In this candid and informative book, George M. Woodwell, a leader in the study of global environmental change, illuminates practical considerations (and frustrations) involved in “building green.” When the renowned Woods Hole Research Center needed a new office, Woodwell led efforts to utilize “state-of-the-shell” green building techniques to retrofit a Victorian mansion built in 1877 into the Center’s new home. This is the story of how scientists and contractors alike confronted the limitations of available materials, laws, and building codes. Woodwell sets this struggle in a larger context, as part of the global need to minimize carbon emissions and environmental impacts. Beginning with his experience of the retrofit of a single building, he shares insights into rethinking how we design, use, and adapt the built environment to preserve the functional integrity of the natural landscape.