The Novogratz chronicles Lessons learned from twenty-five years of buying and renovating houses

Cortney and Robert Novogratz's approach to fixer-uppers leans towards gut rehabs and sophisticated, high-end design. This collection of stories, with photos from their years in the business, encompasses their first Manhattan project--a "ginormous risk"--in the 1990s and the Pink House (now ochre) on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, where they live today. Tales range from energizing (imagine working with seven kids!) to exhilarating (a beach house in Brazil) to just plain exhausting (an L.A. house torn down by a contractor when it was only meant to be remodeled). The Novogratzes are full of catchphrases (her words are in bold, his in plain text), like "don't buy the house, buy the neighborhood," "don't be afraid to leave the good to take a shot at the great," and "a rehab is akin to open-heart surgery on a house. You crack open that rib cage not knowing what you're going to find inside." The Novogratzes, who amplify their brand through reality TV, publicity, and this book, have fun while taking their work seriously.