At the Rebuild Green ExpoThis has been an extraordinary day. By now, I’d say 20 people have come up to our booth about the influence of our books on their lives. It’s not us, really, it’s the people we show in our books. Readers are relating to these people and their lives, and it resonates with them. For example, this guy hauled out an old copy of Domebook 2, and this tattered copy of the original printing of Shelter and told us how important it was to him. A couple of guys told me they’d come across Shelter in their teen years; they were now in their 60s. Wow!
I’ve had meaningful discussions with landowners about septic systems, building codes, construction methods, building materials. It’s great to talk to people about real things.
I think this is a real story here. 8,000 homes destroyed, the clean-up, and in the future, rebuilding. People here are motivated to do things better. Sun-heated water and sun-powered electricity. Building materials that cost the planet the least in pollution from their manufacture. Structural systems that are efficient and economical. Somebody could do a video of the rebuilding as it unfolds in coming months in Santa Rosa.
there has just been a horrible devastating cyclone in Tonga where my husband is from. He too has looked at all your books…and said that in Tonga, they should build more homes that can withstand the cyclones and hurricanes. I wish you could go to Tonga and show them some homes that could work for them.
I wish that building codes were a little friendlier to owner builders these days, especially in California, but I'm glad you're out there giving people inspiration and hope. For me building my cabin, the hardest part was taking the first step, your books helped me with that.
Mike