The world-famous volunteer organization Habitat for Humanity now offers its best nuts-and-bolts expertise in an easy-to-follow home construction handbook. Whether the reader contemplates building his or her own house or plans on volunteering to build for others, Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House delivers on the promise of its title. Step-by-step instructions by author and veteran crew supervisor Larry Haun are provided in plain, simple English, with lots of encouragement and no condescension to beginners. Practically every page contains an extra "helping hand" tip on materials, tools, building codes, or safety precautions. In hundreds of color photographs and black-and-white line drawings, the book follows the construction of a single house--from choosing its location to the final step of installing its exterior door locks. Reassuring personal stories from Habitat volunteers are scattered throughout, along with confidence-inspiring promises from the author such as "building a simple house is not a mystery." Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat, has written a foreword to this book, and a percentage of the book's proceeds will be donated to the organization to help build more homes. Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1976, has built more than 100,000 affordable houses throughout the world. --Judy Fireman