Customer Reviews

Treehouses: The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great Book, with lots of great pictures. Some technical stuff also. Another book that has a little bit on building tree houses is called "Shelters Shacks and Shanties by D.C. Beard. I love tree's myself but for you tree huggers complaining about a few nails, sheesh, your houses are full of lumber. Look in the walls at the studs, under the floors at the joists, kitchen cabinets, dining room table and chairs, bedroom furniture, etc. etc. so don't worry about a few nails in a tree eh, they love the iron in them anyhow!

This book is 90% inspiration and 10% technical information. I don't think that there is enough information for someone wanting to build their own treehouse, but if you already have one of those books, then this one is a good companion for inspirational purposes.

I was looking for something practical to help me design and build a tree house for my 5 year old. This is a great book if you want to consider "possibilities". It helped a little, as well in terms of providing conceptual designs. It was not as good in providing detailed plans on how to build a specific tree house. If you are an experienced builder you could probably take what they have here and develop your own blueprints. If you are a novice,and need detailed plans this book will not get you there.

In "Treehouses : The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb" Peter Nelson has come about as close as is possible to capturing the sheer joy of a treehouse in print. Through the use of beautiful photographs and ebullient prose he reveals the little kid in all of us that is just itching to climb a tree. He discusses the different forms that a treehouse can take: from a ramshackle affair built by children, to veritable mansions among the leaves. He also strives to capture what it is that makes a great treehouse; he seems to believe (and I agree) that a great treehouse isn't reflected so much in outer beauty, but in how it mirrors the essence of the tree itself.

Which brings me to a final point: many of the other reviewers have expressed concern about the fate of the trees. Let me reassure them that Nelson, both in his sample designs, and in his own constructions, encourages (and even lauds) limiting the use of nails driven into the tree to the bare minimum. In fact, he goes so far as to posit a treehouse constructed with no nails driven into living wood as an ideal.

This is a wonderful, engaging book. Anyone who has ever enjoyed climbing trees, or had a treehouse, or who wants to build a treehouse would do well to buy a copy. It is both an intriguing look at the architecture of these fanciful abodes, and a celebration of their spirit of freedom and escape.

Enjoy!

I have just purchased this book and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival after seeing a few photos of what was inside. However, I am also a lover of trees and hate the nails. My husband built one once using very limited screws in the actual tree by making most of the strength in the support posts on the ground. I also thought of just building a self supporting house on high stilts from the ground on up to the tree house, situated between two tall trees where it would need little or no screws/nails to go into the tree. You could still essentially be "living in the trees" I was just visiting someone's website where whey used "tree braces in stead of lots of nails. They clamp around tree branches and are foam lined on the part next to the branch. They are loose clamps that are super strong but can rotate slightly so there is no pressure on the tree branches. They are loosened every year to allow for the expansion of the branches. There are usually ways to have what you want and respect nature both if you think things through carefully.

... previous review "...what about the trees"! When I read this sound review about nails and trees freedom I discovered I did not read well this book. I read it again. Globally, it's a great book. It tells you technically how to achieve your dream. But it lacks this deep sense of freedom that would embrace trees freedom as much as our own needs. When our kids will build new cabins in Chateau Bois Briand trees we will tell them not to use nails anymore ...

I bought this book as I always loved climbing trees in England as a child. This book hit a cord straight in the heart ! if you love trees and feel a deep connection to them this book will hurt like hell ! The poor trees have to take nails and drilled holes all over to support our homes. Unlike the birds we yet again end up destroying. Um I guess this isn't paradise for the trees any way you look at it. But lets not become the chains that literally bind them. This book inspires one to feel for the trees freedom not my own.

This is a great book to bring back long-since forgotten memories as well as add a whole new dimension to the natural coolness of living in the trees, literally. Not recommended for the lazy person!

As soon as we acquired our virgin woodland property, we dreamed of building a treehouse. After extensive searching (pre-internet days) we found this wonderful guide. Even tho we were novices, we could see the endless possibilities and proceeded with our own treehouse. It's now completed, and we are delighted with our success thanks to this guide! treesnakes

For anyone interested in building a tree house - this book provides great inspiration. The central section detailing a very special tree house in British Columbia is especially fascinating. I built a tree house for my son this summer.