Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work

Matthew B. Crawford

Penguin Group US, May 28, 2009 - Philosophy - 256 pages

A philosopher/mechanic's wise (and sometimes funny) look at the challenges and pleasures of working with one's hands

Called "the sleeper hit of the publishing season" (The Boston Globe), Shop Class as Soulcraft became an instant bestseller, attracting readers with its radical (and timely) reappraisal of the merits of skilled manual labor. On both economic and psychological grounds, author Matthew B. Crawford questions the educational imperative of turning everyone into a "knowledge worker," based on a misguided separation of thinking from doing. Using his own experience as an electrician and mechanic, Crawford presents a wonderfully articulated call for self-reliance and a moving reflection on how we can live concretely in an ever more abstract world.

What people are saying

Review: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work

User Review  - John Alt - Goodreads

This book is without Zen in its art of motorcycle maintenance. Still, like Persig's novel, it is an inquiry into values. "When Matthew Crawford finished his doctorate in political philosophy at the ...

Review: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work

User Review  - Alex - Goodreads

Considering my serious lack of interest in motorcycles, I wasn't sure whether I'd find this book engaging, but I think there's a lot here for a non-motorcycle lover like myself. Here are a couple of ...

About the author

Matthew B. Crawford is a philosopher and mechanic. He has a Matthew B. Crawford is a philosopher and mechanic. He has a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of ChicagoPh.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago and served as postdoctoral fellow on its Committee on Socia and served as postdoctoral fellow on its Committee on Social Thought. Currently a fellow at the Institute for Advanced l Thought. Currently a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, he owns anStudies in Culture at the University of Virginia, he owns and operates Shockoe Moto, an independent motorcycle repair shd operates Shockoe Moto, an independent motorcycle repair shop in Richmond, Virginia. op in Richmond, Virginia.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work
• Author: Matthew B. Crawford
• Publisher: Penguin Group US, 2009
• ISBN: 1101057297, 9781101057292
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Labor; Philosophy / Aesthetics