Long before glass, construction was perfected that offered comfortable housing based upon proper site orientation and architectural principles apparently long since forgotten.

Photos of early Los Angeles with Day & Night brand solar + natural gas water heaters on roof after roof.

This is a book for honest to goodness leaders to ponder and then roll up their sleeves and start changing the world.


A classic   April 30, 2008
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

We've grown so addicted to plentiful and cheap energy that we've forgotten what we know about energy conservation and alternate sources of energy. This book reminds us. We were going to build an envelope house in 1982. This book convinced me to build a super insulated house instead (works better and is less expensive). We build and sold two of them in '83, and they worked perfect. This is a delightful history full of good ideas that will work today and tomorrow. Now in 2008, as I contemplate retirement, I will reread the book and build myself a super insulated retirement house soon. (Note that a super insulated house is a specific design, not just more insulation.) This book is a gem.