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The Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton.
Pantheon Books, 2006.
This book was a delight to read, with great illustrations, and a way of seeing with new eyes.

The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape
by James Howard Kunstler.
Simon & Schuster, 1993.
This smart, delightful curmudgeon provides an irreverent look at the American suburban landscape.

House by Tracy Kidder.
Mariner Books, 1999.
The bedrock book on home building for the uninitiated. Buyer and builder - heed the warnings.

House As a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home
by Clare Cooper Marcus.
Conari Press, 1995.
A unique series of case studies and Jungian meanings applied to home and the choices we make in our living environments.

I Know I'm in There Somewhere: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner Voice
and Living a Life of Authenticity
by Helene Brenner.
Gotham Books, 2004.
Enough said - it was extremely helpful.

Money and the Meaning of Life
by Jacob Needleman.
Broadway Business, 1994.
Philosopher Needleman presents a good look at the personal and spiritual power of money to shape us.

The Not So Big House
by Sarah Susanka and Kira Obolensky.
Taunton Press, 2001.
A good start in discovering features and small details you might want in your house.

The Perfect $100,000 House: A Trip Across America and Back
in Pursuit of a Place to Call Home
by Karrie Jacobs.
Viking, 2006.
The Dwell magazine founder spends a lot of time and gas seeking, but doesn't find.

Sex and Real Estate: Why We Love Houses
by Marjorie Garber.
Anchor Press, 2001.
This book runs the gamut - from how houses play a role in our psyches, to the history of the bathroom.

Questions related to reading Getting to Home:

Were you surprised at the ending of the book? Do you think she regretted her decision? If so, where did you see evidence of that in the book?

What would you have done? Sold, rented it out, or tried harder to stay put?

Do you agree with and/or understand the author’s concept of home at the end of the book?

Do you know single women who have built their own homes? How would you compare their experience to the author’s?

What can you say (vis a vis the author) about the experiences of the architect, contractor and carpenter? How do you think they felt about the house and the process of working with the author? Do you think there would there have been a different relationship or outcome if the author had been a man?

Are the words house and home interchangeable?

What is your definition of home and does your gender have any influence on your definition?

Did reading Getting to Home stimulate you to think about a house you might design? If so, what are the features you would like included in the design and interior furnishings?

What elements in a house design are important to you? How are these elements reflected in your own dwelling spaces? What elements would you incorporate in a future home?

Questions about your current and past homes:

If you compare your financial ability to own and maintain a home to your parents (and even grandparents), how is your experience different from theirs?

Is there such a thing as a “family home” in your family? Does someone from the family still live there? If not, why not?

Have you ever gone back to see where you lived as a child? What was your experience?

How many homes have you lived in and what were the circumstances for the moves if any? How did moving affect your life? How do you think it affected the lives of others in your family—parents, your children, your grandchildren, for example?

Is buying or owning a house a high priority (or a must have) for you? If it’s still a goal, where does it fit? Do you think this will change as you age?

To what extent does where you live, in terms of location (geography) and the physical space (rooms, etc), impact your life?

More General Thought Questions about Home and Housing:

If you believe in the nature/nurture concept - how much of how you feel about home is influenced by your nature? How much by nurture (life experience)?

Did the book bring up any attitudes or stereotypes of renting versus owning? If so, what were they? Can you think of ways to change attitudes and/or to create better relationships in a neighborhood or among tenants in an apartment complex?

Is there an affordable housing movement in your community? If yes, what are the issues that impact this type of housing? If no, why isn’t there an affordable housing program?

How strongly do you feel about limiting access to housing, such as gated communities, 55+ only housing, or mixed developments of houses/apartments and/or duplexes. Can you identify cost/benefits for each of these models?

What do you know about sweat-equity programs, co-housing and NORCs (naturally occurring retirement communities)? Do you have either of these concepts in your community? Would they appeal to you? What kind of people do you think live in these intentional communities?

Questions about the American Dream:

Regarding the American Dream, how would you define it for yourself? Do you think that there is any such a single dream that is uniquely American?

If you believe there is a Dream, what are you willing to do to achieve it? What elements comprise this achievement for you?

Do you think that other countries have their own unique Dream? Do you think that they share the same rent versus own a home goals that are commonly expressed in the U.S.? If not, what country can you name and what makes them view housing in a different way?

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