"Underlying all of the chapters of this book is a request that we look more closely at ourselves, at how we want to live, at what inspires us, and at what our planet needs to return to balance. If we can start reflecting these values in what we build to house ourselves, we will be making a small but significant incremental step in helping humanity to truly live the extraordinary spirit that we are born with. Our senses are finely attuned to perceive beauty and to taste delight in every birdsong and every unfurling leaf. Over time we can too easily become jaundiced to these simple pleasures of existence, and our homes become just one more chore to maintain. What if instead they daily inspired us to be all that we can be, filled us with feelings of appreciation for the richness that always surrounds us if we will only look?"

--from The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka