New Book: Present-Day Twist - Page 2

Focusing on Eichler's standard product rather than his custom homes, the author hopes to attract the Eichler enthusiast by addressing the various models, the obstacles a homebuyer might encounter, and answering key questions.

"It will be a guide on basically how to appreciate your Eichler, how to own one, and how to be a good steward," he explains, and will "cover history, but only as an overview—a Cliff Notes version of the past—because Eichler history is covered so well in the other two Eichler books."

Considering the book's ideal design and layout, Keil would like to see it "visually organized in a sort of chronological way—early Anshen and Allen, then Jones & Emmons, then a lot of Claude Oakland—through profiling 25 houses or so, kind of the visual breadcrumb trail that leads through the book."

Interspersed between these profiles, he says, will be discussions about energy efficiency, preservation efforts, building community, changing tastes, etc.

Keil admits that some people are going to look at this book and, for instance, will see that a particular kitchen doesn't have an original Thermador oven. "This is something that I know is going to be a little [rub for some]," he says. "But this is my way of saying you can have a Miele [kitchen appliance] today, because it's in the same design aesthetic."

An author has to be driven to write a book, and Keil, with 'Eichler Homes Today,' just might be the right person at the right time for this particular one.

"My point of view is that Eichlers are beautifully livable structures, even today, if you know how to respect them and take care of them," he says. "There's no excuse for knocking one down…or turning it into something that it isn't."

"Ultimately," he adds, "what dooms a lot of Eichlers is that people don't realize there is a solution. I'd hate to think of how many Eichlers would have been knocked down if the Eichler Network hadn't been around."

Rob Keil can be reached through eichlerbook.com.