Reviews
"Sorting through a great amount of information, the author ofThe Comforts of Homehas woven together an extremely thorough and delightfully readable story. . . ." --From the Foreword by William E. Worthington, Jr., assistant curator, History of Technology, Smithsonian Institution "Using rare illustrations and fascinating text, Ierley points out those moments of change when new technologies made possible the increasing comfort and convenience of domestic life. An eye-opening book." --Jane C. Nylander, president, Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) "In Open House, Ierley pulls together a detailed and fairly fascinating picture of the many forces--ingenuity, technology, marketing, and needs inherent to our climate and landscape--that have helped shape the American house...he draws it all into lucid and useful context that gives us insight not only about the shape of the structures we inhabit but about the very shape of our American character." --Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation "Merritt Ierley's latest book is a welcome addition to the study of historic buildings, particularly for those interested in the 'nuts and bolts' of how houses work, and how they have changed over time. Here are cogent essays on the beginnings of modern household infrastructure--the conveniences that have transformed modern home life and indelibly changed the way houses are planned, used, and ultimately adapted to new technology." --Orlando Ridout V, architectural historian, Maryland Historical Trust "If you have ever sat in a nice warm bath and thought about the conveniences that make a modern home so comfortable, or if you have ever turned up the thermostat on a chilly winter evening and marveled at our ability to control comfort level with our fingertips,then you will find this book fascinating. In a very readable manner Ierley traces the history of domestic technologies, including central heat, cooking, plumbing, and lighting-- all systems that are never quite so appreciated as when they fail." --Frank G. White, curator of mechanical arts, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts From the Hardcover edition., "Sorting through a great amount of information, the author ofThe Comforts of Homehas woven together an extremely thorough and delightfully readable story. . . ." --From the Foreword by William E. Worthington, Jr., assistant curator, History of Technology, Smithsonian Institution "Using rare illustrations and fascinating text, Ierley points out those moments of change when new technologies made possible the increasing comfort and convenience of domestic life. An eye-opening book." --Jane C. Nylander, president, Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) "In Open House, Ierley pulls together a detailed and fairly fascinating picture of the many forces--ingenuity, technology, marketing, and needs inherent to our climate and landscape--that have helped shape the American house...he draws it all into lucid and useful context that gives us insight not only about the shape of the structures we inhabit but about the very shape of our American character." --Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation "Merritt Ierley's latest book is a welcome addition to the study of historic buildings, particularly for those interested in the 'nuts and bolts' of how houses work, and how they have changed over time. Here are cogent essays on the beginnings of modern household infrastructure--the conveniences that have transformed modern home life and indelibly changed the way houses are planned, used, and ultimately adapted to new technology." --Orlando Ridout V, architectural historian, Maryland Historical Trust "If you have ever sat in a nice warm bath and thought about the conveniences that make a modern home so comfortable, or if you have ever turned up the thermostat on a chilly winter evening and marveled at our ability to control comfort level with our fingertips,then you will find this book fascinating. In a very readable manner Ierley traces the history of domestic technologies, including central heat, cooking, plumbing, and lighting-- all systems that are never quite so appreciated as when they fail." --Frank G. White, curator of mechanical arts, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
