A review of my own

Hi,

So I just finished up A Place of My Own, by Michael Pollan (better known for Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma). This book is about the author's efforts to build a small writing hut deep in the "back 40" of his land.

This book had less of a focus on the process of building the hut and more of a focus on all the things swirling around it. It talks about the history of architecture and construction and carpentry and the way constructed spaces make us feel and the way they bring physical reality in contact with abstract ideas. There was a fair amount of interesting material in there, but I was a little more interested in Mr. Pollan's actual efforts to build the house. The author freely admitted that he wasn't a "handy" person, that this would be the first time he ever really built anything and that a major motivating factor spurring this construction was a desire to make something "real". But all of that seemed to get glossed over and also feels a bit forced in places. He talks about the tensions between architect and carpenter -- between the guy who makes a plan and the people who have to carry it out. It seems pretty obvious that in his particular experience, that tension was pretty obvious (Mr. Pollan hired an architect to design his building and a carpenter to help him get the hands-on experience he needs). It also seems like he deliberately pokes a stick at that beehive from time to time where a more discreet person might find a better way to mediate between the two of them.

Other than that, the book is pretty good and if it focuses on the side-trips, those side-trips are pretty entertaining. It certainly makes me want to be the Power of Huts in the next Nobilis game.

later
Tom

A review of my own

Hi,

So I just finished up A Place of My Own, by Michael Pollan (better known for Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma). This book is about the author's efforts to build a small writing hut deep in the "back 40" of his land.

This book had less of a focus on the process of building the hut and more of a focus on all the things swirling around it. It talks about the history of architecture and construction and carpentry and the way constructed spaces make us feel and the way they bring physical reality in contact with abstract ideas. There was a fair amount of interesting material in there, but I was a little more interested in Mr. Pollan's actual efforts to build the house. The author freely admitted that he wasn't a "handy" person, that this would be the first time he ever really built anything and that a major motivating factor spurring this construction was a desire to make something "real". But all of that seemed to get glossed over and also feels a bit forced in places. He talks about the tensions between architect and carpenter -- between the guy who makes a plan and the people who have to carry it out. It seems pretty obvious that in his particular experience, that tension was pretty obvious (Mr. Pollan hired an architect to design his building and a carpenter to help him get the hands-on experience he needs). It also seems like he deliberately pokes a stick at that beehive from time to time where a more discreet person might find a better way to mediate between the two of them.

Other than that, the book is pretty good and if it focuses on the side-trips, those side-trips are pretty entertaining. It certainly makes me want to be the Power of Huts in the next Nobilis game.

later
Tom