The great and narrow

A 77-square-foot house? Well, not exactly. Nils Holger Moormann’s structure, Walden, is a high-concept nod to Henry David Thoreau and the simple life outdoors. The center space has a dining table, the ladder leads to an open-air sleeping platform, and various compartments hold the tools of daily living.

The design is one of dozens featured in Mimi Zeiger’s new book, “Tiny Houses.” Between the green living boom and the world financial gloom, the notion of lightening up -- of getting more out of living with less -- is explored in 203 diminutive pages. For a preview, check out our photo gallery at latimes.com/home.