City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village


David Sucher - 1994
    Many of these small details are so obvious as to be invisible.

Addiction and Change: How Addictions Develop and Addicted People Recover


Carlo C. DiClemente - 2003
    Less well known are the processes that drive movement through the stages or how the stages apply to becoming addicted. From Carlo C. DiClemente, codeveloper of the transtheoretical model, this book offers a panoramic view of the entire continuum of addictive behavior change. The author illuminates the common path that individuals travel as they establish and reinforce new patterns of behavior, whether they are developing an addiction or struggling to free themselves from one, and regardless of the specific addictive behavior. The book addresses crucial questions of why, when, and how to intervene to bolster recovery in those already addicted and reach out effectively to people at risk.

On the Wild Edge: In Search of a Natural Life


David Petersen - 2005
    Today he knows that mountain land as intimately as anyone can know his home. Petersen conflates a quarter century into the adventures of four high-country seasons, tracking the rigors of survival from the snowmelt that announces the arrival of spring to the decline and death of autumn and winter that will establish the fertile ground needed for next year's rebirth. In the past we listened to Henry David Thoreau or Aldo Leopold; today it is Petersen's turn. His observations are lyrical, scientific, and from the heart. He reinforces Thoreau's dictum: "in wildness is the preservation of the earth." In prose rich with mystery and soul, his words are a plea for the survival of the remnant wilderness."Many of us would like to live a life of greater intention and simplicity, but few can and even fewer do. David Petersen is one of those rare human beings among us who lives a wild life with a cultured mind . . . [He] has created a map all of us can follow."—Terry Tempest Williams, author of The Open Space of Democracy

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden


Lee Reich - 2004
    Though names like jujube, juneberry, maypop, and shipova may seem exotic at first glance, these fruits offer ample rewards to the gardener willing to go only slightly off the beaten path at local nurseries. Reliable even in the toughest garden situations, cold-hardy, and pest- and disease-resistant, they are as enticing to the beginner as to the advanced gardener. This expanded sequel to the author's celebrated Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention offers new fruits, new varieties, and new photos and illustrations to entice the reader into an exciting world of garden pleasure.

The Bounty: Poems


Derek Walcott - 1997
    Opening with the title poem, a memorable elegy to the poet's mother, the book features a haunting series of poems that evoke Walcott's native ground, the island of St. Lucia. "For almost forty years his throbbing and relentless lines kept arriving in the English language like tidal waves," Walcott's great contemporary Joseph Brodsky once observed. "He gives us more than himself or 'a world'; he gives us a sense of infinity embodied in the language."

Nano House: Innovations for Small Dwellings


Phyllis Richardson - 2011
    In the countryside, we want to preserve nature and the landscape. In impoverished parts of the world, the necessity for sustainable and economical shelter is stronger than ever. Lifestyles and daily routines are also changing. We live in an interconnected world in which digital communication, information, and entertainment are pervasive. Yet basic human needs remain constant: a roof over our heads and somewhere to cook, eat, and sleep. Increasingly, we look for ways to occupy our habitats more ecologically, flexibly, and efficiently.Digital design tools, sustainable materials, and new prefabrication technologies have led to an explosion in innovative ideas for designing domestic spaces, particularly those in tight surroundings. All the homes in Nano House are drawn from a broad array of climatic and environmental contexts, building methods, and spatial innovations.This lively book is the perfect resource and inspiration for designers, architects, builders—for anyone looking to maximize living space with minimal environmental impact.

The Grazing Revolution: A Radical Plan to Save the Earth (TED Books Book 39)


Allan Savory - 2013
    Once-lush grasslands, the source of precious food and water, are growing dry and bare. Rivers that used to flow year-round now run dry after the rains. Grazing animals want for food. What is causing this “desertification” of the earth, and how can we stop it? In The Grazing Revolution, biologist Allan Savory presents a solution that’s as radical as it is simple: huge herds of livestock, managed to mimic the behavior of the natural herds that once roamed grasslands centuries ago. Tracing his own story of discovery, Savory debunks common misconceptions and provides a vivid chronicle of the process by which he has seen scrubby wasteland revert to robust ecosystems. Our age-old agricultural practices are contributing greatly to the global climate change underway; Savory argues that by re-imagining these practices, we can reverse desertification and save the planet.

Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture


Bernard Rudofsky - 1965
    He introduces the reader to communal architecture--architecture produced not by specialists but by the spontaneous and continuing activity of a whole people with a common heritage, acting within a community experience. A prehistoric theater district for a hundred thousand spectators on the American continent and underground towns and villages (complete with schools, offices, and factories) inhabited by millions of people are among the unexpected phenomena he brings to light.The beauty of primitive architecture has often been dismissed as accidental, but today we recognize in it an art form that has resulted from human intelligence applied to uniquely human modes of life. Indeed, Rudofsky sees the philosophy and practical knowledge of the untutored builders as untapped sources of inspiration for industrial man trapped in his chaotic cities.

Dream Plants for the Natural Garden


Henk Gerritsen - 2000
    This new collaboration with fellow Dutch plantsman Henk Gerritsen deals with a selection of some 1200 plants most suitable for Oudolf's New Wave naturalism, which emphasizes the importance of plant structures in providing all-season interest. The gardener can prune back plants after flowering to create a perpetual spring — at least until the onset of winter — but the authors prefer to follow nature's example and let plants finish flowering, not only to please the birds and butterflies, but for the beauty that well-chosen plant groupings offer as they reach the end of their life cycle. Many illustrations in this book demonstrate the striking effects of Oudolf's favorite plants in fall and winter.

The Complete Japanese Joinery


Hideo Sato - 2000
    Book by Sato, Hideo, Nakahara, Yasua

The Trance of Scarcity: Stop Holding Your Breath and Start Living Your Life


Victoria Castle - 2006
    Here, Victoria Castle offers a prescription for realizing abundance and empowerment.

Drawing and Designing with Confidence: A Step-By-Step Guide


Mike W. Lin - 1993
    His method emphasizes speed, confidence, and relaxation, while incorporating many time-saving tricks of the trade.

Half Gone


Jeremy Leggett - 2005
    Exposing the true status of the world's dwindling energy supplies, Jeremy Leggett reveals the scale of the disaster looming over our planet, and the action each and every one of us must take - right now - to stand a chance of averting it.

Architects' Data


Ernst Neufert - 1970
    Organised largely by building type, and with over 6000 diagrams, it provides a mass of data on spatial requirements and also covers planning criteria and considerations of function and siting. Most illustrations are dimensioned and each building type includes plans, sections, site layouts and design details. There are substantial new sections on:- building components - services - heating - lighting - thermal and sound insulation - fire protection - designing for the disabledAn extensive bibliography and a detailed set of metric/imperial conversion tables are included.Since it was first published in Germany in 1936, Ernst Neufert's handbook has been progressively revised and updated through 35 editions and many translations. This Third Edition of the English language version has been revised for the first time in 20 years and completely reworked, with 40% more material, to provide a major new edition for an international readership. Browse sample pages and buy online: http: //www.blackwellpublishing.com/architect...

Harvest: An Adventure into the Heart of America's Family Farms


Richard Horan - 2012
    This is a timely and important book.”—Ted Morgan, author of Wilderness at Dawn“A lively visit with the dauntless men and women who operate America’s family farms and help provide our miraculous annual bounty. Richard Horan writes with energy and passion.”—Hannah Nordhaus, author of The Beekeeper’s Lament“Horan’s new book evocatively describes the peril and promise of family farms in America. I loved joining him on this journey, and so will you.”—T.A. Barron, author of The Great Tree of AvalonIn Seeds, novelist and nature writer Richard Horan sought out the trees that inspired the work of great American writers like Faulkner, Kerouac, Welty, Wharton, and Harper Lee. In Harvest, Horan embarks upon a serendipitous journey across America to work the harvests of more than a dozen essential or unusual food crops—and, in the process, forms powerful connections with the farmers, the soil, and the seasons.