Rating: 
Summary: Informative, not for the casual reader
Review: Lots of information on many aspects of straw bale building but appears to be more of a book for a trained builder. At 373 pages it can get very technical at times so while you will learn a lot about building this book will be too deep for the casual reader just curious about the possibility of building. A casual reader would like more diagrams than he or she will find here.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a great book!
Review: This book goes beyond SERIOUS straw bale- I found it downright witty at times. The many aspects of designing a straw bale house are presented candidly in an easy to read format, even for the novice balehead. We know the look and feel of a straw bale home is unparelleled, but this book takes a closer look at the challenges and decisions the builders had to make in the designing of their houses and buildings. I found this book insightful and informative. The more I read, the more excited I became to build my own straw bale house. I'm sure this book will elicit the same excitement about straw bales in you as it did in me and my husband.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book!
Review: This book goes beyond SERIOUS straw bale- I found it downright witty at times. The many aspects of designing a straw bale house are presented candidly in an easy to read format, even for the novice balehead. We know the look and feel of a straw bale home is unparelleled, but this book takes a closer look at the challenges and decisions the builders had to make in the designing of their houses and buildings. I found this book insightful and informative. The more I read, the more excited I became to build my own straw bale house. I'm sure this book will elicit the same excitement about straw bales in you as it did in me and my husband.
Rating:
Summary: balin' balin' balin', keep those balers balin', straw bale!
Review: This book introduced me to the techniques of straw bale building, and it was very informative and useful to me as a beginner. The authors' dedication shows through in every page. The book explores many variations on the straw bale theme, with honest evaluations of the pros and cons of each. I don't have any training in home building, so I would definitely study more of the basic principles before buying my bales. The technical details didn't get too much in my way, and they were generally well explained. Happy baling!
Rating:
Summary: No Bale Left Unturned
Review: This book now rockets into the forefront as the most complete straw bale book. It seems pretty much to be all here: Interested in mud floors - got it; Interested in earth plaster - It's here too. All the main building subjects are covered, often exhaustively. Once one strays from the 2x4 and block foundation, into alternative building, there are by definition a lot of options. There isn't a standard set of details yet for bales, which partially accounts for the length of the book. The authors come from the enviro alternatives camp, but they aren't romantic about it. Expect some well deserved skepticism about the virtues of Nebraska style load-bearing walls in cold climates. On the other hand they leave the decision up to you. After spending 12 pages telling you why you might not want to build load bearing walls, they spend 22 more pages telling you how to do it (not to mention the countless other pages devoted to related topics). This book covers the subject of framed straw bale walls more completely than any other thus far. This is an important addition to the literature. While the authors are driven in this direction by the realities of snow loads that are not experienced by all, those who live in wet climates, or wish to build multi-story houses will find much of use here also.
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