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Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, bad book
Review: 'Small House for the Next Century' is well designed and well written. Its photographs are excellent, and drawings well done, but I can't give this more than a 'so-so' rating. It's probably just my own knuckleheaded thinking, but 'Small House for the Next Century' should have been called 'Small Vacation Homes for the Next Century'. Clearly the concepts applied here can be applied to other small houses, but the majority of the houses in this book are for wealthy people who can afford second or part-time homes. The designs (and costs) all play to this notion. I would encourage anyone to look at this book, but if you're interested in small, low-impact, livable and economical homes, this is not the right book.
Rating: 
Summary: Building a Small House to Fit
Review: This is no high-gloss, high-fluff content, coffee table book. It is, however, a great resource for anyone who is interested in architecture that keeps aesthetics, budget considerations, efficiency, and the personalities of the inhabitants in mind. I bought Duo Dickinson's book because my fiancee and I want to build our own home eventuallly. Reading this book has been inspiring and informative--it contains detailed descriptions, floor plans, hundreds of black and white photos and architectural drawings, as well as, a middle section of beautiful full page color plates. The main focus is the concept of "fit"--building the house to fit the occupants' needs. Many of the homes shown were built by the architects for themselves and/or family members. I really liked this book because it gave me a concrete set of ideas that my fiancee and I can use to build our own perfect home.
Rating:
Summary: Building a Small House to Fit
Review: This is no high-gloss, high-fluff content, coffee table book. It is, however, a great resource for anyone who is interested in architecture that keeps aesthetics, budget considerations, efficiency, and the personalities of the inhabitants in mind. I bought Duo Dickinson's book because my fiancee and I want to build our own home eventuallly. Reading this book has been inspiring and informative--it contains detailed descriptions, floor plans, hundreds of black and white photos and architectural drawings, as well as, a middle section of beautiful full page color plates. The main focus is the concept of "fit"--building the house to fit the occupants' needs. Many of the homes shown were built by the architects for themselves and/or family members. I really liked this book because it gave me a concrete set of ideas that my fiancee and I can use to build our own perfect home.
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