includes the only serious history of the ordinary domestic garden
draws on various disciplinary elements to present an original perspective of housing history
addresses topical housing issues - energy, poverty, leisure, gender relations and 'care in the community' policies
'To have written such an overview is a considerable achievement, and it is a state-of-the art account of this vast topic.' - Architects' Journal
'...a well researched and thorough piece of academic sociology' - Building Design
'Apart from the fascination of its content, the book is a delight to read. The prose flows easily, guided by a sense of quiet authority and an elegance with words. The authors have also made good use of some telling illustrations, culled from domestic science and other archives.' - Built Environment
'This book is a truly magnificent achievement and deserves to be widely read and used by students for many generations to come...' - Planning Perspectives
'This is an interesting book to read, well illustrated and thoughtful.' - Urban Studies
'a fascinating book. It is written with such obvious dedication, and on the basis of a total immersion in the literature and research...that one can but admire the level of scholarship involved...provides a pioneering approach, likely to be quarried for many a Ph.D. topic...a very welcome addition to the field, useful as a resource book for researchers, as an encyclopedia for undergraduate students of this topic, and as an accesible text for the professional and lay person.' - Journal of Property Research