The Best Tree House Ever:  How To Build A Backyard Tree House The Whole World Will Talk About, by Maurice Barkley

In some sense, I suppose the author’s claim in his overheated title is not entirely wrong.  After all, I am talking about his tree house at least indirectly by talking about the author’s book.  Still, if this book is not a bad one, it certainly is not truth in advertising as the author’s tree house is not the best one ever, except perhaps in the eyes of the author’s grandkids and their young friends.  I am somewhat torn in how to view this book.  As a guide in how to create treehouses or appreciate their variety, this book does not succeed at all.  It must be admitted, though, that this book is not really trying to do such a thing, but is rather about celebrating a single set of treehouses that was built by a retired man for his grandchildren and for other children in his neighborhood, an effort that was done with some measure of creativity and skill, and is filled by plenty of pictures of cute and obviously appreciative children.  There is a heartwarming element to this story that was a bit unexpected and that covers a multitude of faults.

This book is about 150 pages long and is divided into several sections but no numbered chapters.  The author begins with a preface and introduction.  After that there is a tour of the author’s tree house, with a discussion of different treehouses that were built for the author’s grandchildren over the course of time and outfitted with various items.  After that the author discusses the various bridges that connect between one part of the treehouse complex and others.  This leads into a discussion of various airborne decks that support the houses and then an in-depth look at the various houses themselves.  There are then tips on how to connect the treehouse to electricity, which many people will find interesting.  There is a discussion of the zip line, something that should appeal to a great many people as well.  This leads to a discussion of various decorative elements that are present in the author’s treehouse complex and then a very long closing section that includes an epilogue, an afterword, and an after the afterword section that show the progressive aging of the author, after which the book closes with resources and an index.

If you get to the end of this book the multiple codas are really heart-tugging as one sees the author age and struggle with how to maintain the treehouse complex he built in the face of aging.  Whether or not the author is still alive, it is likely to be an emotional experience for many readers to reflect upon the author’s aging as he tries to keep up building and maintaining his treehouses and then succumbs to age and infirmity and gives the treehouses away to another younger (and wealthier) treehouse owner who has the energy to keep up with the complex and who promised to keep it open for future generations to enjoy.  That sort of happy ending does make this a touching book, even if I don’t approve of all of the naming choices that the author made when it comes to the treehouse spaces (the Buddha one for his idol seems particularly inappropriate) and even though I would not consider the author’s treehouse to be the best one in the world or maybe even the best one in his particular area.  Still, he built it for the kids and that is something that is well worth appreciating and celebrating even with the flaws.