Twelve By Twelve: A one-room cabin off the grid & beyond the American dream by William Powers.
I’m not much into writing book reviews, but really liked this one so at least wanted to let other people know about it. The back of the book can summarize better than I can:
“Why would a successful American physician choose to live in a twelve-by-twelve-foot cabin without running water or electricity? To find out, writer and activist William Powers visited Dr. Jackie Benton in rural North Carolina, where she shared her wildcrafter philosophy of living on a planet in crisis. Powers, just back from a decade of international aid work, then accepted Benton’s offer to stay at the cabin for a seaon while she traveled.”
So the book is mostly a memoir of this guy’s time living in the 12 x 12 and getting to know the neighbors also living “alternative lifestyles”. He writes a lot of his thoughts about how the world works in relation to simple living, and also includes stories from his time abroad.
One passage I could especially relate to:
“In international aid work, the philosophical chasm between living well and living better can lead to culture clash – as well as to serious marital problems. I know a French aid worker who married a woman from Burkina Faso. Their most difficult problem isn’t money or in-laws but idleness. His wife, he confided to me one day, “has to have five or six hours a day of doing absolutely nothing in order to be happy.” My friend is inclined to fill every available moment with work, hobbies, and travel, but his wife prefers to simply sit on the stoop watching the breeze in the trees, idly chatting and joking. If she doesn’t get this idle time, she becomes grouchy.”
I read that and thought “that’s me!” I’m happiest when I can spend hours sitting on my porch in the sun reading, or taking long aimless walks – I just wish I could find other people to do them with me. My ideal life would be to have other stay at home moms on my block who weren’t rushing around to scheduled activities, who weren’t so busy, who just wanted to spend the afternoons casually hanging out.
Anyway, this book is great. It made me think a lot about how I want to live my life, it’s easy to read and the writing is perfect balance between philosophy, interesting stories, and drama between the neighbors and in Powers’ own life.
Ooh, sounds interesting. Adding it to my list.
I would be that mom for you if only we lived in the same neighbourhood. I keep saying to the Mister: “There has to be at least one other vegan anti-TV mom in this city!” So far I haven’t found her yet.
There’s plenty of room in Minneapolis
. Although I don’t think I’d leave Canada if I happened to live there! Do they have meetup.com for Canada though? I’m part of a couple good veg groups on there, even one specifically for parents.
Sounds awesome. I am totally that lady too, in large part. (Though I have phases of the other side.) Wish I lived down the street so we could do some porch sitting together.
Wish I lived in the wagenplatz so our babies could play in the common room together!
I do a whole lot of nothing all the time as well. At least my mind is busy, but my life is not. I think the main stream will catch up to our trend soon enough
It is a lonely road sometimes, hence the blog and other social networking outlets, but one that keeps me complacent and happy with my lot in life.
Hahaa I have a hard time believing you get a lot of “nothing time” with four kids – I have a hard enough time with one – it’s encouraging though!
Thanks Kelly for this thoughtful review. I linked to Frugal Vegan Mom here http://www.facebook.com/williampowersbooks. Now… back to a bit of sitting on the porch and enjoying life!
Whoa, the man himself! Glad I could do my small part to spread the book love!
I just ordered that book for my Kindle. I haven’t gone into much detail about our new house, but it’s a cottage in a village of them, built by a guy who’s goal was to build the most energy efficient homes possible, while minimizing construction extras and maximizing space. We have 3 large bedrooms (ours being an open loft), a bathroom, and an open kitchen/dining/living area. All heated by a natural gas furnace smaller than a rubbermaid tote box. Our plan is actually to buy some land when our lease is up and have him build the exact place we’re living in now, with a few personal tweaks to suit my tastes. And, our place is lime green.
Anyway, our goal when we build is to heat with wood instead of the gas, buy property in a spot where we can utilize solar power as much as possible, and we happen to be in an area where tapping into a spring for water is common. Someday when we can afford a wind turbine, we’re hoping to be completely off grid. I can’t wait to read this book.
[...] I think this book would appeal to a much larger variety of people than the last book I reviewed. [...]
[...] Blue Clay People: Seasons on Africa’s Fragile Edge – another one by William Powers. I liked this for all the same reasons I liked the last book of his I read, Twelve by Twelve. [...]