Carpenter Spike Carlsen, his wife, and their recently blended family of five kids set out to build a cabin on the north shore of Lake Superior. Part building guide and part memoir, Cabin Lessons tells the funny, wry, and heartwarming story of their eventful journey -- from buying land on an eroding cliff to (finally) enjoying the hideaway of their dreams. Learning as they go, and learning about themselves and each other along the way, they find in the end that they’ve built a strong family as much as a sturdy cabin.

Featuring 30 designs by leading designer-makers from around the world, DIY Furniture shows you how to use simple techniques to make stunning designer furniture from scratch. Using the step-by-step guides, you can easily assemble all the projects from common materials that can be found at the local hardware store. Along with designs for seating and storage, the book also features projects for making your own bed, wardrobe, lighting and garden furniture. Each project features hand-drawn diagrams with short, easy-to-follow instructions on how to build the piece. Whether building from scratch or customizing existing designs, you can create unique designer pieces at a fraction of the normal cost with DIY Furniture. Brief biographies of all the featured designers are included at the end of the book.

Featuring 30 new designs by leading designer-makers from around the world, DIY Furniture 2 builds on the international success of the previous title, showing you step-by-step how to make unique designer furniture.

Including both conceptual objects and modern designs, the book showcases innovative processes using readily available materials commonly found at the local hardware store. Each project features diagrams with short, easy-to-follow instructions on how to build the piece.

The projects range from novice to experienced, allowing the reader to start where they are comfortable and work toward more difficult projects as they gain knowledge, familiarity with tools, and confidence.

The designs in this book will have you thinking about common materials in a whole new way!

According to conventional wisdom, building a green home is an expensive endeavor. The standard approach treats green as an add-on, tacking "premium" products, finishes and equipment onto a traditional home design. As a result, many green home projects end up over budget or fail to achieve their environmental and performance goals.

Green Home Building explodes the myth that green homes have to cost more. Using proven methods based on applied building science, authors Miki Cook and Doug Garrett show how to:

• Lower base construction costs to provide funding for high performance upgrades
• Achieve a net zero energy home, including "zero-ing" water, waste, carbon and associated costs within 15 years
• Live affordably into the future, despite anticipated rising costs for fuel, water, materials, taxes and health care

This comprehensive guide to building green on any budget defines the strategies that maximize the return on green investments. Written for anyone who has ever been swayed by the argument that the price tag limits how green a home can be, Green Home Building is a must-read for builders, contractors, architects, designers and homeowners.

In her newest book, Hand Spun, art-yarn pioneer and Pluckyfluff creator Lexi Boeger offers yet another exciting collection of new and innovative spinning techniques. This well-rounded book also covers a handful of traditional styles for the spinner to master and then turn on their ear. The many uses of these beautiful one-of-a-kind yarns are demonstrated in Boeger's trademark, surprising, and inventive projects.

• Learn the basics of fiber prep, from washing raw fleece to carding techniques.
• Find out how to adapt basic spinning styles to create cutting-edge forms.
• Be inspired by a stunning gallery of hand-spun yarns that combine various techniques shown in the book.
• Get complete instructions for 20 fashion-forward, yet accessible, projects including chunky scarves, fabulous hats, a belt, a rug, boas, and more.

From the décor, to the entertainment, on down to the recipes themselves, Handmade Gatherings presents inspired suggestions for thoughtful, flavorful, festive communal dining. Here you'll find 16 parties built around the rhythm of the seasons. Frosty winter fêtes, lush springtime soirées, sultry summer get-togethers, and crisp autumn affairs … it's all here! Food, décor, crafts, and more are part of each event, all collectively assembled and executed. Throw memorable gatherings with your loved ones, enjoy the food, connect with your community, and get caught up in the splendor of it all.

Can't afford to buy that amazing piece from your favorite gallery? Unoriginal, store-bought "art" leaving you ... uninspired? With Handmade Walls, you can finally grasp that creative look you've always wanted without spending a fortune or succumbing to that cookie-cutter feel. Inside this book, you will find 22 imaginative ideas that will encourage you to fill your home with handmade creations. From showcasing a family photograph in a farmhouse-inspired frame to an elegant, multifaceted mirror that lights up an entire room, each of these projects will become a stunning addition to any space.

Perfect for anyone who has ever wanted to fill his or her walls and rooms with personality, Handmade Walls shows you how to use beautiful, budget-friendly art to turn your house into a home.

CLEARANCE ITEM. PREVIOUS RETAIL PRICE WAS $26.95 AVAILABLE ONLY WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

News about the rising numbers of childhood asthma, autism and cancers — as well as learning and behavior problems — is being linked to indoor air quality, the health effects of mold, and the overall quality of the buildings we inhabit. Homes that Heal addresses both of these developments, revealing that our own homes may be making us sick. Easy-to-read, solutions-oriented and humorous, this book is full of advice and stories that empower families to take back their health on a daily basis.

Housing is a fundamental human right. For most of human history, our homes were built by hand from whatever local materials were available. However, since the Industrial Revolution, most housing has become little more than quickly constructed, mass-produced, uniform boxes. At the same time, the invention and standardization of the 30-year mortgage and our ever-increasing reliance on credit has come to mean that most of us never own our homes outright.

Housing Reclaimed is a call to arms for nonconventional home builders. It examines how technological advances, design evolution and resourceful, out-of-the-box thinking about materials and efficiency can help us meet the challenge of building affordable, environmentally friendly, beautiful and unique homes. Focusing on the use of salvaged and reclaimed materials, this inspirational volume is packed with case studies of innovative projects including:

• Phoenix Commotion — working together toward low-income home ownership through sweat equity and 100% recycled materials
• HabeRae — revitalizing neighborhoods by creating urban infill using modern technology and sustainable and reclaimed materials
• Builders of Hope — rescuing and rehabilitating whole houses slated for demolition

These projects and others like them demonstrate that building one's own home does not have to be an unattainable dream. This beautifully illustrated guide is a must read for anyone interested in creating quality zero- or low-debt housing, reducing landfill waste and creating stronger communities.

About the author
Jessica Kellner is editor-in-chief of Mother Earth Living magazine (www.motherearthliving.com) and a passionate advocate of using architectural salvage to create aesthetically beautiful, low-cost housing.

Recommended Product for Wiser Living: Today, more than ever before, our society is seeking ways to live more conscientiously. To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more sustainable lifestyles, MOTHER EARTH NEWS is recommending books and products to readers. For more than 40 years, MOTHER EARTH NEWS has been North America's "Original Guide to Living Wisely," creating books and magazines for people with a passion for self-reliance and a desire to live in harmony with nature.

Every man for himself! For too long we have lived in a competitive, consumer-oriented culture, destroying the well-being of people and the planet. We believe that money brings happiness, yet all too often, the opposite is true. The pursuit of wealth at any cost corrupts our values and diminishes our lives. The resulting inequality breaks down social cohesion and generates envy, bitterness and resentment. Greed breeds more greed.

In Living Room Revolution, Cecile Andrews refutes the notion that selfishness is at the root of human nature. Research shows that people - given the right circumstances - can be caring, nurturing and collaborative. Presented with the opportunity, they gravitate toward actions and policies embodying empathy, fairness and trust instead of competition, fear and greed. The regeneration of social ties and the sense of caring and purpose that comes from creating community drive this essential transformation.

At the heart of this movement is the ancient art of conversation. Living Room Revolution provides a practical toolkit of concrete strategies to facilitate personal and social change by bringing people together in community and conversation.

The heart of happiness is joining with others in good talk and laughter. Each person can make a difference, and it can all start in your own living room!