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Strong points made in favor of increased teaching of the trades and skills in school.
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When it's good it is really good. Crawford has clearly given this subject a good deal of thought.
He evidently overpowered his editor in many places where the writing is simply too dense for the subject material. Still, I plodded through these passages in anticipation of the next gem of insight...
For any gear head that with an intellectual bent this is a great read.
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This book is one of the most thought-provoking books that I have read in quite a while. It not only makes you think about micro-issues regarding careers but also macro-issues as well. A real wake-up call.
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I thought this was an interesting book that mixes philosophy, cognitive psychology, management theory, and the author's own experience as the owner of a motorcycle repair shop with a Ph.D. in political philosophy.
There were some good points, such as the connections made between the conversion of blue-collar expertise into assembly line rules and systems in the automotive age, to the conversion of white-collar expertise into the "knowledge management" of today; both leading to dissatisfaction and a management perception of an interchangeable workforce. Also liked the idea of some occupations such as motorcycle repair and medicine requiring a mindfulness, a dropping of ego and preconceptions in order to truly see problems; the benefit of something difficult and outside yourself in this age of user-centered experience.
But the book is less convincing when it talks uncritically about a blue-collar environment that is presented as a freer, more satisfying workplace where excellence rises to the top. He describes apprenticeships where newcomers are afforded a lower status, until they can prove themselves, and then rise in status over time. Actually, I think it can be a Darwinistic environment where the bullies sometimes win.
The author mentions a trip to India when he was unable to recognize the humanity of the people until he saw an aspect of himself in them; some electricians setting up wire (he has experience as an electrician). He attacks the self-absorption brought on by mass-produced consumerism, but he also seems to suffer from a certain inability to go outside of his own skin. My impression is that the author's notion of a freer blue-collar workplace (where you can tell dirty jokes and the "order of things is not quite so fragile") is less about individualism than an escape from the complications of our modern and increasingly diverse society.
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Matthew Crawford's Shop Class as Soulcraft is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in years. His examination of the value and nature of work is penetrating and provocative and covers much more than the "white collar vs. blue collar" dichotomy that some have suggested. By his own words, his book examines "the nature of rationality, the conditions for individual agency, the moral aspect of perception, and the elusive ideal of community." One need not have an interest in motorcycles or in their repair to see parallels in their own life experiences and to more clearly see the connections between their work and their feelings of worth. Highly recommended.
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