Hacking the Earthship: In Search of an Earth-Shelter that WORKS for EveryBody

As someone wanting to design and build an Earthship-inspired home out of natural building materials, I was thrilled to find this book on Earthship concepts and how to make them better (with a perfect 5-star rating at the time). When it arrived I couldn't wait - I ripped the box open and began reading!Without exaggeration ... this is the Absolute Worst Book I've Ever (tried to) Read. This book disappoints on so many different levels including the title, organization, content, credibility and value ($)."Hacking the Earthship" is a completely misleading title! "Trash-talking about Earthships" best describes the first 3 chapters, as the author(s) try to describe how virtually everything Mike Reynolds has said or done with Earthships is wrong in some way with weak or unsupported information. Chapters 4-11 ramble almost incoherently about (I'm paraphrasing) embodied energy of materials, finding your Zen, cursory descriptions of natural building materials, laundry lists of how to think about designing a home, Dan Jones' epic garden, etc, etc, etc. The author's conclusion was most befitting... "Overwhelmed? Need help?" ...consider hiring an architect." I think "Rants (about Earthships) & Rambles by RPP et al" would be the most accurate title.I have no doubt some of the concerns about Earthship issues may be credible and need to be addressed--that's why I bought this book! But the author is so careless with her wording, logic and data sources to support the claims, there's really no way to discern which passages are valid (fact) and which ones were just pulled out of the air (author's opinion or 1-time occurrence). The author makes no valid attempt to solve the issues they raise, short of ... don't build an Earthship, don't build off-grid, don't build in-ground home, etcHow could such a poorly written piece of work get past an editor? Page 10 reveals the first 2 editors of the book "couldn't finish the book" (quit?), and no credit was given to an editor, so it appears the author may have self-edited (or the editor didn't want their name associated with the book), and the book was published by the author's company.Shouldn't someone with "16 years of architectural experience" and a Texas A&M Masters Degree in Architecture be an experienced credible source for a book on Natural Building? You can read her bios on her web site (with creative self-anointed job titles), watch her videos on YouTube, but, from what I could see she never became a licensed architect, rather worked for architectural firms designing wheel chair ramps and other support roles. I couldn't find evidence the author has ever designed and built anything (other than a wheel chair ramp), let alone a home, and especially not a home made of natural materials. Nor could I find evidence she's done empirical research on any of the topics in this book.Disclaimer: This review is not personal, I have no ties to the author, nor the Earthship designer, Mike Reynolds. I almost never write reviews. My purpose for writing this review is that I felt I wasted $40 on this book because the Amazon reviews for this book were grossly inflated and an honest review was necessary (and trying to make sense of the book was frustrating and painful).

So far after reading the first two chapters, the book is reasonable and straight to the point. If your serious about building an Earthship, then buying this book is a great way to view your build logically. Earthships will always be glamorized as the solution to the problems we as humans beings face. However, the reality of building one will smack unsuspecting "dreamers" in the face, especially if they have romanticized the Earthship as the Holy Grail of sustainable building. You have to accept the facts of what building will costs you, especially if you want something that will lasts (especially if you are going to contribute sweat equity). As a contractor, I can understand why the author has chosen to play devil's advocate, and why she has outlined and presented the material this way. Homeowners and young DIYers need to know all of the thought processes that go into making a home. Even if you choose not to build one by yourself, this is a good companion book to help you navigate working with a contractor. It will help you plan out your build to be efficient and budget friendly. She's honest about her opinions, but her beliefs do not take away from the information she has provided. I don't believe this book is a waste of money as others have mentioned.

We have been working towards an Earthship-type house (or berm house) for several years now, and this is the most comprehensive review of the pro's and con's I've found. It has validated concerns that we have had (such as over-heating), addressed questions, and has already had an impact on our land search.I don't think that it will dissuade us from off-grid living, and I still feel that berm houses have distinct advantages, especially in the South, but I do think that we will make a much more concerted effort to engage experienced professionals for things like designing the PV system, pouring a concrete foundation that is appropriate to our area (with appropriate insulation and moisture barriers). Like most folks, we can't afford to build a house that is inhabitable because we bought into the "anyone can just do it" mind-set.I highly recommend this book in addition to all your other research.

Great book.Building an earthship. Read this first.Great read.

If you are determined to build an earthship, you need to read this. Devil's advocate style, giving pros and cons. Sourcing every where you turn. Yes there are some personal opinions but facts are given and left for you to decide.

I have read every piece of Earthship literature available and studied countless hours of video footage. Between the mid 90's and now, there has been a serious lack of reasearch and documentation done on existing buildings. What worked? What didn't? Thank you Rachel and contributors for this wonderful piece, and for answering those questions. The various studies done in different climates has been illuminating and we now know what specific obstacles we face in our humid climate.While the laws preventing Earthship construction need to be changed, people need self-sustainable housing now! The suggestions and strategies offered in this book are helping us navigate our local government bureaucracy in a pragmatic manner. And not only will obtaining the necessary permits be easier, but many of those changes we're making will also improve the Earthship's performance. (like scrapping the tires altogether in favor of something less labor intensive, higher performing, faster, and cheaper considering the transportation and labor costs of 900+ tires)This book is absolutely essential for anyone looking to build an Earthship in the states. It is the missing manual.

Let’s you see some of the realities of building an earthship but it seems more of an attack on the earthship ,mostly negative of all aspects, not a balanced view at all.

Enfin un livre qui montre comment fabriquer des "briques" en bouteilles :o)