Rustic Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide

This book gives you some interesting info about how to create a structure. The book has some detail but could go a bit further. The illustrations are very good I just wish there were more of them. It would be nice to have more tips about how to make the project easier. For example it talks about building a gazebo but doesn't really give you any tips on how to build a roof all the way to the top. You just wind up sort of imagining yourself fumbling around on a ladder awkwardly trying to squeeze in the last few joins. I think what you will find here is a book filled with some high level plans and a few details on how build different aspects of it. Keep in mind that he does not go into anything about electricity or plumbing for his sections on small houses. He assumes that you can do without electricity. For me this is great since I want to build a cabin and power it with solar and have a composting toilet so I don't care. I have not yet had a chance to attempt any of the projects in this book but I can say that it is inspiring and I do believe that if you were to work your way through each project in the book you would be quite accomplished at the end. He does a good job of explaining how a cabin or small house is really just a bunch of small projects put together. The author leaves it up to the reader to develop the skills so this book would be great in tandem with another book on the basics of carpentry. I hope this review helps you make the right decision. Overall I give it four stars because it has more detail than many books out there and it does a good job of simplifying the daunting task of building a structure. I deduct one star because his recipes on building a cabin or any other structure are just a few pages each and I think that is just a little on the short side. However the illustrations explain a lot. Like they say "A picture is worth a thousand words". Finally don't worry about not having a bunch of glossy photos these drawings are great and they will definitely help you understand what is going on.

I am simply amazed that people find this book lacking. For example, lacking photos, descriptions of doing electricity or plumbing, or whatever. For me this book defines the genre -- it is the most outstanding book on innovative shelter I have ever read.The authors give extensive details. A single example is the illustration of how to get 1000 pounds of logs to your remote site: balanced across 2 canoes! The authors define many building techniques that are never discussed in "how to build your house" books because those books assume that you have power tools, ready access to a lumber supply, and in all probability the need to satisfy building inspectors. This book has different assumptions: you are going to build something in the wilderness (or at least your back yard) that does not even attempt to conform to the standards of the uniform building code.I love each and every project they describe, but currently I am assembling the material for the Ivy Covered Grow Hut. I ordered a used parachute on eBay and the glue on amazon and I am buying the bender boards tomorrow. The concept of something like an igloo covered in ivy (I will use jasmine) being built way out there in the wilderness as a nomadic shelter is brilliant, simply brilliant. It satisfied a need I did not know I had, but when satisfied gave me great joy. I can backpack in most of the materials myself (the authors suggest that 2 people should build this shelter, but that is not the situation I find myself in) so perhaps it will take me 2 trips instead of the single 2-person weekend the authors anticipated.The bottom line is that if you want a conventional house-like shelter, this book is not the book you want. But if you want to live like Thoreau or Huck Finn, this book is exactly what you need.The pencil drawings were the only way to convey the details -- photographs would have had distracting extraneous details.After I build the Ivy (Jasmine) Covered Grow Hut I think I will build a tree house. One with a spiral stair so my dog can get up there. And a Huck Finn raft -- the dog and me floating down some lazy river, catching fish for dinner and being rocked to sleep by the water.I really cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I have read many many books on various types of construction, as well as having built my own home, which the building inspectors photographed to show to their friends.

"Rustic" that's key word here. these plans are mostly for very rustic structures. There are some really neat ideas if your into "perishable" structures, a lot of glorified tents really, if your looking to make something to live like ancient Indian tribes, or maybe hippies in a commune this may be the book your looking for. the plans are decent, and very artistically presented.I was not looking for the type of structures mentioned above however, I was looking for things like what are shown on the cover. The plans for the cover building are in the book, but they are about the only set that are nearly that well defined of a structure. This was to me a classic case were I never would have bought this book had I gone into a store and looked at it thoroughly, the web description, and sample were in my opinion a bit misleading.again, its a nice book for a certain type of plans, just not what I thought it would be.

If I were a 12 year old Boy Scout or Girl Scout this would be a great book. The reviews and front pic are misleading. The book is very juvenile and not very practical for actual use. I can buy a nice tent and set it up to accomplish a better retreat than most of the items in this book. It does have some rustic enclosures that could be built if you were ever lost in the woods, or on a survival trip but not at all something that anyone wanting to build a small retreat would want to use. Who wants to stay in a bark covered pyramid. If you have spent any time in the woods or handling bark you would know that you would be sharing your "retreat" with some more primitive crawling creatures. Not my idea of fun and I am a country girl. I am returning the book. Very disappointed in this.

Seldom does my husband reads a book cover to cover, however this book was the exception. He enjoyed learning from the clear, how to step-by-step, writings

Nice coffee table book and useful for inspiration but not detailed enough to actually enable you to build anything with this alone.

I have a brother and his girlfriend who are starting a set of eco holiday huts in bulgaria. I bought them this book and they have found it very useful. Its simple yet practical.

Great book! A real inspiration for the hobbit house we built down our garden.

Very good book, informative and extremely well laid out. Nicely illustrated. My only criticism is that diagrams rather than illustrations would be more useful.

loads of plans and ideas