Richard Sennett: The Craftsman (2008, Yale University Press)
Hardcover, 336 pages
English language
Published March 28, 2008 by Yale University Press.
"Most of us have to work. But is work just a means to an end? In trying to make a living, have we lost touch with the idea of making things well? In this provocative and enlightening book, Richard Sennett explores the idea of craftsmanship - the desire to do a job well for its own sake - as a template for living. Pure competition, he argues, will never produce good work. Instead, the values of the craftsman, whether in a Stradivari violin workshop or a modern laboratory, can enrich our lives and change the way we anchor ourselves in the world around us."
"Most of us have to work. But is work just a means to an end? In trying to make a living, have we lost touch with the idea of making things well? In this provocative and enlightening book, Richard Sennett explores the idea of craftsmanship - the desire to do a job well for its own sake - as a template for living. Pure competition, he argues, will never produce good work. Instead, the values of the craftsman, whether in a Stradivari violin workshop or a modern laboratory, can enrich our lives and change the way we anchor ourselves in the world around us."
The book gives a high level overview of craft-related topics like the craftsman’s relation to machines, robots and tools, instructions and learning, values and their connection to modernity.
This is all great material and an enjoyable read. The cases used are good and get across the point, however, often I whished for them to be discussed more in-depth and not be as simplified as they appeared in the book.
