Honeywood File: An Adventure in Building

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Summary: Homebuilding and Human Nature
Review: Building a home, or anything else for that matter, requires you to do business with a wide range of people, bankers, landowners, officials, builders, tradesmen and even architects. An understanding of how to deal with varied human natures is therefore valuable, and will make the project go more smoothly.

Such understanding is best acquired in the University of Life, as there are very few good textbooks. However, there is one book that was specifically written to illuminate the interpersonal difficulties that arise when building a home. Although "The Honeywood File" was first published in 1929 and describes the construction of a country mansion for Sir Leslie Brash in the English county of Kent it deals primarily with human nature, and human nature does not change. Nor do many of the practical mishaps and changes of mind that can arise when building a home. My copy is dated 1972, but confirmation of the timelessness and universal relevance of this book is provided by its recent republication in the USA.

"The Honeywood File" is in the form of an amusing exchange of letters between Sir Leslie, his architect James Spinlove and a range of more or less honest major and minor characters. After reading it you may decide that the best way to approach your project is to appoint an architect, but even if you don't you will still be better equipped to deal with the vagaries of human nature.