A Carpenter’s Life tells the story of straw, adobe and, cob building

Posted on March 21, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

A Carpenter’s Life as Told by Houses is a combination memoir and how-to book told by beloved residential home builder Larry Haun.
Based on his 60-year career as a master carpenter, Haun shares his life’s story, as well as his deep appreciation for sustainable residential architecture. Known for his boundless energy, Haun often mused that his natural inclination toward the energetic pursuit of carpentry was the result of his upbringing in the cold, windy western Nebraska plains.
Haun was born in the early 1930s and raised in western Nebraska. Though not uncommon during that era, Larry grew up in a house without electricity, heat, insulation, or running water. His humble beginnings taught Haun how to appreciate the fine art of home building and take advantage of the natural resources available around him. Haun’s career began in the late 1940s, when at 17 years old, Haun built New Mexico homes from straw bales, adobe, and cob, which is a natural collection of subsoil, water, straw, lime, and sometimes clay.
After World War II, Haun moved to Los Angeles and worked in the bustling post-war metropolis building tract homes. That nexus point experience cemented Haun’s future career as a home builder. As time progressed, Haun mastered the craft of carpentry and moved his work into other areas.
Haun’s story includes his active, lasting relationship with sustainable tract home building, his long association with Habitat for Humanity, as well as his passionate pursuit to put his ideology on paper.
Never a man to rest, Haun “retired” from his career and moved into a 1950s home in Coos Bay, Ore. Along with his Habitat for Humanity work, Haun built his online presence with an active blog that showcases his philosophies and offers instructional videos that still serve aspiring carpenters as a popular Fine Homebuilding asset and resource.
A Carpenter’s Life as Told by Houses is the story of this amazing man’s life and obsession. His blog is a living memorial to a well-loved man who died in 2011 from Cancer and a teaching tool to carpenters who may not yet be born.
Haun’s blog is located at “Finehomebuilding.com” and outlines a truly fascinating humanitarian who captures his era’s history, offers sustainable housing ideas, and tells his remarkable story through the process and homebuilding.
A Carpenter’s Life as Told by Houses has a Bob Villa/This Old House-feel with its close attention to detail and slow, thorough instruction on how to achieve the many goals Haun has conquered through his life. And the lasting message in this unique memoir offers a lesson with the potential to frame future ages.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2