- ISBN13: 9781594202230
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
A philosopher / mechanic destroys the pretensions of the high- prestige workplace and makes an irresistible case for working with one’s hands
Shop Class as Soulcraft brings alive an experience that was once quite common, but now seems to be receding from society-the experience of making and fixing things with our hands. Those of us who sit in an office often feel a lack of connection to the material world, a sense of loss, and find it difficult to say… More >>
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work
It only took me to page 13 or something of the introduction to feel, as a female, excluded from this book.
When Crawford, writing in the 21st Century, uses “man” as in “Man wants to feel ownership of what he possesses,” i.e. as a supposedly gender-neutral term, he seems either to be clueless re: P.C. language or to simply not care that he is not including women.
The author is educated, having earned postgraduate degrees (I don’t remember if just a Master’s or a PhD in political philosophy or something), and shows in this book that he is fully able to write “academese,” so the exclusion of females feels pretty intentional.
(By the way, I think the physicality of housework would have been an interesting inclusion in this book. Does an office worker’s attitude toward the cubicle change depending on whether they do or don’t also have to do all the physical work in their home?)
Rating: 1 / 5
Caveat – I have not read the book. I heard the author speak and answer questions. When pressed, he admitted that his wife works for a company which provides health care for herself and their family. He admitted that alone, he would not have access to health care. Entrepreneurship, whether in fixing motorcycles or fixing computers, comes with the same universal responsibilities those of us who are not independently wealthy share – the responsibility to feed, clothe and shelter (and provide health care for) ourselves and our dependents. This book appears to glorify something rather intangible and completely out-of-reach of most working stiffs – a self-defined “satisfaction” gained from the same work which provides us with our livlihood. I would wager that only a very small percentage of the population has attained this intangible “something”. Our work lives do not have to define us as people, IMHO.
Rating: 2 / 5
This author seems to be just another professional academic that wants people to be aware of the life choice he made. Apparently the work itself is not rewarding enough and he want to brag a little or his decision does not allow him the spending money for the life he is used to so he is hoping for some book sales. The author has a subject that is like education. Most will say that it is true that these are very important things but will not change the situation or put more money into improving the situation. The book tends to ramble and repeat itself. Go back into your garage and keep quiet. Manual laborors do not need you giving them a bad name.
Rating: 1 / 5
The book works, but isn’t of high quality. It seems very odd to me that
he hardly talks about Pirsig’s book at all. Why?
Rating: 3 / 5
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58
Imagine that you build sand castles for a living. It could be pretty frustrating. When the tide comes in, a wave will wash away all but the memory of your work. Or if the waves don’t get you, a careless foot may. Alternatively, the wind will blow your castle down.
It’s the nature of a very secular society to seek enormous satisfactions from work. After all, it’s what we mostly do on Monday through Friday. Matthew Crawford describes his experiences and observations about how to gain pleasure and meaning from work. He does so from an unusual perspective. He has a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago but prefers to repair old motorcycles.
After you go through the story of his working life, you’ll be reminded of all those wonderful vignettes in Studs Terkel’s book, Working. You don’t have to be president of the United States to find work satisfying.
Mr. Crawford posits these kinds of qualities for making work meaningful:
1. You work on something you care about.
2. You come into contact with those whose lives will be affected by your work.
3. The nature of the tasks is inherently satisfying to you.
4. You get to solve difficult problems.
5. You develop expertise that makes the work more enjoyable and helpful.
6. You use creative thinking.
7. You are not bound by time, space, or quotas.
For much of the book, he describes in glowing terms how great motorcycle repair is for him . . . and some of the satisfactions of electrical work. He also takes Dilbert-like potshots at routine office work, particularly when it is done in an assembly-line-like fashion. From that platform, it would have been easy to describe many more kinds of work, describing what to seek out and what to avoid. But he held back from making such general points where they cried out to be made.
As a management consultant, I was fascinated to see that his view of management consulting was of something very theoretical and impractical. Having done this kind of work for over forty years, I would say management consulting work is often a great deal like motorcycle repair work . . . but without the skinned knuckles. The book would have been stronger if he had taken the time to do what Studs Terkel did and ask workers what they like and don’t like about various occupations.
I do agree that exposure to physical work should emphasize appreciating the disciplines involved rather than just mastering some information, making an ornament for the home, or getting through a required course. It is a big mistake to downplay the various trades. Many of my happiest friends learned to be masters of various trades after finding little practical use for their liberal arts degrees.
To me, the biggest missed point related to the spirituality of work. Your job can be one of the ways that your worship the Lord and serve Him. Some pretty grubby work can feel great when you know that it’s what the Lord wants you to be doing for Him: One of the most gratifying days of work in my life was digging latrines for an orphanage in Mexico where the children had no indoor plumbing.
Let me leave you with one word of caution: The book opens more slowly and less interestingly than it becomes. Stick with it for at least a hundred pages before deciding that you like or can’t stand what’s being described.
Rating: 4 / 5