A Field Guide to American Houses

“when I forget what anything is, i go back and thank god for the master work of virginia mcalester. it’s a bible, a tome, and one of my most referenced books. honestly, just grateful she wrote it. so clear, so generous, and somehow makes the entire american built environment make a little more sense.”

“I LOVE THIS BOOK! IT IS SO COOL AND FUN AND INTERESTING! LEARN ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!”

“This is such an actually useful classic that I keep an extra Kindle version around for referencing on-the-go.”

“I go house-snooping the way others go birding. This is such a lovely way to start seeing the hidden beauty of the buildings around you, and to figure out how your neighborhood pieces together. This particular edition is a nice update to the 1984 original.”

“Fascinating, whether you own an old home or not.”

“Fun!”