For fifteen years, Evelyn Hess and her husband David lived without electricity or running water on twenty acres of wild land in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. When they decided to build a house at last, they knew it would have to respect the lessons of simple living that they learned in their camping life. Building a Better Nest chronicles their adventures as they construct a house of their own, seeking a model for sustainable living not just in their home, but beyond its walls.