Monday, June 03, 2019

Review of "Squatter in Los Angeles"


REVIEW


 “SQUATTER IN LOS ANGELES: Living on the Edge”



A true story of living as a squatter for a year and a half, by Christopher Nyerges.



According to Dude McLean, author of  "The Songwriters Survival Guide to Success,”

“Your story is filled with a lot of truth -- some might even be uncomfortable with it.  All that means is you have touched them in a manner they never thought of in the past.  Few authors make you think. They are writing to please others rather than being truthful to themselves.  I think this is a very interesting and unique book.  The book has a great lack of desperation.  I feel it is a very positive outlook. Good job!”

“Squatter in Los Angeles: Life on the Edge” is the true story of my year and a half as a squatter in the city of Los Angeles.  This book is not intended as a how-to guide, nor is it meant to encourage anyone to break any laws. This happens to be the true story of what I did during a very influential time in my life.  I learned how to get more for less, and I realized – just like Thoreau at his pond in the woods – that we can live quite well and fulfilled if we attempt to differentiate our true needs from mere wants.


I share how I came to be a squatter, and some of the details of moving into an empty house.  I describes the concern of never knowing when someone would come up the driveway and tell me to get out (which never quite happened), and how I took the time to learn about gardening, permaculture, recycling of resources, and water recycling.


It’s true I had no rent to pay so I was able to devote more time to learning things.  But I also had hardly any income, which made it clear to me why most people get regular jobs.  Squatting was not what I’d call a “fun” experience, but it taught me first-hand that I can get by on far less than most of us assume is necessary. 


 “Squatter in Los Angeles” is about 100 pages on Kindle, and it’s a fast moving story of the mixed experiences during this short period in my life: dealing with a ghost, a near-death experience, learning how to recycle everything, learning how to dowse, insights into sustainable gardening, an emergency toilet test, and also a rain dance in August with rain the next day.  The book also includes a period of homelessness and how I dealt with it, and what I learned from it.


“Squatting in Los Angeles” is available as a Kindle download, and can also be purchased as a Word document from the Store at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.