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YOUR
M. Evans and Company, Inc
Let's say that a man wants to build a good house for his wife. The most important step toward success will have been to select the right wife. Let's say that a man wants to write a book about how to build good houses. He has to know what to say. He finds out by making mistakes, recognizing them, living with them, and going on from there. This process is impossible unless his wife will go along too. Thanks largely to Gordon, but also to Rudy, Mel, Joe, Peter, and Dick, this book got written. I'm afraid there would have been nothing much to say if the inevitable mistakes had caused trouble at home. Therefore this book will have to be dedicated solely to Caroline.
M. Evans and Company titles are distributed
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CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1. It's too good for chickens
18. A large world CHAPTER THREE 25. When to pick the site
30. How to think
41. Why own a house? 44. Who wants this house? 47. Notes on heat PLANBOOK A Village House
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FROM THE DUST JACKET: The author of this book is a builder who believes that a house is as personal a thing as a suit of clothing; that it should fit the needs and personalities of those who live in it, and that it should wear well over a long period of time. He believes furthermore that it is possible, even on a tight budget, to avoid the rubber stamp look and achieve the dream house—providing, of course, that the dream is well thought out. Most of today's housing, he contends, offers us about half the value we should be getting for every dollar we spend. This book explains how, through proper choice of plan and materials, a family can get more house for the same money.
An engineered house is a house that is tailor-made; a house that offers comfort, spaciousness, beauty, and privacy. It can be built anywhere by a capable carpenter. And it will cost less to maintain than any commonplace development home. The way for a family to get its money's worth is to decide for itself, free of the pressure of salesmanship, advertising, and status symbols, just what it needs and what it wants. This book is addressed to that family. Illustrated with nearly two hundred easy-to-understand drawings, plans, and designs, YOUR ENGINEERED HOUSE breaks new ground—not by being "modern," but by being free of anachronistic notions and new cliches. This remarkable, practical re-thinking of the problems of the home owner presents one of the most exciting concepts of domestic building in decades. Rex Roberts brings to the preparation of this book a remarkable combination of parallel careers in the arts and the sciences. The world of engineering knows him as a consultant, machine designer, and systems engineer. He estimates that over a period of thirty years, some half billion dollars worth of machinery has been originated on his drawing board. The world of the arts has given him work as an instrumental musician, as an actor, and as a writer. He has always been a carpenter, and through his life has experimented with architectural and building techniques, carrying the process all the way from the standing tree to the finished building. In this work he has combined the knowledge of how to use sawmill, saw, and hammer with years of academic training. He has been preparing the material for this book all his life. The result is a unique contribution to the enjoyment of home. |
