Rating: 
Summary: THE ANSWER TO MAKING YOUR HOME COZY, USEFUL AND LASTING
Review: After looking at many "Grocery Line" house plan books, I was ready to give up and build a house I knew would have "wasted space". Every single plan with the number of bedrooms I wanted had a least a formal dining room and usually a formal living room. It was by accident I came across this book on Amazon.com It was the answer toward the journey to building the home I have REALLY been dreaming of. It not only tells you how to make use of space better, but also why it may or may not make you feel like you think a home should.The idea of the "away room" was also excellent. Some of the best advice was in the quality-quantity-cost triangle. It gave me the vocabulary to say how and why I want quality over quantity. The only negative was that most of the style presented went toward modern/contempary - I would like to see other styles incorporated in the not so big house philosophy. GREAT BOOK!!
Rating:
Summary: Some Real Analysis of why BIG Houses don't work
Review: If you have ever looked at big houses, you know they are impressive looking. The problem is that we keep looking at these houses and can't figure out why they are better to live in than our current (and more modest) house.This book offers a number of reasons that the common design of a modern, large home doesn't work. It offers a theory about how a house is designed and how you might live in that space that rings true to me. This book educated me on how I might think about house design.
Rating:
Summary: A Book of Content with Pictures ... Not a Picture Book
Review: Most books of this ilk seem to be filled with photos and captions to help explain what you're seeing. This isn't. This book has _content_ and uses the photos to help illustrate the points that Sara Susanka makes in the text. I picked up this book out of curiousity since we've always liked the homes we've seen that have been designed by the firm Mulfinger, Susanka, Mahady & Partners. I _read_ this book because I found that there was actually a body of thought that supported the book. And, I bought the book because I think it's a classic chance to better understand why their homes are so appealing. For now we live in a suburban home that has little character but (I think and hope)can be transformed to a more comforting place thanks to Susanka's book. And, when we make enough money, who knows -- maybe we'll be able to commission Mulfinger, Susanka, Mahady & Partners to build our Not-So-Big-House. Thanks for a great book!
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful but not for everyone
Review: From coast to coast, today's suburban landscape is littered with badly designed "trophy houses"- mini mansions that have two negative distinctions: From the outside they're too big for their lots, and from the inside some are anything from comforting to body and soul. This book goes a long way toward educating the public about the value of smaller, better-designed homes-in most cases architect-designed structures that may not be less expensive but that offer more "bang for the (building) buck" over the long haul. My complaints about this book have more to do with the visuals than with the good tips contained in the writing itself: • Too many of the homes shown are weighed down with heavy woods, no doubt due to the writer's Prairie-school bias, which gives the book a prevailing gloominess. • When one potentially light and airy, two-story living room is shown on page 10, it's photographed EMPTY (and thus looking cold) with the writer's comment that the room obviously was designed not to be comfortable but to impress. How can I tell if the room isn't even furnished? Although of a different style, another two-story living room on page 172 appears equally "cold" yet is presented in a positive light. • Much of what's shown is dated, from numerous round windows ('70s style) to some of the furnishings. I love modern classics, but many of the rooms and furnishings in the book fall into the simply "dated and tired" category.
Rating: 
Summary: An important work for those building or changing their home.
Review: Featuring more than 200 photographs of the work of Sarah's firm, Mulfinger, Susanka, Mahady & Partners, this book provides the reader with both the inspiration and the practical advice on how to give their home "soul". As the Marketing Manager for msmpartners, I have received hundreds of e-mails from the thousands of folks visiting the firm's web site and the not so small response to "The Not So Big House" has been a resounding "Bravo." Sarah, please give us more!
Rating:
Summary: Practical updated Arts & Crafts style
Review: I was a bit disappointed at the emphasis on building a new house rather than making a pre-exisiting not-so-big house work better. But then a few days after looking at the photos of gorgeous new Arts & Crafts style interiors (completely out of my price range unless I someday marry a millonaire) I pushed all my furniture around, bought one new lamp and carved two whole new "rooms" out of space I wasn't using for anything. I'm impressed at how practical the ideas in this book are despite the architectural fantasy illustrations.
Rating:
Summary: Significantly changed the way we will build our new house!
Review: . . The author's perspective will very likely save the reader (who wishes to build) time, money and aggravation. We highly recommended this informative and handsome book. It has the feel of a coffee table book, but has a well articulated reason for being. th
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book really points out the inadequacies in suburban houses. Lots of pictures and great ideas to turn a house into a comfy home. Money well spent!
Rating:
Summary: Well written, helpful, and wonderful photographs
Review: Recommended reading for anyone wanting to build a new home (or remodeling one). This book enlightened me to many new possibilities for a home. The Not So Big House is well written with many photographs that are a great reference if nothing else. I've read the book twice and look at the pictures for ideas almost daily. Thank you Sara Susanka.
Rating:
Summary: handsome, well written, thought provoking
Review: This is a well written, thought provoking book that ably makes the case that the not-so-big house might be the right house for many of us. It is handsome and well designed with many attractive photographs which support the text. I particularly appreciated the tone which I found to be kindler and gentler than that of most advocates of simplicity and restraint ( which is more than a bit ironic). I suspect the decision to not include scales on the floorplans was a concious one but I, for one, like them and would have enjoyed the book more if they had been included. Ms. Susanka credits people like Wright and Alexander and their influence is obvious and entirely appropriate. All in all, this book does a better job of carrying forward and expanding upon their work, writings and teaching than anything else I have seen. I enthusiastically recommend this book to a broad audience.
| 
