[MD] Shop Class as Soulcraft

[MarshaV]

Hmmmm, a new book, I don’t remember it being mentioned:

 

‘Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work’ by Matthew B.
Crawford.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Soulcraft-Inquiry-Value/dp/1594202230/ref=s
r_1_1?ie=UTF8
<http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Soulcraft-Inquiry-Value/dp/1594202230/ref=
sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249005610&sr=1-1> &s=books&qid=1249005610&sr=1-1

 

 

Philosopher and motorcycle mechanic Crawford presents a fascinating,
important analysis of the value of hard work and manufacturing. He reminds
readers that in the 1990s vocational education (shop class) started to
become a thing of the past as U.S. educators prepared students for the
“knowledge revolution.” Thus, an entire generation of American
“thinkers” cannot, he says, do anything, and this is a threat to
manufacturing, the fundamental backbone of economic development. Crawford
makes real the experience of working with one's hands to make and fix things
and the importance of skilled labor. His philosophical background is evident
as he muses on how to live a pragmatic, concrete life in today's ever more
abstract world and issues a clarion call for reviving trade and skill
development classes in American preparatory schools. The result is inspired
social criticism and deep personal exploration. Crawford's work will appeal
to fans of Robert Pirsig's classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
and should be required reading for all educational leaders. Highly
recommended; Crawford's appreciation for various trades may intrigue readers
with white collar jobs who wonder at the end of each day what they really
accomplished. 

— Library Journal

 

 

 

 

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"He who neglects the present moment throws away all he has."  
  (Friedrich von Schiller)