Soulcraft

Here is a handy little book review by Francis Fukuyama. He is discussing the book Shop Class as Soulcraft, written by Matthew B. Crawford. Crawford owns and operates a motorcycle repairshop but has a Phd from Chicago.

"most forms of real knowledge, including self-knowledge, come from the effort to struggle with and master the brute reality of material objects — loosening a bolt without stripping its threads, or backing a semi rig into a loading dock."

It feels oddly appropriate as I divide my time between the aptly named headspace of a Grad student- essays, much reading and discussion with colleagues both junior, peer and senior- and my work as carpenter/ handyman. I installed a couple of hundred metres of 2 by 6 fence boards yesterday but started my day reading an essay by Seb Franklin on avante garde art practice and digital games, published in Ctheory.