Sunday, July 18, 2010

Book Review: Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford

Shop Class as Soulcraft is an essay-style book that highlights the virtues of physical craftsman work (or work in “the trades”) while discussing some of the shortcomings of work in the “intelligence professions”, i.e. cubicle office work, utilizing philosophies from historical thinkers to bolster the author’s conclusions.


The book is humorous, entertaining, intellectual, and interesting. The author has quite a unique background. He is a former communist. Not to say he is a member of the party, but he was brought up on a commune. He is a classically trained philosopher, boasting a PhD. Yet he is also a licensed electrician. But more importantly, he is also a gear head. He spent his adolescence around speed shops, later transitioning from cars to motorcycles. I have no census data, but I think I can say with some certainty that he is one of the few motorcycle mechanics out there holding a PhD. The wide variety of experiences in the author’s background adds color to the stories throughout the book.

Although I enjoyed reading the book, and found the theories presented compelling, it is difficult to make a decision on how I feel about the author's conclusions. The subtitle of the book is “An Inquiry Into the Value of Work”. I agreed with many points made in the book. I agree with the author’s theories that so-called white-collar work can lack the satisfaction of seeing the direct results of labor that is offered by the so-called blue-collar professions. I also agree that people in the “thinking professions” underestimate the problem solving and mental skill required to skillfully complete trade work. Where the author falls short is in his discussion of the macroeconomics. Although the author shows no serious love for the left as it is defined today in American politics, it seems his communist upbringing comes through a bit when he discusses his view of unfairness of the money supply (the haves and have nots). In these arguments, the author strays from his core competency of understanding, and delves into areas that perhaps were not necessary to complete his book. In short, I liked everything in the book except the final chapter. It was a bit like a great movie with a bad ending.

I recommend Shop Class as Soulcraft. The author's writing style, unique thinking, and whit make it worth while, even if I did not agree with all the conclusions.  Even still, it will make you think in new ways.

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