Summer is right around the corner and that means beach days and hours of lounging on the dock. It’s the perfect time to grab a cold one and a book. Here are 5 non-fiction reads that are sure to entertain.
Hammer Head: The Making of A Carpenter – Nina McLaughlin
Favorite Quote: “When the walls lift, when we are linked with what came before through the simplicity of swinging a tool through space, or sharing a story, we escape for a moment the prospect of facing the great wall of indifference. And instead of fear, grave dread, despair, it’s possible to find calm, and joy.”
Anyone that enjoys working with their hands and has tackled a carpentry project will appreciate this book. In “Hammer Head,” the author Nina MacLaughlin takes readers through her journey of quitting her unfulfilling day job to take up carpentry as a newfound passion and career. Along the way she explores history of tools and carpentry, the passage of time, mortality, sexuality, and what it means to find joy in work, among other topics. One of my favorite aspects of this book is how vibrantly the author is able to capture the tactile essence of working with tools and materials on paper. She also does an incredibly accurate job of describing the frustrations, worries, and immense satisfaction that goes along with mastering skills of a trade. If that alone isn’t stirring enough, she boldly makes this leap as a female in one of the most male dominated and gender disproportionate industries.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Marie Kondo
Favorite Quote: “Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest.”
Marie Kondo’s book introduces readers to the KonMari method of tidying and organizing. The ultimate goal of this book is to help readers transform chaotic, cluttered homes into serene spaces. Centered in minimalism, the KonMari method tasks its followers with getting rid of all possessions that don’t “spark joy.” In addition to purging surplus items, Ms. Kondo describes a variety of ways to organize and care for the belongings that make the cut. Though some of the ideas presented may seem a bit extreme (folding your socks appropriately, so that they’re happy), there is a lot of value in the basic principle of not living in excess, truly loving the items that you keep in your life and adequately caring for them.
The Most Beautiful House in the World – Witold Rybczynski
Favorite Quote: “‘Inhabiting’ does not only mean living within. It means occupying – infusing a particular site with our presence, and not only with our activities and physical possessions but also with our aspirations and dreams. We live in a house and in the process we make it alive. “
Anyone interested in architecture, or are thinking about building a home will enjoy this book. The author walks readers through the journey of building his own home, which ironically started as a project to build a workshop for his sailboat. Mr. Rybczynski, a professor of architecture at McGill University infuses the rich history of the art as he describes the various stages of his design and building process. In addition to being chock full of facts and architectural principles, The Most Beautiful House in the World is also a great read for those interested in philosophical musings about what it means to create and inhabit spaces.
The Good Life Helen and Scott Nearing’s Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living – Helen and Scott Nearing
Favorite Quote: “The value of doing something does not lie in the ease or difficulty, the probability or improbability of its achievement, but in the vision, the plan, the determination and the perseverance, the effort and the struggle which go into the project. Life is enriched by aspiration and effort, rather than by acquisition and accumulation.”
Helen and Scott Nearing’s “The Good Life” will inspire you to ditch the chaotic excess of city life for a simpler life in the country. Pioneering the “Back to the Land” movement, Helen and Scott left their life in NYC behind in 1932 to practice simple and sustainable living in rural New England. The first half of the book chronicles the Nearing’s establishing and persevering on their 65 acre farm in Vermont. The second half (“Continuing the Good Life”) discusses their older, more mature life on their farm in Harborside Maine. Throughout the book the Nearing’s share useful information on organic gardening, food and water storage, land selection, and stone construction. Additionally, they share their thought provoking philosophy on what constitutes a “good life.” Their ideas span everything from self-reliance, vegetarianism, environmental and social responsibility, animal welfare, medical intervention, etc. to thoughts on socialism and communism. If you’re curious to learn more after reading, you can live a little slice of Helen & Scott’s history by visiting their second homestead, now known as the Good Life Center, in Harborside Maine.
The Magnolia Story – Chip and Joanna Gaines
Favorite Quote: “Go and find what it is that inspires you, go and find what it is that you love, and go do that until it hurts. Don’t quit and don’t give up. The Reward is just around the corner.”
Though I’m sure everyone remotely interested in home improvement and HGTV has read this, I decided to include it anyway. Chip and Joanna were breaking onto the scene in 2013 – almost the exact same time Alex and I had begun our own “fixer upper” project. It’s an interesting and inspirational read for anyone interested in learning about how two ordinary folks turned their entrepreneurial endeavors into a thriving series of businesses. Finally, it’s always fun to hear about Chip’s antics and uplifting to hear about a relationship that is built on a foundation of utmost love and respect.