Frontier House

Rating:
Summary: Respect for the hard-scrabble life- past and present.
Review: First of all, I'm not going to lie about why I loved this project. Simply put, I loved seeing how the working class Tennessee family made it without "whining", as did the black family, while the hot-shot California golden-boy executive and his family quickly degenerated into their natural state, namely, whining, lazy, starving, cheating, immoral, whisky-making, white trash. It just shows that without a "stacked-deck" such types cannot compete with real people.
This isn't a nostalgic look back at our own "mythic American roots." This shows the realities of hard-scrabble farming. I can tell that this show has a ring of truth, because my own father was born in a log cabin in Tennessee and plowed with mules. This book and the series jives with his stories and my childhood visits. The chief benefit here is the respect you develop for the people who still live like this (most Mexican families would have had very liitle difficulty doing the same thing- if anything it would have been a step up.)
Of course, I'd recommend this book, or the series, just for California boy saying he "thought it was going to be fun." I must have laughed for five full minutes. I guess he better stick to dude ranches in the future....
Oh yeah, the Indian college professor bringing by an elk to feed the poor, desperate homesteaders was a nice touch. Of course, if they would have murdered him afterward and stolen his land it would have been more accurate. That's how all that "free-land" for homesteading came into being in the first place. Hoka Hey....

Rating:
Summary: Great! Now is there anymore?
Review: I didn't think I could love anything more than watching the Frontier House series on PBS. I am pleased to report that I loved this book even more. I don't think it would be a great read for someone who hasn't seen the series, but for those of us who have and loved it this is a must have companion.

The book intertwines facts about and stories of real life settlers on the Frontier with the stories of the Frontier House families, the Clunes, the Brooks, and the Glenns. It gave more indepth information about the selection process these families went through to be chosen for the show, the training they received and some of the questionable behavior they displayed while on the frontier. My absolute favorite parts where where they catalouged all of the clothing Nate Brooks was given to survive the winter as well as what rations of food the Clunes were given to last them the first five weeks of the experiment until they could get to the general store. My only complaint is that I wish they would have included this kind of information on each and every one of the participants. It may seem like minutae to some, but I loved every minute I spent with this book and have to say it was my favorite Christmas present I recieved in 2002.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down.
Review: I loved this book. It gave a lot more details than the show and tried hard not to pass judgement on the individual families.

It was a hoot that the Clunes and the Brooks would not have anything to do with the petty, hyper-competitive Tennessee family after they got to know them. Even at the post-show get-together, they sat apart. The Tennessee wife, in particular, was much more focused on one-upping the other families than simply curious to see if she could cope with 1880's hardships. She was what my grandmother would have called a "pill."

One of the family members in the book made an interesting observation: he had hoped to get away from the frenetic busy-ness of modern day living, but instead found himself living just an 1880's version of freneticism, working nonstop.

Finally, the book left me feeling that only one person in each family was actually gung-ho about participating in Frontier House. The rest of the groups went along, but not as enthusiastically.

Personally, one day without diet pop, hormone replacement therapy, and microwave ovens, and I'd be ready to kiss suburbia and strip malls on the lips.

Rating:
Summary: If you liked the show, get the book!
Review: I saw the show and had numerous questions and a desire to
find out more about the families and the details of the
project. This book answers nearly all of the questions
and gives considerably more detail. It also portrays
the families and individuals in a more sympathetic and
realistic light. The photos and layout of the book are
a pleasure, it is worth the price!

Rating:
Summary: Wake up call!
Review: I would just like to say that I did not read the book, but watched the entire series on PBS...that said, it was one of the most interesting and thoughtful programs ever to air on PBS (besides Sesame Street, of course!)

Anyway, I found all three of the families portrayed had their own ways of dealing with life in the late 1800's. Personally, I could not have done it....just the little conveniences that we take for granted each day (running water, heat, toilet paper) were not on hand and they had to make due with the few amenities that they had...if the book is as good as the mini series (I am sure it will be even better) you will find it as insightful as I did...

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not complete in itself.
Review: I've watched the videos three times through now, in addition to digesting the web site and now the book. I recommend all three.

It was an interesting project, but no one media presents it completely. You have to watch the videos, read the book, and then the web site to get the most complete picture.

Many people seem to have misunderstood the project. The people there were supposed to be 21st century people put into 19th century Montana. They had to use period tools, materials, and methods (mostly) but they'd still be 21st century people doing it.

The people chosen were an interesting study in human behavior. The Clunes came from the most radically different climate and background and frankly would have fared very badly in their first winter. I think in the long run they'd have probably ended up living in town and making out alright. Gordon Clune is a very entrepreneurial spirit. I also think he would have realized what that sort of pioneer life was doing to his family and taken them out of it.

The Glenns were the best prepared to survive a winter - providing they did not murder one another - and would probably have made it through to the next summer in the best condition. Karen Glenn was depicted as a most ungracious woman which is a real character fault, but it does not change the fact they would probably have survived the winter the best. Judge Winter would not have cared much about anything else. Mark Glenn came in as a step-dad into a ready made family which is a tough enough situation. Doing the Frontier House project on top of it seemed to have simply been too much for their relationship.

I really liked the Brooks, but a careful reading reveals that Nate and Rudy were somewhat of a ringer. Both had very applicable life experiences to surviving in such circumstances that the others families did not. They didn't have to make as much of an adjustment as the other families did, nor did they have children to consider and cope with. Kristen, on the other hand, had a background more similar to the other families and found the frontier life a hard road to travel.

It was too bad that the project ended only five months in. They were just beginning to really develop a community and that was a very important survival consideration. Much of the isolation and loneliness the women of the three families felt could have been alleviated somewhat as the families interacted with each other more as a community. A few more months and things might have looked much different. Providing the Clunes and Brooks managed to stay there through the winter.

Go to the web site and read the expert's reports as they are very revealing. Read the book too as it explains much as well.

.....Alan.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not complete in itself.
Review: I've watched the videos three times through now, in addition to digesting the web site and now the book. I recommend all three.

It was an interesting project, but no one media presents it completely. You have to watch the videos, read the book, and then the web site to get the most complete picture.

Many people seem to have misunderstood the project. The people there were supposed to be 21st century people put into 19th century Montana. They had to use period tools, materials, and methods (mostly) but they'd still be 21st century people doing it.

The people chosen were an interesting study in human behavior. The Clunes came from the most radically different climate and background and frankly would have fared very badly in their first winter. I think in the long run they'd have probably ended up living in town and making out alright. Gordon Clune is a very entrepreneurial spirit. I also think he would have realized what that sort of pioneer life was doing to his family and taken them out of it.

The Glenns were the best prepared to survive a winter - providing they did not murder one another - and would probably have made it through to the next summer in the best condition. Karen Glenn was depicted as a most ungracious woman which is a real character fault, but it does not change the fact they would probably have survived the winter the best. Judge Winter would not have cared much about anything else. Mark Glenn came in as a step-dad into a ready made family which is a tough enough situation. Doing the Frontier House project on top of it seemed to have simply been too much for their relationship.

I really liked the Brooks, but a careful reading reveals that Nate and Rudy were somewhat of a ringer. Both had very applicable life experiences to surviving in such circumstances that the others families did not. They didn't have to make as much of an adjustment as the other families did, nor did they have children to consider and cope with. Kristen, on the other hand, had a background more similar to the other families and found the frontier life a hard road to travel.

It was too bad that the project ended only five months in. They were just beginning to really develop a community and that was a very important survival consideration. Much of the isolation and loneliness the women of the three families felt could have been alleviated somewhat as the families interacted with each other more as a community. A few more months and things might have looked much different. Providing the Clunes and Brooks managed to stay there through the winter.

Go to the web site and read the expert's reports as they are very revealing. Read the book too as it explains much as well.

.....Alan.

Rating:
Summary: As Good If Not Better Than The Series
Review: This book is proof positive why movies will NEVER replace the written word.
There were six of us who, together, watched this PBS television series about seeing if three modern day families could survive being Montana homesteaders in 1883. They had to dress from the period, use tools and medicine from the period, and eat the types of foods available for the time of year (summer) that they were living in (not like today where we can eat any vegetable any time of year). We were all hooked and couldn't wait 'til the next episodes. After each of the three nights it was shown, we would have these great discussions about what we saw, and offered our own opinions about each family and how well (or how poorly) they were doing compared to the others. But we had questions - a lot of them. Questions like, did they really drink the water from the stream? After all, you don't know what bacteria and year 2001 pollutants could be in it. Also, how different were their lives in comparison to the actual homesteaders of the 19th century? These questions and many others we would answer with our own opinions instead of the facts.
Well, now we have the facts. This book has more than answered all of our questions. We also got to know each family a little better and realized that the TV series didn't do each family justice (except the Brooks family). There was so much more that happened than was shown that they could have (SHOULD have) made the series at least two hours longer! There is MUCH more detail, and many more explanations in this book that it acually brought the whole experiment to life more vividly than watching the show! It even gives a rather enjoyably well written history of the REAL homesteaders and tells what their lives were actually like.
If you enjoyed the series (and didn't get enough of it), this book is just what you need. It is written in a lively 'I can't put this down!' manner. Highly recommended!