Ergonomic Living . How to Create a User Friendly Home & Office

Editorial Review
er*go*nom*ic (er-ga-'na-mik) adj: designed to allow people and the things people use to interact in the safest, most effective, and most comfortable manner

You work indoors. You're not on your feet all day and you do no heavy lifting. You have escaped from the brutal nature of most human labor. And yet at the end of the day you feel exhausted. You have vague aches and pains that you are embarrassed to mention to your doctor. If you do, the doctor gives you some equally vague advice: take it easy; don't push yourself; get more rest. If that doesn't work, maybe you're a whiner, a hypochondriac.

Or maybe you're being attacked by your possessions.

Perhaps you've been making do with a worn-out old mattress in the bedroom, an office chair that won't let you sit up straight, and a computer screen that you struggle to read with your bifocals. You bought a desk and a file cabinet whose colors complement each other perfectly, but you had no idea how downright irritating ordinary furniture can get if the only choice you bother with is matching style and color.

Somewhere in this world is a reading light, chair, bed, perhaps even a keyboard and desk, built just for you. This book will show you how to find them.

HOME

How to Enter Your Home
The Child-Friendly Home
How to Prepare Food
How to Relax
How to Sleep

OFFICE

Territory
The Inner Circle
Ambience
Storage
The Personal Computer
The Information-Age Habitat

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Customer Reviews

How to create a healthful environment at home or at work

1998-10-02
We got this book as a wedding gift and didn't really notice it at first. Then the author's unique world view took hold. Now we consult it everytime we make a purchase for my home or office. There's nothing else like it anywhere.

Practical, helpful, readable, creative, flexible info.

1998-09-16
A wonderful guide for re-organizing, remodeling or building ergonomically. An idea book offering many helpful, practical suggestions to convert a house or office into a space that serves its occupants' needs in a healthful and affordable way. We recently purchased a new computer. Rather than just plugging it into the old environment, we recognized from reading Ergonomic Living that we could creatively devise a situation that really suited our family -- our bodies, timeframes and specific uses. We changed the room around so window glare was no longer directly on the monitor; we re-arranged computer station components and desks so at least 2 people could work simultaneously; we are investing in a good, adjustable chair which can position each family body at an optimal height to the workspace; we traded lamps for better lighting; and we developed and posted a use schedule to accommodate personal needs. The results have been astonishing in physical comfort and family peace. (and the chair was the only expense) Also as a direct result of Ergonomic Living ideas, we have incorporated a cozy well-lit chess corner, a horizontal space for jigsaw puzzles and gaming, and a ping pong table area; these Fun Spots eliminate frustrating set-up and take-down hassles, so PLAY is now a part of the daily household flow. Other benefits from the book at our house have been: entry hall chaos minimized, reading area improvements, sleep comfort up-grades, and child-friendly cupboard re-organizations. We give the book for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, house-warmings, bridal and baby showers, etc. -- Comfort is an appropriate message for all Occasions!

This book needs to stick to ergonomics.

2004-08-04
While I did learn several things about ergonomics, I finally put the book down when I got tired of the preaching. Many of the author's topics were not on subject and, instead, were rantings about the time we spend watching television or other pet peeves of the authors. It got really old. I was looking forward to learning how to design my home. I didn't need the nagging. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Ergo Gnomic?

2003-11-21
This trade paperback is chock full of practical advice and downright wisdom. It tells us how to structure home and office to fit the human body, all its limitations and wondrous powers. Ergonomic Living follows its own advice such that form follows function and use.

The book has two major sections, home and office. There are eleven chapters: How to Enter Your Home, How to Relax, The Inner Circle. Each briefly introduces a series of concise, well-designed modules: The Deafening Kitchen, Wiring and Cables, Effective Ambient Lighting, Choosing the Right Pillow. The photos and illustrations are excellent. "You have a right to an ergonomic kitchen in which your personal needs, both physical and mental, come first." The authors show you how to exercise that right. Right on!

For many parents, the chapter on creating a child-friendly home will, by itself, be worth the price of the whole book.

My edition is a little out of date on some things, but the principles remain sound, the information useful. For example, someone ready to buy a DVD recorder will profit from the section on selecting a VCR. The summary still applies: "Difficult to memorize controls are never used. Remotes keyed to newspaper codes will be used frequently. Remotes keyed to instruction booklet diagrams will be ignored. Tactile well balanced [sic] remotes will remain near your hand. Slippery, flat remotes will end up on the floor. Basic controls should be immediately obvious."

_Ergonomic Living_ is a warm, pragmatic and, yes, wise book. It concludes, "Change, movement and grace. This is a friendly world; we built it, and now we have the tools to live in it on your own terms. We can choose to inhabit healthful, comfortable environments, amicable places that serve our needs. We can be the masters of our own possessions, the actors on a human-centered stage. We can feel good all day."

Whether you are new to the home office or a seasoned pro, this brilliant book can help you feel better all day.

Ken Graff
©2003, Words in Action
www.wordsinaction.biz
(626)755-3067

A sleeper 1999-02-05
How can you NOT love a book with a chapter called "How to Sleep?" Believe it or not, there is zero hype here. The authors have done their ergonomic homework and the solutions they come up with will amaze you. Highly recommended!

A fascinating and USEFUL book! 1999-01-26
I can see how Gordon Inkeles, the great massage author, became interested in this health-oriented subject. Co-author Iris Schencke is an ergonomics expert. Their collaboration produced a winner-a book that you will turn to again and again to make your life less stressful. Unlike so many self-help programs, the suggestions here really work.

A unique perspective 1998-10-30
Ergonomic Living gives you the tools to make healthful decisions. This book cuts through the mountains of adhype that surround virtually every home and office product. I would like to see the author write a sequel.