A Place of My Own Paperback – 30 December 2008

Gran libro

I really enjoyed reading Pollan's experience about building his own hut in the woods, which would house his writing desk and books but be within sight of his home in Connecticut. About half of the book is about the nuts and bolts experience of designing and building the 8'x13' writing house, and the other half is much more philosophical and far ranging - about architecture in general, columns and pediments, conflicts between architects and contractors, feng shui, chi, and many aspects of building. He admits "a tendency of mine to lean rather heavily on words and theories in my dealings with the world." In Chapter 3 he wrote. "...deep piles of words on the page comprised for me a kind of soothing environment, a plush cushion into which sometimes I could barely wait to sink my head." If you're looking for a how-to book about building an outbuilding, you will become impatient with Pollan's book. If you're looking for a deep immersion in words about the history, theory and philosophy of building, interspersed with Pollan's actual experience in the project, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.Pollan refers frequently to Thoreau and shared his desire to find a place of his own to write and spent untold hours surveying his land, bringing a chair to rest upon to look at each aspect at different times of day before selecting the perfect site for his hut. He wrote a letter to his architect to describe what he was looking for, and pored over drawings with the architect. Realizing his limitations as a handyman, he selected a skilled young carpenter to help him one day a week on the project. He visited the mill from which the wood was sourced, and found a custom shop to produce the windows where he planed some of the lumber for the framework himself. He developed a genuine reverence for the wood used in his hut, having selected and sanded and nailed almost every piece himself. He wrote that "buildings give us a way to leave a lasting mark, to conduct a conversation across the generations."He concluded with "So this was the house for the self that stood a little apart and at an angle, the self that thought a good place to spend the day was between two walls of books in front of a big window overlooking life." The book concludes just as he is moving his books into the "writing house". I only wished that he had extended the book a bit to give us some flavor of his experience of working in the writing house, whether it inspired him or made him more productive. Indeed his writing career really flourished after the hut was built, but I think only his first book or two were written in Connecticut before he moved to Berkeley, California.

I am an architect who has learned much from the reading of this. Michael blends personal aspiration with a telling analysis of the current state of design. He leavens the mixture with well-researched details about the evolution of residential design and construction. After reading this, I want to pay a visit so I can do better going forward.

He is a brilliant writer - OK he is over exposed after 'Cooking ' ( if you are already a fan you'll want to say 'Oh , I've loved his books for aaaaaages ! ') this is , I think his second book . Often non fiction interests me but without a narrative to carry me through I don't finish . No such problem with this . He writes so well that he makes deciding where a window will go seem fascinating . He even interested me in architecture , but most of all this is an eclectic book which meanders gorgeously through ideas . I have recommend it to many and have heard no one who has not been enchanted . ( if you like Michael Crawford - this is similar but much more friendly )

I've spent a lot of time looking for a writing hut that fit more than the basic need of having a place of my own. I've been on pinterest a lot and just trying to find images of good looking huts. Placement is something that I had not considered much but Pollan talks about the psychology of placement and how it affects the utility of such a haven. At times, he appears to drone on about the topic but he's clearly a thoughtful person and wants to share his thoughts and rationale behind them... he's obviously well read and intelligent. All in all, I'm glad I bought the book; worth the time and price.