Shop Class as Soulcraft

Matthew B. Crawford · first published 2009 · ISBN 9780143117469

An essay on the value of working with your hands and tools, arguing that hands-on skills have been systematically devalued while abstract knowledge work is overvalued. Crawford draws on his own experience as an electrician and mechanic to explore why building, fixing, and making things provides intellectual satisfaction that office work often lacks. The book challenges the assumption that everyone should abandon technical work for knowledge careers.