Book Description
The coming energy crisis caused by a peak in global oil and natural gas production will profoundly affect the lives of all North Americans. As the price of these vital fuels rises, homeowners will scramble to cut their fuel bills. Two options for meeting the upcoming challenge are dramatic improvements in home energy efficiency and efforts to tap into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources to heat and cool homes, to provide hot water and electricity, and even to cook. These measures can result in huge savings and a level of energy independence.
The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy tells you how. It starts by outlining the likely impacts of fossil fuel shortages and some basic facts about energy. It then discusses energy conservation to slash energy bills and prepare for renewable energy options. Focusing carefully on specific strategies needed to replace specific fuels, the book then examines each practical energy option available to homeowners:
- solar hot water, cooking and water purification
- space heat: passive and active solar retrofits
- wood heat
- passive cooling
- solar electricity
- wind-generated electricity
- electricity from microhydropower sources, and
- emerging technologies -- hydrogen, fuel cells, methane digesters and biodiesel.
The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy gives readers sufficient knowledge to hire and communicate effectively with contractors and, for those wanting do installations themselves, it recommends more detailed manuals. With a complete resource listing, this well-illustrated and accessible guide is a perfect companion for illuminating the coming dark age.
Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series
Customer Reviews:
A decent overview; left me wanting more details........2007-09-05
I read this book cover-to-cover over the course of a couple of weeks. I'm new to the field of renewable energy, so you'll have to take my criticisms for what they are, a critique of the writing:
1) The author frequently repeats himself, and sometimes goes so far to state that he is repeating himself, and that the reader should refer back to a previous section.
2) Many of the references are "so and so claims such and such" or references to the Home Power magazine. It's great that the author cites his sources, but it often left me wondering if the author placed any stock in the claim being reported.
3) The author frequently refers to his own house, which was designed from the ground up to use renewable energy. While this is neat, it doesn't seem applicable to readers who already own houses (with a 99% chance that they're not nearly as efficient, and that it's not possible to convert them).
4) I would have enjoyed more information on solar power, since it seems to be the most applicable in urban and suburban areas. Instead, it received basically equal treatment alongside micro-hydroelectric and wind power.
Still, it's a good book - 3.5 stars - and contains a number of references to other sources of information on the topic.
Very informative book........2007-07-19
I found this book to be very informative. It provides a wealth of knowledge about being self-sufficient. I am particularly interested in solar and wind power and this book provided some very good information about each of these subjects. Would highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about living green.
The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achievi... .......2007-06-09
This is an excellent book, because it has much information in general, different green ideas for your home. And that is important for you and the Planet today and future.
Great Direction.......2007-05-12
My wife and I are in the process of designing our retirement home here in the Colorado foothills. We want to build one that is both energy efficient/independent and retain that "curb appeal". This book has provided us with a great many ideas that will help us achieve that goal.
renewable energy.......2007-05-10
I think this book was great, very informative but I wished there were more pics to go along with the techniques. Overall I love it!
Book Description
More and more homeowners today want houses that are healthy to live in and cause minimal damage to the environment. That's what green building is all about.
Your Green Home is written for homeowners planning a new home - whether you are working with an architect or builder, or serving as your own general contractor. Intended to improve the overall environmental performance of new houses being built, the book sets out to answer some of the big-picture questions relating to having a home designed and built - and getting what you want.
Your Green Home covers:
- Home location and its relationship to the community
- Site design
- Construction systems
- Building design to optimize energy performance
- Renewable energy systems
- Material selection
- Indoor environmental quality
- Water efficiency
- Material selection
Written by the founder of BuildingGreen - North America's premier green building authority - this book will prove useful not only to future homeowners, but also to designers and builders seeking to meet this demand. Building professionals well-versed in green building may find this a useful book to give to potential clients to convey the scope and principles of green building.
Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series
Customer Reviews:
not for architects or designers.......2007-05-14
I am an interior designer and work for an architectural firm. Because of the information I have learned thru my education and professional experience, I found very little new information in this book. If you have no knowledge of green building practices, this book would be beneficial.
Great overview of building a green home. .......2007-01-09
This book was a overview/introduction to building a green home. Should be a must read for builders and anyone planning on building a new home. Not all strategies will work for every situation, but there's lots here that would apply for any situation or budget.
Nice text, appeals to broad audience.......2007-01-09
The text is well-written and can appeal to a wide audience. It's simple enough to understand for those without a great deal of knowledge in sustainable design, yet interesting and usefull enough for the professional who's more trained in sustainability. The text covers sustainable homes in a logical order, first stressing the foundation concepts like siting, orientation, passive solar, and building envelope efficiency, BEFORE moving on to less critical (but more popular) topics such as green materials.
I am a professor of Environmental Design and am currently building a passive solar, zero-energy home, and if I were to write a text that comprises the whole of the process and goals in sustainable home building, the format and breadth of topics would be similar to this book.
One negative of the book is the absence of color images to illustrate some points. The simple line drawings get the point across, but photos might have a better impact - especailly in sections discussing more advanced systems such as renewable energy systems or rainwater catchment systems.
Book Description
Heating water with the sun is almost as old as humankind itself, and it is done all over the world. Yet there are strangely few resources on the topic in North America.
Solar Water Heating fills this gap. It reviews the history of solar water & space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover:
- Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages
- System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance
- System sizing and siting
- Choosing the appropriate system.
Since people often get turned off by the up-front cost, the book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run. Well-illustrated, the book is designed for a wide readership from the curious to the student or professional.
Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series
Customer Reviews:
solar hot water.......2007-05-19
This is a great collection of information on the subject of solar water heating. I love how the author doesn't pull any punches. There are definite reasons why we don't use more solar hot water in this country. Regan led by example in the 80's when he pulled the solar collectors off the white house roof. While the author spends a bit on the history of solar heating this is definitely a manual on how to design and install a system. The author obviously has had a lot of experience with these systems and he knows what works. read this book and get a high quality solar hot water system up and running in your home. Our planet depends on it.
In fact he dedicated the book for our earth.
Great support.......2007-05-16
I read the book fully with one breath. Basically it contains almost everything what need to know about solar systems and their application. But I gave 4 stars. The reason is simple: I am not sharing the view as vacuum tubes or heatpipes are having a same efficiency as normal flat collectors having. In our climate only heatpipes are able to supply enough heat for heating and support for heating. All others are excellent!
Homeowner's Guide to Solar Water Heating.......2007-04-04
Find out why your next home should be heated by a solar water system. This book will explain the ins and outs of various kinds of systems.
Comprehensive.......2007-03-29
Not being a plumber I can't say this book will be as much value to someone with those skills. He covers the systems so thoroughly that I would imagine if you had the plumbing ability this book would be all you need to get started.
I was a little frustrated having read the first chapter only to find out that several systems described in detail the author would never recommend using. I was thinking to myself why did I waste time reading about those. But that's where the comprehensive part comes in. And by knowing why the author doesn't recommend those systems you get to participate in the joy of knowing everything there is to know about solar water heating.
I especially enjoyed the cost analysis of the hot water systems vs. gas and electric, as well as the discussion of using solar heated water to provide whole house heating.
Excellent.......2007-03-04
Despite Federal tax credits (up to $2,000 at this writing) for solar water heating there's a lack of information on the subject.
For a handyman with good plumbing skills, or a homeowner wanting to learn about solar water heating, this is the best book available.
After a history of solar water heating in the US, the book describes various systems that use the sun to heat and store water. Climate, freeze conditions, water quality and amount of sunlight available are some of the factors considered in choosing a system, and the book describes them all. Individual components are detailed in a logical, straightforward way. It's obvious the authors have extensive practical knowledge. The writing style is informal and easy to read.
Besides all the solar water heating information, this book also has a good section on radiant floor heating, detailing the use of PEX tubing to heat a concrete slab.
The book uses a lot of drawings to demonstrate how things work. More actual photographs of systems and components would have been helpful. I also wish the authors would have included brand names and sources for equipment. The industry still suffers from the stigma of poorly designed systems of the 1970's and 80's. Some reassurances from the authors regarding which component manufacturers are good would have been nice.
For the past two years, I've lived with a solar water heating system I bought as a package and installed myself. I've been happy with all the "free" hot water it's provided. If this book had been available when planning my system I would have had a much better idea of what I was doing. Having all the components matched and sized with specific instructions gave me a lot of confidence during installation. In my opinion, for the neophyte, a component package is a good way to go.
For anyone planning a residential sized solar water heating system, this is the best book available. It's an excellent guide, whether you decide to choose the individual components yourself, buy a package, or hire a contractor to install a turnkey system.
If you're a contractor or someone wanting to get into the solar water heating business, "Solar Hot Water Systems - Lessons Learned 1977 to Today" (Tom Lane) is very good, but the amount of technical detail implies you already have a good working knowledge of plumbing and roofing. [...]
Good luck getting into hot water!
Book Description
Straw bale houses are easy to build, affordable, super energy efficient, environmentally friendly, attractive, and can be designed to match the builder's personal space needs, esthetics, and budget. Despite mushrooming interest in the technique, however, most straw bale books focus on "selling" the dream of straw-bale building, but don't adequately address the most critical issues faced by bale house builders. Moreover, since many developments in this field are recent, few books are completely up to date with the latest techniques.
More Straw Bale Building is designed to fill this gap. A completely rewritten edition of the 20,000-copy best-selling original, it leads the potential builder through the entire process of building a bale structure, tackling all the practical issues: finding and choosing bales; developing sound building plans; roofing; electrical, plumbing, and heating systems; building code compliance; and special concerns for builders in northern climates. New material includes:
- more extensive sections on electric wiring and plumbing
- updated sections on bale finishes and finishing
- a section on prefabricated straw bale walls
- a wider selection of case studies, photographs and illustrations
- a section on common mistakes
- budgeting for low-, medium- and high-cost projects, and
- new testing data that is in no other straw bale book.
Down-to earth and complete, More Straw Bale Building makes the remarkable benefits of straw bale building available in the most comprehensive and practical book on the subject to date.
Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series
Customer Reviews:
Straw bale building is great!.......2007-06-10
I was very impressed with the level of detail and thoroughness in how the authors explained about building with straw bales, the details, etc. If you are considering alternative building materials with an eye on energy conservation and reducing your "footprint" on the planet, this is a must for your library and to use while planning your home design.
Good book.......2007-05-20
This was a pretty good book. But, I must admit, I am waiting for one book that says it ALL!! I haven't found that book yet.
MORE STRAW BALE BUILDING.......2007-04-08
A VERY HIGH QUALITY INFORMATIVE PUBLICATION. ANYONE INTERESTED IN STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION SHOULD HAVE A COPY.
Happy with speed & quality..........2007-02-07
I received my item quickly and in good condition. Very satisfied.
More Straw Bale Building.......2006-03-03
I have been reading up on SB construction for quite some time now and this is by far the best book yet. It is a nice blend of the glossy pics that are nice and the technical info that we need. It is also nice to see Tina taking a bit of credit for a change. Congrats folks you have another great book out there.
Nick
Average customer rating:
- worth the time
- Great ideas and tools.
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Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover: The Six-Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life
Hannah Keeley
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Marriage
| Relationships
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Transformation
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Self-Esteem
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Healthy Living
| Personal Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Gender
| By Topic
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Motherhood
| Family Relationships
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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Hannah's Art of Home: Managing Your Home Around Your Personality (Capital Lifestyles)
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Desperate Households: How to Restore Order and Harmony to Your Life and Home
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Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos
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Writing Motherhood: Tapping Into Your Creativity as a Mother and a Writer
-
The Accidental Housewife: How to Overcome Housekeeping Hysteria One Task at a Time
ASIN: 0316017191 |
Book Description
With all of the demands made on moms these days, it's no wonder they can end up overwhelmed, disorganized, unhealthy, and empty. Enter Hannah Keeley to the rescue!Keeley--founder of TotalMom.com, author, speaker, television personality, life coach, and full-time homeschooling mother of seven--knows of what she speaks. By following her simple and inspiring program, Keeley promises in just six weeks mothers everywhere can:- look better and sexier than ever- create beautiful, clean, clutter-free homes- build great relationships with their husbands and kids- cook healthy meals for their families- control chaos, fear, and worry in their lives- and much moreWith advice and tips on everything from housecleaning to personal growth, HANNAH KEELEY'S TOTAL MOM MAKEOVER is a must-have for any mother ready to reinvent herself and her family and to live life to the fullest.
Customer Reviews:
worth the time.......2007-05-21
When I first received this book, I read the book quickly without taking the time to get a notebook and complete the daily exercises. When I finished the book, I grabbed a notebook and started back through each chapter. Hannah's advice hit right on target in many areas of my life. Hannah understands the chaos and emotions involved with motherhood. She offers avenues for mothers to take back control of their life. In a world where everyone is selling external fixes to problems, it's nice to read a book that focuses on the internal you.
Great ideas and tools........2007-05-14
This is a great book with great ideas. It really does work for a full-time working mother, as well as a stay at home working mom. Even if you only utilize a handful of her ideas it is worth it.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent for homeschooling moms!.......2007-07-08
What an awesome book! This book helps put any stressed mother's life into perspective using her 5 "P" method, regardless of whether you're homeschooling, a stay-at-home mother, or work outside the home. Holly's solutions regarding stress reduction, scheduling, and remaining flexible have changed my ideas about how to organize and run my own home and family. Highly recommended for any Catholic (or Christian) mother who wants to serve God and her family with peace and love.
Great read for Catholic home schooling moms........2006-12-31
I really enjoyed reading Holly's book. I would def. reccomend it to anyone wanting a pick me up when feeling overwhelmed with home school and motherhood in general.
Wonderful Read.......2006-12-05
I think that this book is a must read for moms who are trying to balance family christianity and self. I plan to read again!
broad audience will benefit.......2006-08-24
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and even return to re read parts of it. I am not Catholic ( I am Protestant) have teen agers and work outside the home as well and I found it so encouraging and am so blessed to have found it. For any women trying to get advise and inspiration on getting a mess straightened out as a tool to opening themselves up to the special blessings the Lord has for you. Susanna
Great book, helpful ideas.......2006-05-24
I enjoyed reading this book. I have used some of her suggestions in regard to starting a routine for my children and sticking with it. For example , schedule clean up before something fun or mealtime so the children have something to look forward to. This may be common sense to alot of people but it is something I have not thought of before.
In addition, she mentions Mother Theresa and how her schedule or Rule of Life inspired her to make a Mother's Rule for her family.
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful stories all children should read
- Heartwarming, charming, what a great book, and at a great value too.
- Every American Child Should Know These Books
- Underated
- Sweet stories . . .
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Little Bear Boxed Set: Little Bear / Father Bear Comes Home / Little Bear's Visit
Else Holmelund Minarik
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fiction
| Bears
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Parents
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Minarik, Else Holmelund
| ( M )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sendak, Maurice
| ( S )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Paperback
| Sendak, Maurice
| ( S )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Little Bear
| Classics
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Level 1 (Paperback)
| I Can Read Books
| Early Reader
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
All Children's Boxed Sets
| Children's Books
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
Animals
| Children's Books
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
Literature
| Children's Books
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
People & Places
| Children's Books
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
Series
| Children's Books
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
| Books
Similar Items:
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A Kiss for Little Bear
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Little Bear's Friend
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The Little Bear Movie
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Little Bear - Rainy Day Tales
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The Frog and Toad Collection Box Set (I Can Read Book 2)
ASIN: 0064441970 |
Book Description
To celebrate Little Bear's thirty-fifth anniversary, three paperback editions in the series—Little Bear, Father Bear Comes Home, and Little Bear's Visit—have been slipcased in a boxed gift set for a whole new generation of children.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful stories all children should read.......2007-07-19
This is a set of books that is perfect for children to read. Innocent, heart warming, and charming, Little Bear is a series that your young child will love to read again and again. Also, if your child loves the Little Bear series as much as mine do, there are dvds of episodes from the tv show based on these books that they would love as well.
Heartwarming, charming, what a great book, and at a great value too........2007-07-12
The little bear stories are one of my son's absolute favorites. It is a shame the cartoon is no longer on the air, as I'm sure he'd love that too, but the books are adorable and heartwarming as well. My son loves reading these books, and its really a joy to read this to him and see the expression of delight on his face. Really a great book for your kids.
Every American Child Should Know These Books.......2007-07-05
I bought these books for my 4 month old daughter. We've already read them (just before bedtime) more than once. I grew up with these books and they bring back great memories of when I was younger. These books are great for bedtime with the real little ones, and perfect starters when they first start to read on their own. Every child should be familiar with these books. They are classics.
Underated.......2007-07-04
As far as good, clean, books for kids 2-6, thre are none better than the Little Bear series.
Sweet stories . . ........2007-05-14
My 2 year old LOVES the Little Bear TV show, so I thought I would get her these books because she loves books too. These were GREAT for her - the TV show is based from the stories in the books, so the stories are quite familiar to my daughter. She loves them. They are very calming - perfect for bedtime reading.
Customer Reviews:
Home as a technological system? It's a stretch........2007-04-02
When one thinks of industrialization, the image of a factory comes to mind. However, Cowan looks at the home as a productive venue. According to Cowan's thesis in an industrial society the work women perform as homemakers is tied to technological systems just like in a factory. Work inside or outside the home utilizes electricity, gas, or petroleum as sources of power, and manufacturing and homemaking each require the use of specialized tools.
Tools used in the home help to accomplish specific tasks but, Cowan argues, they "have a life of their own" and "set limits to our work."(9) While tools define behavior within the home, it is outside institutions (manufacturing firms, advertising agents, market researchers) that "mediate"(11) which devices are available for the woman to use in the home. For example Cowan points out that the electric refrigerator likely won out over the gas-absorption design due to the aggressiveness of electric utilities verses the more conservative gas manufacturing companies between 1920 and 1950.
Notwithstanding the use of labor savings devices, women's work has not become easier or less time consuming. Affluence and technology have made a woman's role more complicated and demanding. Partly due to circumstances such as the reduction of numbers of servants available to do drudge work in the home, the change has more to due with an innate human desire for "privacy and autonomy."(149) It is a "convention so deeply imbedded in our individual and collective consciousness that even the profound changes wrought by the twentieth century have not yet shaken it."(150)
Perhaps Cowan's best example of the effects of technology on the home is the stove. Food preparation was a cooperative effort between women and men to produce a simple one-pot meal over an open hearth in pre-industrial days. While the stove reduced the man's effort to maintain the fire, it allowed more complex meals to be prepared by the woman.
If industrialization seemingly reduces the effort necessary for a women to prepare and preserve food, make and maintain clothing, or be the health provider within the home, an entirely new role came with the advent of the automobile. The woman became the household's transportation provider!
The net effect of technology on homemaking has been to reduce drudgery but not labor. While women have become more productive in the home, what time is saved is now consumed by other tasks. In a further irony house work has helped to perpetuate the idea of homemaking as women's work thus reinforcing the stereotypical inequity between genders. However the decline in domestic servants would seem to imply greater equality between classes.
Unlike market labor, women are unpaid, work in isolated workplaces, and perform as unspecialized workers. The value of housework is difficult to quantify and critics argue that household's do not "produce" anything. But is not that the goal of industry; to produce a good or provide a service? Why does homemaking have to be seen in terms of output? What about family and childrearing? These are intangibles beyond monetary value.
Gimmie a break - just look around!.......2005-11-18
More work for mother? Gimmie a break!! This book attempts to further the fiction that it's women who are still doing the housework. While this may have been true 40 years ago, the feminization of the American male that's occurred since then makes this a thing of the past. Just look around! Men are pushing strollers, cleaning houses, cooking dinners, involved in selecting décor, PLUS doing all the "men's work" that they previously did, such as yard work, fixing the car, and doing all those other heavy and dirty jobs. To make matters worse, these are often men who work demanding jobs with lots of travel to bring in the money, often for wives that are just sitting home on their asses! When these men come home from a grinding business trip, the wife is on them to "be more involved," so you see them running around killing themselves around the house and with the kids while their wives are over at the spa or having coffee with their yenta friends. More work for Mother? The book we need is "Modern Marriage: What's in it for Father?"
A must read for moms.......2005-02-26
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which provides a lot of insight into why modern women still are spending an amazing number of hours doing housework, in spite of vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers.
History with a political agenda.......2004-04-26
This book is history of housework and household technology in America. Cowan's thesis is that American women have paradoxically been required to take on more and more work as "labor-saving" technologies have been adopted. At the outset of the book, Cowan seems to state that she will show that developments in technology have not really made women's lives easier, but have served to bind women ever more tightly to the home. But by the end of the book, the message seems to be slightly different: that household technology has raised society's expectations of what women should be able to accomplish in the home, and that women must now work harder because of double duty- -doing the housework in addition to holding down fulltime jobs.
The book is organized along chronological lines, starting with pre-industrial conditions, moving on to industrialization, and finishing with the years following the Second World War. Food and laundry are two topics that receive heavy focus throughout the book. Cowan points out that in the pre-industrial times, food preparation required considerable help from men, for such things as butchering animals. But once meat was available in tins, men were released from such food preparation chores, while women's work increased, since new stove technologies made it possible for women to undertake more complicated methods of food preparation. Cowan argues that laundry duties also increased following industrialization, since when fabric was homespun, people only owned a few items of clothing that were hardly ever washed, but once cheap factory-made fabric became available, people got in the habit of changing clothes quite often, resulting in mounds of items to be laundered.
But I'm not sure I fully agree with these arguments. Cowan seems to suggest that the change from cooking over an open-hearth to cooking on a stove complicated women's lives by increasing possibilities, hence expectations and time spent on the task. Had Cowan been able to observe first-hand lunch preparations over an open-hearth during a hot summer day, she might have been more appreciative of the benefits of a stove. Anyone who has visited such reenactment museums as Plimouth Plantation in July, or even tried cooking a full meal over a campfire, comes away amazed at how women managed to deal with the heat and frustrations of cooking over an open hearth, especially when wearing long skirts that were constantly prone to catching fire from drifting into the coals or getting hit with sparks. And the health benefits of having enough clothing to allow frequent laundering are also tremendous- -memoirs of even the well-to-do of the pre-industrial age are full of descriptions of the usual louse and flea colonies that were an active part of every household. Industrialization in the areas of food preparation and laundry may have not have resulted in time savings for mother, but it certainly made it possible for her to greatly increase the health and safety of herself and her family.
Cowan notes that running a household in pre-industrial conditions involved so much work that no single person could manage it alone. That's why men got married, and why anyone who could afford to hired maids. But following industrialization, Cowan argues that maids could get better-paying factory jobs, so mother got stuck doing the work of the maids. But is this really more work for mother? If the work load was so heavy that a housewife couldn't get by without a maid, and the maid disappeared consequent with the adoption of household technology, it's not that mother was stuck spending more time than ever getting her housework done, but that the new technologies enabled her to accomplish more in the time she had available. Indeed, Cowan even cites time studies that confirm that women were spending more or less the same amount of time doing housework, but they were able to accomplish far more in that time thanks to new technologies, such as automatic washers. And the problems of the double-duty mother never even arose until technology had improved enough so that a woman could hold down an outside job as well as keep the home running.
From the outset, Cowan states that this book is about the history of American housewives and their work, so she doesn't look beyond our borders for evidence that would support or negate her thesis. Her cultural blinders seem overly tight, however, when she discusses the difficulty of finding and keeping hired help as being a peculiarly American problem. Anyone who has tried to work with hired help anywhere in the world has had similar experiences- -nobody grows up wanting to be a maid. Traditionally and worldwide, maids come from an immigrant class, migrating from rural to developed areas, if not across borders, and leaving at the first opportunity of higher pay or prestige elsewhere. Living with household help has an additional disadvantage that Cowan does not consider- -the loss of privacy for the family. Perhaps letting the family cook or laundress go meant more work for mother, but the benefits of finally getting food cooked the way you like it, and not having the maid sort through the family's dirty laundry made it all worthwhile, especially if household technology made it possible to get the chores done by yourself anyway- -and get them done right for a change!
I know that it's impossible to write history free from subjective judgments. However, I have rarely encountered a history where the political leanings of the author come through so blatantly. Although Cowan never states explicitly that she is a "Marxist-feminist", the term arises in several places in the text, suggesting a clear political affinity. Cowan came of age and wrote this book in an earlier time. Today, perhaps, conditions have changed, taking the edge off the urgency of the issues she was implicitly battling by writing this book. The factual information and the window that she provides into household material culture is fascinating, if you can free it from her political agenda and wavering argumentation.
A brilliant work!.......2003-09-21
I had sort of avoided this book because if its title--it sounded like it was going to be one of those books about how since Year One women have been shamelessly victimized by the evil patriarchy.
Boy, was I wrong! The book is a masterpiece of American social, cultural, and technological history. In a clear and sympathetic manner, it shows how home maintenance and upkeep have gradually changed in the U.S. over time. During colonial/pioneer days, everbody in a family had essential work to do: men chopped wood, plowed, and harvested; children carried wood and water; women spun, sewed, and cooked. If anybody fell down on the job, all suffered. Gradually, things changed--men (and sometimes children) increasingly left the house to work for wages during the day.
Superficially, this makes it look like, over time, American households quit being net producers of goods (grain, milk, eggs, cloth, etc.) to net consumers of finished products (pre-made clothes, canned goods, etc.). Cowan shows that this is not exactly the case. While "hard" goods did cease to be produced at home, services--health care, cooking, cleaning, etc.--were still produced for family use. And these services, in spite of in introduction of labor-saving appliances and tools--still, to this day, require both time and skill to use. In fact, while much of the drudgery (heavy lifting and water hauling, for example) was reduced, the complexity of the duties actually increased.
Cowan writes in a very clear style, and provides excellent examples to make her points. For example, she shows how diets changed with time, and gives a number of example of "failed alternatives" to private housework (co-operatives, residential hotels, etc.) Ultimately, she shows how housework/way of life evolved to the present day--working mothers, self-serve stores, few home deliveries--with the tacit consent of both the men and the women who created our current society. It provides an insightful study of many aspects of American life, addressing including such questions as "If I have so many labor- and time-saving devices, why am I so busy and tired so much of the time?"
Book Description
With rising energy costs, homeowners are beginning to examine the energy efficiency of their own homes, asking questions that range from where energy comes from and how much it costs, to how to choose new appliances and what options exist for renewable energy?
The Home Energy Diet answers all these questions and more, while helping readers take control of their personal energy use and costs so they can save money, live more comfortably, and help the environment. Energy auditor Paul Scheckel first explores energy literacy, and then describes how your home uses - and loses - energy you pay for via:
- Electricity
- Hot water
- Heating and air conditioning, and
- Windows, walls and insulation.
The Home Energy Diet involves readers in learning about their own homes by measuring, metering, investigating, and considering habits related to household energy use, then learning how to quantify energy consumption and cost, and to make informed decisions about cost-effective improvements and upgrades. The book explores the misunderstood concept of efficiency versus cost by comparing fuel costs and equipment choices, including the possibility of using renewable energy for meeting home energy needs. This authoritative guide makes efficiency fun through personal anecdotes and humorous "tales-from-the-basement" energy misadventures.
Since energy efficiency is an investment that offers returns greater than Wall Street, readers can earn several hundred dollars every year just by following the advice in this book. As a bonus, many of the energy-saving strategies described can make for improved indoor air quality and healthier, more comfortable homes.
Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series
Customer Reviews:
More than just an overview of ideas........2007-09-29
This is the best book I've read on the subject of improving household energy efficiency. Many of the books I've read in the past go through the basic things that homeowners can do to improve efficience, but this book explains the hows AND the whys.
The book surprised me when I first started reading it. I expected another "easy reader" on the subject. I was pleasantly surprised to find detailed explanations on why things should be done, situations where a particular improvement may not be the best, and how to approach the many different systems in a house - air heating and cooling, envelope, insulation, water heating, ventilation, etc. It was also refreshing to find different ways of examining the same system - for example, amount of fuel used for different heating systems, amount of heat generated for a particular type of fuel, and all the relationships between them.
As you start reading, you will find a lot of sidebars and short stories to highlight the discussion in the chapter. One thing I found slightly annoying is the number of Math Boxes that interrupt the flow of the book early on. These are sidebars that present sample calculations for the various topics, e.g. efficiency, fuel used for different heating systems, etc. I'd prefer the Math Boxes to be contained in an appendix with references in the main body of the book, but that's just me. Other readers may not find this annoying, and it's certainly not enough for me to reduce my rating of the book.
I highly recommend this book if you are serious about exploring ways to improve your house's efficiency. It's not an "easy reader", but it's well worth the time to read through it.
Great information that will save your money.......2007-09-18
The first third of the book is general information about energy, how it is made, how to count it, how to work the numbers. It should be a required class textbook for High School seniors. This background information is very well written and easy to understand. But, that is not why folks should buy this book.
The real meat starts at about page 93 with some very important electrical power safety tips, followed by an appliance-by-appliance list of items that use energy in a typical North American home. It is alphabetical and organized like an index.
Each item listed includes information about the amount of energy it uses and tips on how to save money using it. The "what to do" information is very specific and easy to put into practice. It starts with Air Cleaners and goes right through to Well Pumps.
Some items get just a sentence or two and others get a whole chapter. The biggest energy users get the most page space. Hot water, heating and air conditioning get their own chapters, as they should.
Like most grouchy old engineers, I read the book looking for details to disagree with. That approach was rewarded with frustration. In fact, there is so much good stuff in this book that I put it on the shelf next to my desk where it will be a handy reference.
I am forever getting questions from folks wanting to know how much they save when they shut off the item in question. The book has a handy chart, as appendix C, which does a good job answering that question.
More importantly, it provides focus for action by letting you identify the big energy users in your home. I get too many questions from people worried about the cost of running a computer when they should be focused on their heating, cooling and kitchen energy use.
The book is targeted at folks who own a house, but renters should read it too. If you pay the energy bill at your home this book will pay back the cover price many times over.
Good book.......2007-05-14
Good read, I got a lot out of this book. The author really knows his stuff.
Read before you remodel or upgrade your home.......2006-11-04
This author goes into detailed explanations that are easy to understand. I learned MANY reasons why my 1950's brick house was still air leaky after replacing HVAC system, windows, exterior steel doors, roof and adding insulation-the "professional" installers (Temp-A-Tech, Window World, Lowes, roof installer, and the handyman)-simply I bought good products but they were improperly/inadequately installed. Needless to say after paying the rather pricey installation charges, I'm not too happy. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone purchasing a home or having remodeling done. If I had only known about this book before I had the costly replacements done I would have a much better energy efficient home.
Heat and What Can Be Done With It.......2006-07-25
I skimmed this book very rapidly so this is not a comprehensive review. I bought it looking for "how to" information on solar energy. I didn't find it, at least in an easy to assimilate and put to use form. What I did find was almost a dissertation about heat at the level of a physics class: what heat is, what its innate properties are, where it comes from, where it goes, etc. It actually is fascinating reading and probably makes an extremely good foundation for the most efficient use of all the forms of energy that we use in our daily rounds. But it wasn't what I needed, super-fast. I may contact the author from his blurb on the inside back cover of the book for help.
Amazon.com
Facing the metaphorical empty nest, Beth Moore writes, "The first morning I awakened to a house with no children, my home was quiet, but to my surprise it wasn't empty. Suddenly it felt full. Full of memories. Full of anticipation. Full of love that can somehow go with them to college and beyond, yet stay back home with us. A love that has a name. Jesus." From here, Moore reflects upon all those memories, or feathers, from her nest, showing readers how a smattering of humor and a heavy dose of faith in Jesus helped to shape and guide her mothering. At times the mood is jovial, as she recalls the divine patience it takes to negotiate who rides in the front seat during the after-school carpool. At other times, her tone is tearjerking, as in the time she discovers a wadded tissue in her daughter's bed weeks after she'd left for college. "I had no idea how long it had been there, but I knew instinctively what it meant," writes Moore. "She had been crying ...I held the Kleenex in my hand and wondered what had broken her tender heart." Written as a series of heartfelt vignettes, this sentimental and highly personal book speaks to the lasting gifts of motherhood and why it helps to raise a family within the context of Christian faith. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Beth Moore is widely known and respected as an engaging and effective speaker, Bible teacher, and a best-selling author. Feathers from My Nest reveals a more contemplative and personal side of Beth, very much in the spirit of her Things Pondered.
Feathers from My Nest is a collection of vignettes, as Beth reflects on items belonging to her daughters who have left the nest for college. As she ponders each item, which holds rich memories, Beth draws from its spiritual significance. This book not only gently tugs on the heartstrings of parents, it also reminds us all of the gift of grace children offer our lives everyday.
Customer Reviews:
Great for parents of little ones OR empty nesters.......2007-07-17
I'm a parent of 2 little ones, and I've been reading one of her essays each morning. They're sweet and real and funny (just like Beth Moore always is) - and they're a real encouragement to me to see the long view of godly parenting, rather than getting stuck in the preschool weeds. I also gave it as a gift to my mother-in-law whose chicks are long gone from the nest, and she loved it too.
Enjoyable read.......2007-01-12
Very touching...touches all emotions. I bought three more to share with other family/friends who are mothers. Great choice as a gift for moms whose children are leaving for college.
Perfect for any woman!.......2003-03-19
I read Beth Moore's book after experiencing two miscarriages and trying to get pregnant for the third time. Her Godly approach to motherhood made me realize that God gives us children as gifts and blessings - regardless if it is for a few months in utero or for decades on earth! She gives a personalized insight on how to try to raise children to love Christ - in a world that often makes that difficult! I would highly recommend this book to any woman - moms, daughters, moms-to-be, or as I was when I read it, a mom wanna-be!
Refreshing and warm feeling.......2003-03-10
This wonderful little book about Beth and her husband going thru empty-nest made me feel a wide range of emotions. She is a brilliant writer and always amazes me how she can be a faithfull follower of Jesus but still have so much FUN!! What a refreshing christian woman..Buy the book.. you won't be disapointed.. Beth allows you a 'peek' into her private life. If you have taken a bible study that she wrote you will get snapshots of her life.. this book fills in the holes a bit..Great reading!
SO INSPIRATIONAL. . . FOR MOMS OF ALL AGES & STAGES.......2002-02-05
This is another winner from Beth Moore but very different from her other Bible study writings. This is a more personal look into her own family life and is an absolute must read for any mom. It is written from an empty-nester's point of view, but as a young mom of a two and four year old, I found it so comforting, inspiring and uplifting. I know their time with my husband and me is short, but this book helped me have some perspective. When you have young children close in age, sometimes the days are long and tiring, but this book has helped me see things in a new light. I want to have many feathers to reflect upon when my precious ones leave this nest. Well, blessings to all who read this; I hope it has been helpful, and please do read this sweet book!
Books:
- The Instinct to Heal: Curing Depression, Anxiety and Stress Without Drugs and Without Talk Therapy
- The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear (Child's Play Library)
- The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
- The Mistress's Daughter: A Memoir
- The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice for First-Time Fathers
- The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Hearts and Homes
- The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
- The Spiritual Self: Reflections on Recovery and God
- The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1)
- The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond
Books Index
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