A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams
Michael Pollan'sA Place of My Ownmight be suspiciously viewed by some readers as a text begging for interpretation.  What is it that causes this man at midlife to attempt to put up a structure, an actual wood and concrete dwelling, where he can work on his own craft away from his domestic life?  Arguably, Pollan's intentions are more transparent than a too clever postmodern audience can easily appreciate.  The author of this fine, well-crafted book offers an explanation that seems honest and understandable: "Whenever I heard myself described as an 'information service worker' or a 'symbolic analyst,' I wanted to reach for a hammer, or a hoe, and with it make something less virtual than a sentence."In Pollan's bestselling bookSecond Nature: A Gardener's Education,he illustrated his facility with both hoe and pen.  InA Place of My Ownhe hefts the hammer and again records with great intelligence how thoroughly thought and reflection can be woven into our common lives and the patterns of a day's work.  His book's subtitle, "An Education of an Amateur Builder," captures much of what this book contains: the lessons learned by a diligent student of architecture, design, and construction.  The writing contains no gaps or unsightly seams, and it's full of clues to readers who share a similar desire to build something tangible in a world that prizes the evanescent.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.