In The Tiny House Movement, sociologist Harris (Cape Breton Univ., Canada) provides a sociological account of the tiny house movement and why homeowners are choosing to live in small spaces. Harris draws not only on interviews with those presently living in such spaces, those constructing them, and those promoting their value but also on personal experience: she lived in several tiny houses with her family.



Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.

Choice Reviews

Harris’s The Tiny House Movement: Challenging Our Consumer Culture is a brief and accessible volume outlining just how they do this, drawing on a range of qualitative methods. . . . The book does provide a timely contribution to literature on the intersection of home and identity. . . . In her closing, Harris conveys that the goal of this book is to inspire readers ‘‘to look for novel solutions to counter the planetary crisis we face’’ (p. 94). The book succeeds on this front, providing insights into how one can intentionally reimagine home and belongings and the systems in which each are embedded. This work provides a helpful complement to studies of lifestyle movements as well as works on home, consumption, and environment.

Contemporary Sociology

This is an example of the public sociology we need more of: interdisciplinary and theoretically informed, yet eminently readable and accessible to a broad audience. Harris offers up a powerful critique of how our existing homes are ecologically and socially unsustainable but also celebrates how everyday folk are successfully challenging expectations of what a home can be.

Joseph G. Moore, Douglas College

An inspiring depiction of the tiny house movement, Tracey Harris shows tiny house building and living as fun and creative problem-solving, downsizing 'stuff' as a way of making room for more experiences, and living small as opportunities for re-imagining and re-creating community, all while considering critiques of the privilege involved in making the choice to live tiny. The Tiny House Movement details contemporary problems with overconsumption and gives hope to readers as it highlights those who choose to enjoy 'just enough.'

Elizabeth Cherry, Manhattanville College