The Case for Working with Your Hands: or Why Office Work is Bad for Us and Fixing Things Feels Good

New
Hardcover
2010
$15.25

Why do some jobs offer fulfilment while others leave us frustrated? Why do we so often think of our working selves as separate from our 'true' selves?Over the course of the twentieth century, we have separated mental work from manual labour, replacing the workshop with either the office cubicle or the factory line. In this inspiring and persuasive book, Matthew Crawford explores the dangers of this false distinction and presents instead the case for working with your hands. He brings to life the immense psychological and intellectual satisfactions of making and fixing things, explores the moral benefits of a technical education and, at a time when jobs are increasingly being outsourced over the internet, argues that the skilled manual trades may be one of the few sure paths to a good living. Drawing on the work of our greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Heidegger, from Karl Marx to Iris Murdoch, as well as on his own experiences as an electrician and motorcycle mechanic, Crawford delivers a radical, timely and extremely enjoyable re-evaluation of our attitudes to work.

Synopsis

Why do some jobs offer fulfilment while others leave us frustrated? Why do we so often think of our working selves as separate from our 'true' selves?Over the course of the twentieth century, we have separated mental work from manual labour, replacing the workshop with either the office cubicle or the factory line. In this inspiring and persuasive book, Matthew Crawford explores the dangers of this false distinction and presents instead the case for working with your hands. He brings to life the immense psychological and intellectual satisfactions of making and fixing things, explores the moral benefits of a technical education and, at a time when jobs are increasingly being outsourced over the internet, argues that the skilled manual trades may be one of the few sure paths to a good living. Drawing on the work of our greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Heidegger, from Karl Marx to Iris Murdoch, as well as on his own experiences as an electrician and motorcycle mechanic, Crawford delivers a radical, timely and extremely enjoyable re-evaluation of our attitudes to work.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 256
Publisher: Viking
Published: 15 Apr 2010
ISBN 10: 0670918741
ISBN 13: 9780670918744

Media Reviews

The best book I have read for ages ... a profound exploration of modern education, work and capitalism ... I happen to know it is in [Education Secretary] Mr Gove's in-tray ... its analysis applies with horrible precision to our education system -- Matthew d'Ancona * Telegraph *
A philosophy of how life should be lived, how children should be educated and how economies should be run ... Full of interesting stories and thought-provoking apercus enlivened with humour ... Important, memorable and enjoyable -- Louis de Bernieres * The Times *
A next-generation Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to rally the millions who feel emotionally disconnected from work * Financial Times *
Persuasive and timely * The Times *
A powerful new book -- David Willetts, Universities and Science Minister * Telegraph *
A deep exploration of craftsmanship by someone with real hands-on knowledge. Quirky, surprising and moving -- Richard Sennett
A stunning indictment of the modern workplace ... Crawford points in the direction of a richer, more fulfilling way of life. This is a book that will endure -- Reihan Salam * The Atlantic *
A beautiful little book about human excellence * New York Times *
A superb combination of testimony and reflection, and you can't put it down -- Harvey Mansfield, Professor of Government at Harvard
A bestseller in the United States, but its critique of 'post-industrial' capitalism is equally pertinent here ... Will be enjoyed for its iconoclasm, swagger and dry humour * Telegraph *
No one who cares about the future of human work can afford to ignore this book -- Jackson Lears, editor of Raritan
A masterpiece filled with surprises * Dallas Morning News *
The best self-help book that I've ever read. Kind of like Heidegger and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance * Slate *
A breakout success ... touched a big nerve, quickly becoming a national best seller and generating widespread publicity * New York Times *
A surprise hit ... Americans, perhaps, have found their guide * Financial Times *
While the specifics come from American experience, almost everything in the book also holds true for Britain -- Ian Jack * Guardian *
May upend your preconceptions about labour and, just maybe, cause you to rethink your career (or how you spend your weekends) ... Impassioned and profound * Washington Post *
[A] tender, wise little volume ... Crawford is a kindred spirit -- Lionel Shriver
Elegant and humorous * The Times *
A short book that punches hard and deserves to spark off a wide debate * Herald Scotland *
The sleeper hit of the publishing season * Boston Globe *

Author Bio

Matthew Crawford is a philosopher and mechanic. He has a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago and served as a postdoctoral fellow on its Committee on Social Thought. Currently a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, he also runs Shockoe Moto, an independent motorcycle repair shop.