“Little House on a Small Planet”

by Shay Salomon (2006)

ISBN 10: 1-59228-868-5

By Tamara Rodriguez

What makes us happier?

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In this book, Salomon invites us to explore the world of small house living through the use of North American examples. He reminds us of how we are constantly looking to “keep up with the Jones” to which he provides alternatives, either find new Joneses or forget about them altogether. He visits small house owners and compiles floor plans, photographs and interviews with owners and provides us with alternatives to the “McMansions”. He reminds us that we really do not have a need for much of the space we have and that when we have more space we buy more things that we do not need.

He provides us with maintenance costs of these small homes and gives us advice on small house living. He reminds us that by making the transition into a smaller house we free up time for our loved ones as we no longer have to worry about large mortgages and maintenance costs associated with the “McMansions”.

RELEVANCE

In his book, Salomon provides us with many examples of environmentally friendly living. He also gives advice on how we can apply these environmentally friendly ideas, used by small house owners, into our homes even if we are not willing to part with the larger home. An important idea that Solomon gives us in his book is the fact that sustainable design does not have to be aesthetically unpleasant. He gives us numerous examples on how people have made environmentally friendly, sustainable homes that are also beautiful. He reminds us that by giving up the large house, we have more money to spend on nicer, more sustainable finishes and therefore we can have a nicer looking house than the one we can afford in the large homes we have become accustomed to.

Sustainability Rating: 4

Although Salomon covers many aspects of small house living, it neglects to take into account people living in cold climates where outside activities are fairly limited during the winter months.

OPINION

This book is simply written and worth reading mostly for its power to make us rethink our needs. While reading the book, I found myself rethinking my dream of a larger house and realizing that I do not need more space and even less the financial strain attached to it. We do not realize how we get sucked into the idea of the large home and this book helps us rethink our needs. Questions are presented to the reader which, when answered we really get an understanding of how much excess we actually live with.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get rid of their mortgage as it provides great advice and tools to downsize our living. It will also help those who are looking to keep their home but want to be more environmentally friendly with their decisions. Overall, this book is well worth the time invested into reading it and the $20.00 cost.

General Rating: 5

It is an easy and insightful read which can lead to a better quality of life for all.