The Healing House: How Living in the Right House Can Heal You Spiritually, Emotionally, and Physically

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Summary: Home is where the health is...
Review: ... and this book may help you find both. Full of practical knowledge and advice, it looks at the quest for a dream house from a much needed holistic viewpoint. I met the author in the process of doing a television news story about one of her unique projects and got to see firsthand how the principles of energy efficiency outlined in her book really do work. Ultimately, this approach can not only save precious natural resources and save you money, it can also help you find or design a home that is a refuge from stress not a cause of it.

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Summary: Superficial success minimal value
Review: Despite the broad range of topics attempted they are superficially covered as one might expect from a Dallas 'developer'. Save your dollars and instead visit City of Austin Green Builders information center which makes available all the latest ideas, efforts, techniques and names involved in alternative/healthy building.

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Summary: Less Than Expected
Review: I had hoped that the book would have helped with specific issues of 'design', as to how to 'create' or 'recreate' a home into one that could heal. While the author writes well, her background in feature articles was evident -- the book lacked continuity. While the introduction held great promise, I had to read well past page 100 to find the sort of 'detail' I was looking for (many pages covered healthy/healing environments which were not specific to a home, as the title would imply). While Barbara covered a number of 'needed' topics, her coverage was not as in-depth as I would have preferred. I often found myself 'scanning' for the meat only to end up in the next chapter.

While appropriate for someone who wants only to 'dabble' in the various topics, her high-level treatment might be appropriate. I was looking for more substance.

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Summary: Correction by Author
Review: In the third line of the review, you have my name spelled Barbara Barmor Harwood. It is Barbara Bannon Harwood, which then appears after. I appreciated your review, and the comment from Madams1 in Fort Worth. It's selling very well, so I'm heartened that so many people are getting the message about how to feel better about their homes and, at the same time, help us improve the planet! Love and Light to all who buy it or read it. Let me know how I can help! Would a plan book and workbook to go with the book be helpful? I'm at [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful guide for anyone buying or designing a new home
Review: The Healing House provides an excellent overview of how the places where we live can affect the way we live. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering buying or designing a new home. The most important section of the book contains the "Healing House Design Principles" which explain both what features to look for in a new home and why they are important. Harwood talks about home building from hands-on experience as a builder, yet she has the gift of being able to explain important building concepts in terms that are easy to understand. For people who are more technically minded, there is a technical appendix in the back of the book. Barbara Harwood not only knows what she is talking about, but she strongly believes in what she is saying. Her knowledge, warmth and enthusiasm are likely to change the way many people think about houses.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful guide for anyone buying or designing a new home
Review: The Healing House provides an excellent overview of how the places where we live can affect the way we live. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering buying or designing a new home. The most important section of the book contains the "Healing House Design Principles" which explain both what features to look for in a new home and why they are important. Harwood talks about home building from hands-on experience as a builder, yet she has the gift of being able to explain important building concepts in terms that are easy to understand. For people who are more technically minded, there is a technical appendix in the back of the book. Barbara Harwood not only knows what she is talking about, but she strongly believes in what she is saying. Her knowledge, warmth and enthusiasm are likely to change the way many people think about houses.