The Case for Working with Your Hands: or Why Office Work is Bad for Us and Fixing Things Feels Good Hardcover – 15 Apr 2010

Review

The best book I have read for ages ... a profound exploration of modern education, work and capitalism ... I happen to know it is in [Education Secretary] Mr Gove's in-tray ... its analysis applies with horrible precision to our education system (Matthew D'ancona Telegraph )

A philosophy of how life should be lived, how children should be educated and how economies should be run ... Full of interesting stories and thought-provoking aperçus enlivened with humour ... Important, memorable and enjoyable (Louis De Bernières The Times )

A next-generation Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to rally the millions who feel emotionally disconnected from work (Financial Times )

Persuasive and timely (The Times )

A powerful new book (David Willetts, Universities And Science Minister Telegraph )

A deep exploration of craftsmanship by someone with real hands-on knowledge. Quirky, surprising and moving (Richard Sennett )

A stunning indictment of the modern workplace ... Crawford points in the direction of a richer, more fulfilling way of life. This is a book that will endure (Reihan Salam The Atlantic )

A beautiful little book about human excellence (New York Times )

A superb combination of testimony and reflection, and you can't put it down (Harvey Mansfield, Professor Of Government At Harvard )

A bestseller in the United States, but its critique of 'post-industrial' capitalism is equally pertinent here ... Will be enjoyed for its iconoclasm, swagger and dry humour (Telegraph )

No one who cares about the future of human work can afford to ignore this book (Jackson Lears, Editor Of Raritan )

A masterpiece filled with surprises (Dallas Morning News )

The best self-help book that I've ever read. Kind of like Heidegger and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Slate )

A breakout success ... touched a big nerve, quickly becoming a national best seller and generating widespread publicity (New York Times )

A surprise hit ... Americans, perhaps, have found their guide (Financial Times )

While the specifics come from American experience, almost everything in the book also holds true for Britain (Ian Jack Guardian )

May upend your preconceptions about labour and, just maybe, cause you to rethink your career (or how you spend your weekends) ... Impassioned and profound (Washington Post )

[A] tender, wise little volume ... Crawford is a kindred spirit (Lionel Shriver )

Elegant and humorous (The Times )

A short book that punches hard and deserves to spark off a wide debate (Herald Scotland )

The sleeper hit of the publishing season (Boston Globe )

About the Author

Matthew Crawford is a philosopher and mechanic. He has a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Chicago and served as a postdoctoral fellow on its Committee on Social Thought. Currently a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, he also runs Shockoe Moto, an independent motorcycle repair shop.