Independent Living Books

This tells you how to design a house for you. Not just a house out of a book, but one that takes your living patterns into account. Don't want a formal living room? Don't put one in! Also reminds you if you want to live in the house a long time, to make room for handicapped access that may be needed later. Design your kitchen and baths the way you live! Have fun! ;-)

This is the first book I've found that actually addresses living patterns in home design. The book describes the fact that people can be uncomfortable sitting in a huge living space and actually crave the need for smaller spaces like alcoves. Social behaviours and traffic patterns while entertaining are studied and factually explains what makes a room feel comfortable or homey. With traffic patterns and accessibility as the basis for the design half of the book, Clark provides a solid foundation for design fundementals and the why behind it.

The second half of the book covers home building. A s a complete novice in this area, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information, but it does seem quite comprehensive in its description, demystifying the building process, and empowering owners to monitor their contractors with an informed eye, while giving insight to the bigger picture and mindset of contractors. I think this understanding will help communication between owners and contractors and make homebuilding a smoother process. Of particular interest, I found the load calculations for foundations fascinating as it wasn't something I had ever considered in home building as it is something the architecht waves his magic pencil to produce.

The book is written in a familiar tone the layperson will relate and understand, and while it doesn't shirk the industry jargon, explainations are forthcoming, making it easy to understand and simple to follow.

I've read quite a few books on home building and have done extensive research on the internet. This book covers design priciples and the why not found elsewhere. I highly recommend this book as the foundation to anyone planning and building their own home.

Sam Clark uses up half the book before he gets into the nitty-gritty of construction methods. This really IS a book about house DESIGN as well as construction. As such, it's an EXCELLENT book for someone who's starting from scratch to create their own house. The approach is extremely methodical, treating mindsets and goals as elements of the design process equal in importance to elevation drawings.

The illustrations bear particular attention. The (black and white) photographs are well composed, and have high contrast to clearly delineate the features that are supposed to be of interest. The line drawings are rather funky looking (in part because Clark appears not to own a ruler), but nevertheless do a very good job of illustrating what the text is talking about. This is the case for three reasons: (1) they were created by the author, who knew EXACTLY what part of the text needed visual aids; (2) their rulerless nature means that Clark can emphasize particular features rather than focus on strict scale drawings; and (3) each one is sized independently to take up as much space as is required to depict the subject matter, without worrying about "wasting" some page area. The end result is that the text and illustrations fit together well to make a unified whole.

For more detail on the Building part of creating a house, I'd recommend "Do-It-Yourself HOUSEBUILDING" by George Nash. But because Nash's book doesn't come close to Clark's for clarity, I'd first read Clark's book cover-to-cover. Then I'd keep Sam Clark's book open to the same subject area so that you can step back and get a clear overview as you get confused in the details of the Nash book.

I have been researching owner building for almost a year now and this is the first and only book I've found that both had all the information I needed, and presented it in a way that a layman could understand. Five thumbs up.

For the owner-builder looking to educate her/himself, sifting thru the oceans of books to read is tough. This one is definitely worth the time. Clark takes a no-nonsense, unpretentious approach. The text is easy to read and in plain language that lay people can understand. Focuses mostly on conventional stick-building, but there are lots of great ideas (in the "doing it yourself on a budget" theme) that apply to any building style.

This idea of cohousing has reached the time in history to make a great difference in the family and each individual within the fabric of relationships.

Charles Durrett's Senior Cohousing book will help lead us into the next 17 years as an estimated 75 million Baby Boomers head into retirement. It only makes sense that the generation that brought social and environmental awareness to the fore would be searching for a sustainable, suportive, self-managed community housing solution for their later years, and Durrett has outlined in detail how - and why - to go about it.

The stories and wisdom are from Denmark, where multigenerational cohousing began over 30 years ago. Since that time, cohousing has translated very successfully to over a dozen countries around the world, including over 90 completed neighborhoods in North America alone. With 20 out of the last 25 cohousing starts in Denmark being senior projects, we can only assume that Senior Cohousing on the rest of the planet will be as big - if not bigger - a hit.

Durrett has given us clear and useful intruction in Senior Cohousing for how to go about creating a Senior Cohousing neighborhood, from gathering other interested parties to finding land, hiring the design and development professionals and building a cohesive community. The step-by-step chapters are interlaced with impotant and interesting sidebars, illustrations and photographs.

The spirit of the book is both informative and fun. The candid photos, quotes and anecdotes drive home the glee with which these Elders are taking charge of their lives. Neighbors work and play together, share frequent meals, dance, bicycle, walk, and create poetry and art. After reading Senior Cohousing, for probably the first time in my life, I thought getting older might actually be a hoot.

At last, here is a guidebook to a new way of aging for older Americans - a housing solution that at once addresses the need for privacy and for community; provides a net of security and mutual care without the institutional restrictions of assisted living; is environmentally friendly - and most importantly, is planned, designed, and built by the residents themselves.

Cohousing got its start in Europe and has been successfully translated to America. In a cohousing community, each household has its own, stand-alone private dwelling, which is smaller than the traditional single-family home. These private homes are clustered around a common house which provides the amenities that are often wastefully duplicated in traditional American housing. The layout of the homes and the entire community provides plenty of privacy while affording opportunities for as much social interaction as the residents desire.

The key to cohousing is that it is planned and built by the people who intend to live there, so the sense of community begins to develop during the planning process as interested participants winnow themselves down to a core group that is committed to building together, on a site they have chosen together, with a development program that they have evolved together through a consensus process.

Senior cohousing is the logical extension of the cohousing idea. Many senior cohousing communities already exist in Denmark, where the author, Charles Durrett, traveled extensively and interviewed community residents. In the United States Durrett and his wife, Katie McCamant, are the principals of The Cohousing Company, an architectural firm that specializes in facilitating the development of cohousing. Their previous book, Cohousing: A Contemporary Way of Housing Ourselves, pioneered the cohousing movement in America.

Senior CoHousing is an inspiring and practical guidebook to help older Americans get started organizing and planning a cohousing community. It draws upon the author's extensive experience in developing cohousing in the United States, and the shared experience of elders in Denmark who have been living in senior cohousing communities for years. Filled with inspiring photographs and helpful graphics, the book presents the nuts-and-bolts considerations that go into planning a senior cohousing community. For many Americans over 50, this book may be the first step toward creating a way of living out the final stages of life in a rewarding, stimulating, supportive environment, where one's choices find expression in a neighborhood of like-minded people.

If you are considering alternatives to aging in isolation or retiring to a gated golf course community, read this book. Senior cohousing is becoming the fastest growing segment of the intentional community movement. This book offers both how-to advice and the social rationale for aging in community.

Ms. Miller weaves with touching clarity the stories and words of women who follow all paths of life with strength of spirit and self. It is an eloquent exploration of the modern definition(s) of feminism, and how women can be both feminists and feminine. Above all, these are stories: histories, wisdoms and fallacies which display the many wonderful facets of independent women.

For any woman trying to reconcile the conflicting differences between ambition, family, self-reliance and love, this book is a MUST. Filled with interviews of real women who tackle real challenges, this book is easy to read in digestible chapters. It will force you to change your perceptions and transform your life! Debra Sands Miller is a wonderfully insightful writer with a big heart!

I took a chance when ordering this book but it turned out the very best book on the subject. This book has both order and a extremely well thought out plan. Both Scientific and reaches to common sense, which Barbara courageously enters into. I don't care what type of rehabilitaion you offer, this book will help. By all means. Also read Mad Light by Karl Mark Maddox

Love the book. OTA students and all OTs this is a great goal writing book !!

This book takes one on a journey of consciousness full of "rites of passage" adventures in which the Twins learn valuable life lessons. Youth from the age of 8(?) and all adults will enjoy this story. It is so exciting that I found it very hard to put down - wanted to read it all night! Like the Harry Potter series, it is "other-worldly" and deals with other dimensions, but instead of fearsome creatures and blood and death, the adventures in Twins of Kashal takes you into the realm of human potential, consciousness and explores the limitless possibilities we all possess. It is a story full of heart, courage, strength and love, with each new challenge pressing the Twins on to further growth as spiritual individuals. It is a great read!! (Can't wait for the second book which is coming out this fall/winter!)

This page-turning adventure story is a journey through realms of consciousness from the ordinary to the fantastic, providing the reader with a challenging and engrossing opportunity to explore the frontier where what's "real" and what's "unreal" are indistinct, and where intentional consciousness itself becomes the tiller and the human heart the compass.

The authors have spun a tale of multilayered and dazzling intricacy. Working with ancient Hawaiian Huna teachings and Japan's tradition of bushido, in this first installment of the series, a multidimensional history of Earth is conjured, the all-at-onceness of time being a very fluid element in this story-telling.

Characters are called forth in diverse array, from the mythic to the seemingly ordinary, interacting across time and space, across gaps in consciousness, across the fragmented field of illusion, to remember what is real and true always and to restore the balancepoint where all seemingly disparate realms converge: in the human heart.

As with all series, we are left craving the next installment. Grand!

You will find a general treatment of the topic of Independent Contractors (IC) in other Nolo guides but if you want a definitive and detailed guide, this is the book for you. All the way from templates of general independent contractor forms on CD-ROM to a thorough analysis of the various aspects of working with Independent Contractors, this book does a great job of discussing in plain English what every Small Business Owner needs to know. There is another Nolo guide on just the different contracts you could use for this purpose but this book contains most of those types of forms.

The book starts out with an introductory definition of an Independent Contractor and explains the benefits and risks of hiring one. The next natural step for every employer is to go through the process of determining the worker status and federal payroll taxes. After discussing this topic, the book explains the Safe Harbor Protection which is the process an IRS auditor is supposed to follow in determining if your classification of Independent Contractors should be questioned (something along these lines).

There are 3 chapters devoted to IRS specific topics - IRS Audits, tax rules for specific workers, and the IRS test for worker status. State payroll taxes, Workers' Compensation, hiring household workers, and labor/anti-discrimination laws are addressed after that.

The book then discusses the topic of Intellectual Property ownership in this context of Independent Contractors. This is followed by a few chapters on sample IC agreements, procedures for hiring ICs, how to avoid government audits etc. My favorite chapter is the Chapter 13: Intellectual Property Ownership as this can get very tricky if you aren't careful. In my business, this also happens to be one of the biggest risks in hiring ICs for our work instead of employees.

Overall, this is an excellent book that explains in plain English (as Nolo always does) of the intricacies involved in working with ICs. Of course, as some large corporations in the computer industry found out, it isn't that straight forward. So this book only helps you do some of the right things and avoid the obvious problems but there is no substitute for a good lawyer who can handle the more difficult issues.

Good luck!

This Directory provides and orients the reader to the better retirement communities throughout the U.S. Extremely well organized and laid out. Thoughtful presentation of many of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of each facility. Not a critique but good overview information. The 16 page Introduction includes a history of retirement communities, how to choose a retirement community, a list of important questions and terms, and, basic financial, legal and medical considerations from three leading experts

This book is not just for people who are blind. It is for anyone who has gone through a sudden, traumatic, and life-changing experience. It is for anyone who has lived through tragedy, and wonders whether life will ever be the same. The first chapter alone gives you purpose and hope that life is worth living, and that things will get better. This book is full of warmth, wisdom, humor, motivation, and practical advice. Dr. Bray gives a wonderful perspective on how to get your life back after tragedy strikes. Thank you Dr. Bray for this amazing and inspirational book.

I had a hard time reading this book because it needed a lot more proofreading and editing. The information will prove useful, I'm sure, but the organization of the book made it a little difficult for me to follow.

A MUST HAVE BIBLE OF INFORMATION. IT GIVES SPECIFIC DETAILS ON THE TRANSITION PROCESS NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY MAKE THE MOVE OF LIVING YOUR DREAM.

I have lived in Costa Rica for over 12 years and have worked extensively in the areas of tourism and real estate. I recommend this book to PEOPLE OF ALL AGES with an interest learning about every possible area of LIVING and INVESTING here. I have read all of the other books about making the move and Mr. Howard seems to have a BETTER FEEL for the country than any of the other authors. Perhaps this is because he is the ONLY one of them who has lived here FULL TIME during the last 27 years. Therefore, it is not surprising that he displays GOOD COMMON SENSE and possesses INCREDIBLE knowledge of how things REALLY WORK here. NOBODY seems to have the network of CONTACTS that Mr. Howard has made over the years.

For example, he has met with Noble Prize winning president of Costa Rica on several occasions to discuss retirement and other important issues. Mr. Howard even has access to the president's private cell phone number and is one of the FEW Americans who can contact the president anytime. This says a lot about Christopher Howard's respectability.
In over a decade, I have seen him work with literally hundreds of people. He has never failed to be fair, honest and sincere. If he is in the least bit unsure of an inquiry, he will verify the answer with several sources. He never quits studying and expanding himself through self education and information that comes through his connections. To keep himself aware and up-to-date is a job he takes seriously, but enjoys doing.

chris howard the author knows costa rica. i am a long time resident of costa rica and you can take my word chris howard tells the truth. his is the best book out on costa rica.

"This is the ONLY book you need to move to Costa Rica. It is jam-packed with practical information. It helped me make the move and find happiness here. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of living or investing in Costa Rica."

While journalist minions report the family farm is dying or dead. Gene Logsdon proves that the family farm is thriving. Not only is the family farm thriving, but it is the solution to the current food crisis, a way to bring families closer together and make a small profit as well.
This book is part instruction manual, and part life changing stories for anyone with the courage to follow their dream to own a small farm.

If we could look back at all the enormous changes to American life since WW2, I think the incredible move from an agrarian society to an industrial, urban society is the one thing most responsible for a vast majority of the ills of our Nation.

Removing average people, many of whom have no great aspirations, from their rural life where they can at least work honorably to feed themselves and perhaps sell a few eggs, or tomatoes, or whatever - to an uncaring welfare-supported (in one way or another) urban life-of-hell - is just wrong from so many points of view.

Lack of meaningful employment, of exercise and fresh air, of the satisfaction of improving your own small patch of earth is a terrible blow to civilation.

I know many will argue against the small farmers life, saying "it's too hard, and only the poor "must" do it so it must be discrimination against SOMEONE". Bother and Poppycock. There is NO more important undertaking than providing healthy food for yourself and your family, and perhaps a bit of excess occasionally that can be sold or traded to a neighbor for a bit of something you don't have.

Buy this book. Re-connect to nature, to your neighbors, and to a lifestyle that is full of meaning and of all that is good about this country and this earth.

This book is full of advice that's as good as it gets! The humor and common sense are non stop!! Buy a copy for yourself and buy another one for any friend who smiles at the thought of farming!

I have read 3 books by this author and find them all to run a little thick on the philosophy side and much to thin on the how-to side. The authors passion and moral integrity literally drip from every page and if I was looking for a good read sprinkled with some general farming knowledge I would highly recommend this or any other books by the author. I was looking to compare his farming techniques to others so I needed more specific information which was unfortunately not included.

I've purchased every small farm book out there and this is the only book i'd recommend to anyone interested in starting a "small" farm. It gives you insight for pretty much everything you need to know to get started. Don't waste your time on any other books just get the Contrary farmer.