There are many parts of our population that are beginning to realize that they want or need universal design to make their homes more comfortable and accessible. Universal design appeals to all people, young and old, with and without mobility challenges. This book takes those design principles and shows them in stylish houses that live well.

There are some great ideas here. I really love kitchens with several levels of countertops. I’m just tall enough that my back hurts any time I spend much time in food preparation on my standard counters. And dishwashers in drawers! Wow! Not to mention the smart bathrooms with low or no-threshold showers and chair-height toilets. Designers use tile or other materials to delineate areas that may be hard to distinguish, so navigating becomes less treacherous. Grab bars, lever-shaped handles, and generous lighting would be fantastic for anyone and a god-send for many. Designers have used a lot of creativity in finding solutions to challenges, and they have made them beautiful and practical. There are specific design guides that are highlighted with each house shown. In addition, there are some great ideas unique to some of the houses that can be adapted for others.

Universal design is a great idea and its time has come. Homes now can be much more comfortable and beautiful with some realistic planning ahead of time. I would recommend this book for libraries so patrons can dream of beautiful homes where they will feel safe and capable. The book has several helpful appendices: Universal Design Resources (guidelines and regulations), Codes and Standards, Specialists, Information Resources, Manufacturers, Designer Directory, and an Index. Throughout the book are plenty of color photographs and blueprint drawings to further clarify the ideas.

Balram Halwai is a fascinating man. He is the White Tiger, the only one born in a generation, the one to succeed, to make a difference, to leave the Darkness. He thinks of himself as “A Thinking Man” and writes his long letter to His Excellency Wen Jaibao of the Premier’s Office in Beijing to tell of his success as an entrepreneur in India.

This is the story of how and why Balram, a most sympathetic and charming character, becomes a murderer. Along the way, the reader learns about an India that we don’t often see or hear about. The differences in caste are rigid to the point of complete division in society. The rich go about their business without even noticing the poor; the poor are stuck in perpetual servitude that cannot change without great upheaval, betrayal, and loss. Balram says there are only two castes in India: eat or get eaten up.

This is a wonderful story and character study. Balram talks about the Rooster Coop that is the reality of India for poor people. Only a man who is prepared to see his family destroyed can escape the rooster coop, only a White Tiger. So the reader sees the evolution of a man who becomes a venerable entrepreneur in the only way he knows how.