glamorous moments in her life (which also include being jeered by fellow classmates as an elementary school student and suffering from paralyzing fits of self-doubt as a young career woman) - these are the events that have made her what she is.

It must have been incredibly therapeutic for Cantwell to write these memoirs. All three books can be seen as a view of the author's life from within her own head. Her message is simple: accept me for what I am. "Manhattan Memoir," in addition to being the story of Mary Cantwell's life, it also about trying to be true to oneself when one isn't always sure what that means. By writing her story, Cantwell examines her life and tries to learn from her experiences - and it can make the reader start to think about his/her own life as well.

While Cantwell's life is not particularly fascinating or different in itself, her writing style and manner of portraying her experiences are magical and riveting. She describes the joyous and painful events of her life in an easy, engaging manner - it is as if she is talking about the past with old friends. She manages to make the mundane fascinating. She also has a real gift for engaging the reader. I wasn't sure if I liked her writing style at first - Cantwell writes almost as one speaks - but within pages of beginning the book I became used to her rambling style and truly enjoyed it.

This book provides an added plus for those from or familiar with Rhode Island and/or New York City. It was fun for me to recognize the addresses of Cantwell's Manhattan apartments and know that the places she frequented, I often go to today.

A delightful walk through time.......2000-07-23

The late Mary Cantwell charmingly recounts, in this 3 books in one volume paperback, her years growing up in a small New England seaport town and her youthful foray into the 'glamourous' magazine world of New York City in the 'fities. Sane, sensible and warm nostalgia--without being saccharine. Beautifully written. A must for the literate and for New York lovers-- especially those who remember the days!

A delightful walk through time.......2000-07-23

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MANHATTAN, WHEN I WAS YOUNG.
MARY CANTWELL.
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ6GDM

Amazon.com

As a cub reporter at The New Republic, Jake Halpern earned the unofficial job title of Bad Homes Correspondent. Braving Home tells his stories of places where people really ought not live and the people who live there anyway. Halpern traveled to such inadvisable destinations as a bed and breakfast at the foot of an active Hawaiian volcano, a North Carolina town trying to recover from being completely submerged, an indoor Alaskan city, and an island in the Gulf of Mexico located directly in the cross hairs of numerous hurricanes. And while the places themselves make for interesting historical lore, the people who choose to stay and make their homes there form the real heart of the story. The doomed, it seems, get few visitors but have plenty of time on their hands. So Halpern goes out to meet them, crashes on their couches or guest beds and hangs out for a few days forming a one-man tourist industry. Far from being the kooks one might expect, Halpern's subjects come across as normal folks, though significantly more resilient than most, who stay in their homes simply because, well, those are their homes. Halpern himself figures prominently in most of the stories and at times it seems like the young man is spending too much time navel gazing. But on each of the book's five adventures, Halpern goes from wide-eyed visitor to welcome member of the community and in so doing demonstrates how, once you get used to it, any place can feel like home. Even if that it's surrounded by molten lava. --John Moe

Book Description

Funny, moving, and utterly unique, Braving Home introduces us to five unforgettable modern American pioneers. When Jake Halpern was a cub reporter, he became obsessed with stories about "some outlandish and often hellish place inhabited by a handful of stalwarts who refused to leave." His fellow reporters joked with him and nicknamed him the Bad Homes Correspondent. But the more he learned about these people, the more he was drawn to them. Determined to understand their fierce devotion to home, Halpern set off on a journey to five of the most punishing towns in America. Braving Home is his irresistible portrait of these hometowns and his friendships with their most loyal residents. In North Carolina, he meets a retired mill worker who single-handedly manned his hometown in the wake of a devastating flood. In Alaska, Halpern works for a spunky woman who runs a video store/tanning salon and delivers newspapers to an "indoor town" a lone snowbound high-rise at the foot of a glacier. At the base of a Hawaiian volcano, he stays with a hermit whose house, formally an inn, was surrounded by molten lava. In Malibu, nestled among the glitterati, a longtime "hillbilly" teaches him the traditions of firefighting. Finally, on a barrier island off the coast of Louisiana, a legendary storm rider tells of surviving hurricanes even if it means tying one's hair to a tree. Throughout his journey, Halpern explores the value of rootedness in an age when American society is more mobile than ever. Along the way, he discovers why no amount of floods, lava, wind, fire, or hurricanes can tug these unforgettable people from their roots.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent! Travel Journalism on the Edge!.......2006-11-11

I thoroughly enjoyed Jake Halpern's travel memoir of extreme places and the people who chose to live in them. Halpern's writing style is disciplined and readable--an ideal combination for a journalist--with just enough of a sprinkling of the wicked turn of phrase to keep the reader engaged and laughing. Halpern brings his subjects to vibrant life, and makes me want to know what has happened to them since his writing. I look forward to a volume two. Perhaps Halpern could explore whether those who "brave home" are a dying breed? Is there a next generation of extreme inhabitors awaiting discovery?

"I come from a family with a long history of leaving places." - Jake Halpern.......2006-04-18

A writer at the New Republic, Halpern found himself drawn to individuals living in unusual locales after writing a story on Centralia, PA, where a 40-year-old coal mine fire has been burning underground and most people have been evacuated by the government. Halpern grew up in Buffalo "best known as a place people like to leave" & while he has a little experience with the long-term residents of his hometown, he himself has lived a fairly peripatetic life.

The locales he visits includes Princeville, NC - the oldest incorporated African-American US town that was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Floyd. Whittier AK is primarily one 14-story building, perched on a ledge of a mountain with a single tunnel entrance for train/car access. The lack of privacy and dark, windy winters send most folk running after 3 years. Jack Thompson runs a bed & breakfast in Hawaii - it's not terribly busy, because it's surrounded by lava. Halpern visits the last of the Malibu homesteaders: the Decker family has lived in one of the area canyons since the 1880's and has never fled from a fire. A barrier island in the Louisiana delta has faced its share of hurricanes, yet may not last through the end of the century.

Halpern proves himself more than a reporter - he stays with these "kooks" for a couple of days or a couple of weeks, showing them to be individuals with a strong sense of belonging, who can't imagine themselves anywhere else. His outlook is occasionally self-centered, but also provides insight into what it means to truly be "at home".

Recommended to anyone interested in human-interest stories with a touch of the unusual & very little syrupy-sweet sentiment.

Oh Go Home.......2006-04-08

Many philosophers have attempted a definition of "home" as more than just the physical location where you live. Jake Halpern actually comes pretty close to that elusive definition in this enjoyable travelogue. Halpern visits some rugged regular folks who have made their homes in unlikely or dangerous locations. While this book is now a few years old, a couple of Halpern's stories have gained some new poignancy post-Katrina – those being Halpern's visit with the old-timers of a Louisiana island that could be literally wiped off the map by any major hurricane, and who have made a lifestyle of riding out the storms; and the story of a retired gentleman in North Carolina who refused to break his deep ties with his town and its history, even after a major flood destroyed his house. Here Halpern also reports on an odd small town in Alaska that is almost totally contained within a single high-rise and is also almost completely cut off from the outside world; a loner in Hawaii who perseveres in his house even after being totally surrounded by lava from an active volcano; and the diehard Wild West-ers who are still living oldschool style in Malibu and fighting back brush fires themselves. Within these narratives of hardy souls and their lives of creeping hardship, Halpern discovers why these folks stay in their precarious locations, and why each has a stronger sense of "home" than most of the rest of us. Halpern's attempts to get philosophical could be a little stronger, but he reports successfully on some very hardy and likeable folks. [~doomsdayer520~]

Inside the lives of those who live on the edge.......2005-10-18

Halpern has terrific subject matter here--an isolated man living in a lava-ridden town, an indoor city in Alaska, a submerged North Carolina town, and more--but what makes this book work is Halpern's personality. He appears to be a truly amicable guy, and he gets his subjects to open up to him and invite him into their lives. Halpern doesn't just pop by for an afternoon interview, he gets invited to stay for days and immerse himself in these people's lifestyles. His connection with his subjects is evident in the fact that he gets invited back for repeat visits when his book is complete, and he thoughtfully includes updates on everyone at the close of the book. The reader can't help but be touched by all these people living in extreme circumstances, and I was sad to leave them when the book came to a close.

Usually, I dislike when non-fiction authors expound on the philosophical reasons for their subjects' behavior. Halpern, however, did an excellent job tying together the common threads that made people refuse to leave their homes despite the risks. People who have been rooted in their home for generations as well as those who have been transplanted to their own version of paradise make similar arguments for staying in their homes no matter what.

Halpern manages to find a Louisiana backwater in which trailers are constantly washed out into the ocean, as well as multi-million dollar homes on the Malibu coast that are constantly in fire danger and repeatedly re-built. The desire to "brave home" crosses economic and cultural lines across the country, and Halpern invites the reader to learn about some unique cases. Overall, this book is highly recommended based on the subject matter and on Halpern's excellent delivery.

Makes my home seem boring--but safe!.......2004-06-28

Extremely entertaining! Fun to read! Interesting characters! Unmatched locales! I returned again and again to this wonderful book during my spare time. I'm not sure Halpern really comes up with explanations for why people live in such dangerous, out-of-the-way places, but his descriptions of those people and their homes are simply fascinating. Read it--and maybe you'll be looking to buy a home in Royal Gardens, Hawaii!

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