Tracy Kidder takes readers to the heart of the American Dream: the building of a family's first house with all its day-to-day frustrations, crises, tensions, challenges, and triumphs. From the first nail to the final coat of paint, blueprints to moving day, Pulitzer Prize -- winning author Tracy Kidder leads readers through the grand adventure of building an American dream.

Describes how the surveyor, heavy machinery operators, carpenter crew, plumbers, and other workers build a house.

Nearly eight hundred drawing enhance step-by-step instructions in every aspect and phase of planning and constructing one's own home.

A comprehensive guide to carpentry and construction that details each step in home building with over 1,500 photographs and illustrations on foundations, framing, roofing, windows, wiring, plumbing, solar heating, skylights, fences, sewage systems, and more.

"he JLC Field Guide sets a new standard of best practice in residential construction. By following the principles, materials and methods detailed in this book, you'll be able to produce not only safe, durable structures, but fine-quality homes that will delight your clients and establish your reputation as a skilled construction professional. Volume 1 of the JLC Field Guide is the ultimate visual guide to building a sound structure and durable exterior...