Shop class as soulcraft : an inquiry into the value of work / Matthew B. Crawford.
Material type: TextPublication details: New York : Penguin Press, 2009.Description: 246 p. : ill. ; 22 cmISBN:- 1594202230
- 9781594202230
Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book | Main Library | NonFiction | 331 C899 | Available | 33111005687518 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
A philosopher/mechanic's wise (and sometimes funny) look at the challenges and pleasures of working with one's hands
"This is a deep exploration of craftsmanship by someone with real, hands-on knowledge. The book is also quirky, surprising, and sometimes quite moving." --Richard Sennett, author of The Craftsman
Called "the sleeper hit of the publishing season" by The Boston Globe , Shop Class as Soulcraft became an instant bestseller, attracting readers with its radical (and timely) reappraisal of the merits of skilled manual labor. On both economic and psychological grounds, author Matthew B. Crawford questions the educational imperative of turning everyone into a "knowledge worker," based on a misguided separation of thinking from doing. Using his own experience as an electrician and mechanic, Crawford presents a wonderfully articulated call for self-reliance and a moving reflection on how we can live concretely in an ever more abstract world.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-238) and index.
A brief case for the useful arts -- The separation of thinking from doing -- To be master of one's own stuff -- The education of a gearhead -- The further education of a gearhead : from amateur to professional -- The contradictions of the cubicle -- Thinking as doing -- Work, leisure, and full engagement.
In this wise and often funny book, a philosopher/mechanic systematically destroys the pretensions of the high-prestige workplace and makes an irresistible case for working with one's hands.