Michael Bull* reviews Nick Rosen's book about alternative lifestyles, without mains electricity, water and telephone connections.

Nick Rosen's guide to off grid living provides a very readable commentary to this lifestyle but is ultimately both disappointing and frustrating and fails to live up to its title.

Nick defines 'off grid' as referring to places, buildings or people without mains water, power or a phoneline. Essentially it is about living without connection to mains services. This, he argues, is 'pro environment and pro consumer' although these conclusions are somewhat arguable after reading the book.

The main disappointment for any reader will stem from the fact that this is clearly not a 'how to' guide. There is very little practical information on energy generation and water supply and the majority of the book is devoted to a commentary of his travels around the UK meeting people who live off grid. Devoting only a page or two to each person he meets, you hear mostly about the person but very little about how they have met the off grid challenge. You learn that people live off grid for many reasons - out of necessity, to move towards self- sufficiency or to save money. The long standing off grid community of gypsies are dismissed because 'they despoil the sites they use.'

It is hard to reconcile Rosen's wish to live off grid with his constant search for a high speed internet and mobile phone connection. He sees the planning system as the enemy of off grid living and looks for ways to fight against, rather than work with, the system, not recognising that some of the photos of off grid sites in the book are perfect examples of why some form of planning control is needed to protect the countryside.

*Michael Bull is a Director of Ove Arup.

How to Live Off Grid is published by Doubleday (ISBN: 978-0-553-81819-2) and costs £7.99.