Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors

I'd never thought of the way we live now as finding its place in time by examining our homes, our objects, our selves, as an archeologist would examine a long dead society with limited artifacts. In the book, it says that we came closest to knowing the lives of a past civilization when we found Pompeii. Those people, frozen in motion, had more to tell than any other such dig. But, as the authors say, how much more we could know if we were there as they had moved about their homes, their businesses, picked up objects to use, kept dear thing close and revealed the value placed on some objects. In this respect, it continues to influence me as I make choices daily in my own life, what I treasure, how I go about my daily routine.Then of course, it renders our homes as activity centers, which we know how to talk about from all the HGTV we watch, and about multi-use areas important in small space living. I wonder if the more multi-use areas a home has, does that reveal a lower economic level? with single use areas in the homes of the wealthy expanded like gas to fill a void? I'll think on that a bit too.I did not get this to help me design my home remodel, but it appeals to my need for self awareness. I do not often think of my place in time......but this is so fascinating, it feels like James Michener's novel THE SOURCE, which dug deeper and deeper and layer by layer down with his civilizations, connecting the family Ur to preceding generations.When the book arrived, I laid it bedside, intending to scan the contents that night. Well, I decided to take a peek after I read the Introduction, and then I kept going. It isn't a long book, easily read through. And then it needs to be revisited a bit later on, after you think about it. I have it on my dining table still, where I have the drawings for our house remodel in the planning stage. I will pick it up on occasion and glance at some of the room use and item use graphics. So yes, I like this book. And I would buy it again. I might even loan it to my architect. It would be nice to talk with a professional about his take on the book.

This is a peculiar book, the coffee table version of a large scale sociology study on contemporary Angelenos (that is, natives of Los Angeles) This book tells in some detail, and lots of pictures, how middle class people actually live in the early 21st century. In some ways this book is like watching a train wreck, almost every home is so cluttered and trashed you can't really believe it - but then you look under your own cupboards and into the corners of your own child's room and realize that these are pictures of your own home! aghhhhThere is a lot of food for thought, there isn't a lot of commentary on the meaning of people's over-consumption or the resulting stress and anguish, but the book begs the questions about why we are living this way, what are the alternatives or are there viable alternatives within this time and place.Those of us who studied sociology, or history, or design, or other related topics are very familiar with the process of analyzing studies done of other people, other places, other times...But this book turns the lens back onto the self in an eye-opening and discomforting way.I would like to see a book with more of the actual study findings, more of the photos, and maybe even some essays by cultural theorists reacting to the work. Much food for thought.

This book is full of beautiful, well-staged photos taken from interesting angles and perspectives. It is a great reminder for my family friends (as they see it on our coffee table), of how different families live in America. We, in my house, are really striving to live a simpler less cluttered life, and having a visual reminder has really been motivating and inspiring to us. When I look at the images in this book, I feel like I've been invited to visit their homes and lives versus peeking in or looking from afar.The pages are the perfect weight and thickness - with a nice sheen that is easily (but gently) wiped of little finger prints. It is well bound and will be part of our family library for years to come.If my review was helpful - please give it a thumbs up! Thanks!!

I have always believed that when I am invited into someone's home, it's like an invitation to look into their soul. It may sound a bit heavy...but think about it. Home is where their memories live, their interests, travels and story's are displayed everywhere. Their business and family size, style and personality is all on display. I have always found this fascinating!This book does a brilliant job of making you ponder how your home really speaks to how you fit in to life today. How and why we use spaces the way we do, and how materialism is a concept we may rarely think about, but something we are all living. The photography in this book is great and I found many of the correlations between things and people solidly founded and pretty interesting. I would be curious to see the same book for a larger sample size, perhaps across the country.My final verdict.....buy this book!

This book is fascinating and disturbing! I learned about it watching a video on YouTube. I like spying on people's houses, and this did not disappoint. I felt so much shame and guilt "wandering" around people's homes and seeing their private spaces exposed. Bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, clutter, processed food hoarding... made me think about my own home and where people congregate and I did a purge on my home and donated a lot of stuff. I'm a collector and it made me do inventory on material possessions. A real eye opener. And scientific based too!

The only negative thing I can say about this book is that it doesn't come in kindle format. The studies & families are fascinating, and I read different parts & pieces each time to read it. I loved the insights, and felt even better about trying to become more minimalist, wow. I don't know this much about my own friends, even close ones, since I never venture into private spaces. But I might start discussing the book with friends & see where that leads.

Aufgrund der Tiefe dieser Studie über den wahren Inhalt von Häusern typischer amerikanischer Westküstenfamilien leider etwas veraltet, es stehen auf vielen Fotos noch Röhrenfernseher und die meisten abgebildeten Computer sind schon durch Laptops und iPads ersetzt. Nichtsdestotrotz gibt dieses Buch viele realistische Einrichtungslösungen aus den USA weiter, ganz im Gegensatz zu den Hochglanzpostillen und Kaffeetisch-Büchern mit ihren durchstilisierten sterilen Wohnvorschlägen die kaum praktischen Nutzen aufweisen. Hier wird das wirkliche Leben gezeigt und die Probleme mit denen vor allem Familien mit Kindern konfrontiert werden.

Excellent book. Fascinating.