Consumption and Real Estate
The Barn House: Confessions of an Urban Rehabber
A rollicking yarn about a home-improvement project that took a man and his family to hell and back.
In 1993, after Chicago lost many of its residents to the suburbs, Ed Zotti and his family gambled their future by fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood. Where most saw a shabby façade, the Zottis saw promise-even when it dragged and drained every resource. “The Barn House” had a collapsed ceiling, wiring that shorted, and oak floors painted red, white, and blue. Unsettling discoveries included a box of .38 caliber bullets-with five missing-and the mere fact that the house was built on a bed of sand.
Alternately harrowing and hilarious, this is a classic account of one family’s private urban renewal project, featuring burglars, irate neighbors, and a lively cast of workers. From its grim beginning to its unexpected outcome, The Barn House is the inspiring story of what it means to live (and totally rewire) the American Dream.
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(out of 7 reviews)
List Price: $ 16.00
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#2 written by Scott E. Bates 1 year ago
Review by Scott E. Bates for The Barn House: Confessions of an Urban Rehabber
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This is a serious book with a sense of humor..must reading for the couple embarking on their first major renovation on a budget. Having been down this path ourselves, I laughed (and nearly cried) as I relived many of our experiences through Ed and Mary. Ed Zotti is the same guy (of “Straight Dope” fame) who answered the question: “Why don’t you ever see a baby pigeon?” He’s a clever, funny guy. I learned a lot, laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the read. -
#3 written by K. Fauth 1 year ago
Review by K. Fauth for The Barn House: Confessions of an Urban Rehabber
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I just finished The Barn House by Ed Zotti, and I truly enjoyed reading it. It’s a whole lot more than what it appears on the surface. Yes, Zotti covers the details of his extensive home renovation. But he also includes historical information about Chicago – and large cities in general, intersperses vignettes about the lives of the people he meets during the project, and applies liberal humor throughout. His writing style is conversational and easy to follow, and he tackles his work with an energy level that makes you want to know if it all works out in the end. Great book – especially for those do-it-yourselfers who find themselves in over their heads or who can’t stop watching HGTV and Ty Pennington! -
#4 written by JillGat 1 year ago
Review by JillGat for The Barn House: Confessions of an Urban Rehabber
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Like “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” the title is just an introduction or backdrop to the bigger story. The “Barn House” is about rehabbing a house, but it’s also about history (which I loved), architecture, a city, a neighborhood, a family, and the many characters – the cultures, personalities and perspectives – one gets to know and mix it up with(and sometimes to trust with everything dear in life) while delving into this kind of monstrously risky affair.And, most articulately, it’s about process, which really is all everything is about. Even if you’ve never rehabbed a house, you’ve been there, which is what makes this a truly enjoyable read for people like me who will never do it.
I don’t have the patience to rehab anything. As soon as I start a project, my earlier goals and standards for the finished project shrink with my frustration and desire only to have it done. It doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate artistry and perfection; it just means that either my husband does it or I hire someone else who will do it Right. And I notice this and I admire the hell out of them for it.
I don’t know nuthin ’bout wiring and I prefer to leave the fireworks to others; in fact I’ll pay them more if they just tell me it’s magic when it works. But this book drew me in, which is a real testament, because Ed Zotti does love and admire the details involved in wiring. I found myself wanting to know more about stuff that has never – and I daresay I hope never will – be useful to me. A good book is a pleasant escape from your reality, and it takes a good writer to make it so.
I could have done without the occasional corny gender stereotypes, but it’s a personal account by an author who is candid about how he sees the world and we all have our limitations.
Two things I would like to see in the next edition:
1. Pictures. Artists’ drawing and before and after photos. I often had to read a paragraph over again to try to picture what was being described. I wanted to refer to illustrations.
2. A glossary of terms. Many details were well explained for the layman and analogies were useful. But certain building/construction/architectural terms were thrown about that were useless to me. (Though I should admit that so were a lot of the adjectives and verbs, since my vocabulary just isn’t that great.)
This would be a great housewarming gift, but read it before you decide who to give it to. Some people might not think some of this stuff is funny!
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#5 written by M. Kaplan 1 year ago
Review by M. Kaplan for The Barn House: Confessions of an Urban Rehabber
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I gotta say I got a lot more out of this book than I was expecting to. (To be fair, I must state at the outset that as a college student 30 years ago, I worked for the author and his wife at the job where they met.) I knew from reading The Straight Dope columns (which Ed edits) that the book would be funny, but I haven’t laughed at a book this hard, out loud, since Bill Bryson “A Walk in the Woods.” But “The Barn House” also has a serious side, looking at the gains (and losses) of urban neighborhoods going upscale, and what separates “house” from “home,” and needed repairs from obsession.But the reason I give the book five stars is Ed’s underlying concept in the book, and of life itself, which he’s dubbed “The Brotherhood of the Right Way.” You have to read the book to fully understand it, but he manages to explain a truth about people and their work habits that you’ll instantly recognize. This is way more than a book about home repair and remodeling, and I can’t recommend it enough.
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Review by Paige Turner for The Barn House: Confessions of an Urban Rehabber
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this had to be one of the funniest books i’ve ever read. this guy can WRITE! he knows how to turn a phrase. rehabing old homes in cities could be a tedious affair but not when described by ed zotti. he has an eye for detail and a way of describing such detail that will make you laugh out loud while learning new things.