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The Craftsman

by Richard Sennett

3.72 · rating details · 199 ratings · 50 reviews

<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Defining craftsmanship far more broadly than “skilled manual labor,” Richard Sennett maintains that the computer programmer, the doctor, the artist, and even the parent and citizen engage in a craftsman’s work. Craftsmanship names the basic human impulse to do a job well for its own sake, says the author, and good craftsmanshi...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published March 31st 2009 by Yale University Press (first published January 1st 2008)

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Jun 23, 2008

Janie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: inspiration, art

So happy to find a book that articulates the layered significance of the craftsman throughout history, and the many ways an individual crafts work in his daily life. Intelligently written and more far-reaching than I'd imagined, encompassing economics, cultural history, and corporate politics into its search for what it means to be a craftsman in contemporary society. Sennet is sociologist, and it shows. His writing doesn't always flow like it might if he were more a writer who simply did resea...more

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Jan 18, 2009

Jeffrey rated it

· review of another edition

First of all, it is exceedingly unfair to write a short, impressionistic review for a book that is meant to be the first of a three volume critique and analysis on material culture intended by Richard Sennett.

But being one of the rare books out there--and I can remember only Donald Schon's 'The Reflective Practitioner' as the last word out there outlining an epistemology of practice--Sennett's new book still warrants a few exciting words despite the caveat as stated. And like Schon's ...moreFirst of all, it is exceedingly unfair to write a short, impressionistic review for a book that is meant to be the first of a three volume critique and analysis on material culture intended by Richard Sennett.

But being one of the rare books out there--and I can remember only Donald Schon's 'The Reflective Practitioner' as the last word out there outlining an epistemology of practice--Sennett's new book still warrants a few exciting words despite the caveat as stated. And like Schon's 'The Reflective Practitioner' with a lasting appeal precisely because it straddles multiple domains of practice such as design, management and education to name three, Sennett's work should also share this boon of longevity if synthetic works of such records are any form of indication.

Truly, Sennett's total project is an ambitious one; and 'The Craftsman' here represents a powerful but nevertheless, a perplexing beginning to his critique of material culture. Why? While Sennett's powerful introductory delineation of a specific type of humanity in practice (i.e. the craftsman) is as comprehensive as it gets, but it may also strike many readers as a diffused analysis: an account that straddles one too many lessons to get the point across; an account that constantly runs the risk of losing its focus.

For example, Sennett begins heroically through the narrative of meeting Arendt (which I thought is Sennett's ultimate strength as a writer, thinker and philosopher of the concrete) which then tacitly promises to continue from the premise in Arendt's Human Condition on the dangers of design and technology. But the book then took a turn into an account of skill development, which only serve to further constrained the narrative into a more developed account on the various aspects and contentions of skills. But in the last chapter Sennett returns to his initial premise on the ethics of design via craftmanship, thus showing that the ride between introduction and conclusion has been a less than focused one. But to the extent that this entire book can be seen as the grand introduction to an upcoming epic of critical commentary, then this criticism founded more on coherent argumentation and less on a journey of musing should also realistically be a less trenchant one.

I found the book to be as uplifting as it was in parts, frustrating. On one end, the uplifting portions speak to absolve all who engage in some form of practical craftsmanship from the Arendtian charge of being engaged in mindless labor. On the other end, they inspire nearly all human activities and actions charged with the same Arendtian powers of natality to take on the virtues of craftsmanship. It is as if Sennett is interested to level the great disparity set between the mind and the hands instituted by the long line of thinkers from Plato to Arendt in the midst of the great nihilism of Tradesmanship today. If there is any covert political message that can rescue the current crisis of 'getting by' or 'value relativism', then Sennett here may possess the promise of a good chance.

But the frustrating segments are quite something else. Fundamentally, the frustrating bit is Sennett's reluctance to outline and provide the premise where the intrinsic, non-teleological and practical virtues but also merits of craftsmanship are found to be relevant. A reader who is familiar with Sennett's previous work may have some clues to this reluctant and tacit premise--a society weaned on mindless commercialism, mindless pace and crass improvisations to the ultimate detriment of the society as a whole--that the values argued in this book seem relatively powerful and appropriate today. Thus if this was a piece of political philosophy masquerading as an epistemological account of craftsmanship in practice--which I read as it is--then it is also an unwilling one.

Another frustrating bit comes from the uneven juxtaposition of Sennett's substantiations on his claims. Overall, Sennett furnished excellent examples to make his claims both clear and strong. But there are lesser notes in his symphony as well. For example, Sennett decisively claimed that it is easier to retrain a plumber than a salesman to become a computer programmer given the plumber's material focus and craft habits. While it is less clear that Sennett is exhorting a society where plumbers are given the same consideration as philosophers, it is however quite clear that Sennett believes that the ideal type salesman are certainly less than a plumber as far as retraining as re-skilling goes. As a reader who has a fair share of experience with plumbers and salesmen (and saleswomen) in a society that values philosophy over plumbing but which also worships commercialism, I find this claim somewhat specious.

In the end, it is Sennett's quilting that earned the extra *star* in this book review. Sennett's comprehensive synthetic quilting of bits from computer programming, to violin making, to architectural practice stitched with snippets of his own insightful social commentary of how bad planning practices make unlivable cities, and the devaluation of human beings in new capitalism all make this book a rewarding tract for unbridled musings across historical time and intellectual space.

For readers who want to know more about the theme of craftsmanship--a certainly underappreciated theme neglected by those who think and ironically despised by those who do--then this book is a real gem. But for a reader who seeks a deliberate piece of political philosophy improvised as an epistemological account of practice in a leveled world of commercialism, then this book, at least for now, still falls short of this wish.(less)

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Aug 03, 2011

Michael rated it

· review of another edition

A philosophically challenging book written for a general audience. So rare these days. A casual read that still keeps one intellectually engaged.

Sennett here sifts through the history of work in general and craftsmanship in particular, looking for the reasons why quality and care are so forgotten in our society. What he unfolds is a remarkably balanced perspective on capitalism, recognizing its positives and its pitfalls, dwelling in particular on pyramidal power structures and on equality of in...more

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Apr 25, 2009

Claudia rated it

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Richard Sennett utiliza el concepto del artesano para examinar la diferencia entre el que realiza una labor de amor, por así decirlo, y crea un objeto (o un concepto: Linux, o un texto) lo más perfecto posible, cuidando el detalle y mimando el proceso y aquél que siguiendo los preceptos del fordismo, ejecuta en cadena una serie de funciones sin preocuparse del resultado final. Para ello, se basa en la historia de los gremios medievales y los procesos de aprendizaje heredados del pasado. Muy inte...more

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Apr 11, 2011

Marks54 rated it

· review of another edition

This was a really thoughtful book about how to think of professional activities, jobs, tasks, etc. in terms of specialized customized crafts, rather than as mass produced and standardized items. This is an entirely different frame of mind from how we are typically taught in universities and business schools and is incredibly powerful. For example, it brings to mind just what the task is in running a business or carrying out some business strategy. It is not a matter of understanding a series ...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Darkpurplemoon added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-end-of-the-world-challenge

wow, I did not like this book at all. I found it painful from beginning to end, I thought it was just me, so I checked with the rest of the people on my course, as we all did.

I have read every word on this book and it has been slow, heavy going and I am still not entirely sure what the point of it is. I get it, craftsman can be applied to a wide range of people and it requires skill which is built up over time through repetitive actions and movements. I am not entirely sure that an ...more

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Sep 12, 2011

Ethernight rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: as-kindle, genre-nonfiction, my-library-kindle, my-library-on-hand

I picked up this book to wrap my head around some particular aspects of craftsmanship, namely the philosophy, quality, and what drives the craftsman. Because this research was pursuant to a specific project, I skimmed many sections that didn't apply, skipping some chapters wholesale. All if that is to say, I'm probably not terribly qualified to give a legitimate review.

That being said, I found it intriguing at times and the writing style unusual and mostly pleasant. (Albeit a touch ra...more

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Aug 20, 2010

Bryan rated it

· review of another edition

A very interesting book that looks closely at the practices and concept of the craftsman and his or her craft. Sennet is both engaging and intelligent in his writing, offering interesting examples of craft from ancient times through modern times that cluster around key insights or points that he makes. More especially, Sennet displays a measure of wisdom in his writing that avoids hyperbole and jargon, and instead attunes us all to the potential craftsman within each of us. This book is an impor...more

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Jan 08, 2010

Simon marked it as unfinished · review of another edition

Very weak and silly. Example: Sennett wants to illustrate the difficulty of keeping a craft tradition open to all and maintaining quality in its product. He uses the case of the community of Linux producers and the quality control problems in Wikipedia which, apparently, is a Linux application. But this simply conflates two communities: those Linux producers who write software and the Wikipedia content providers, who supply the information in Wikipedia. Quality control problems in the products o...more

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Mar 20, 2009

Monica rated it

· review of another edition

Finally, a book that explains to me why I find many things about the modern workplace so unsatisfying. I've long known that treating workers as cogs in the corporate wheel is not only morally bankrupt but actually counterproductive to maximizing worker throughput. Inspired and dedicated workers work harder and better than denigrated (because they are treated like cogs) and terrified (because they can be "laid off" at any time without cause) workers every time...the best work any pers...more

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Sep 06, 2010

Patrick rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Sociology of work PhD students

Shelves: non-fiction

I really wanted to like this book, but became increasingly exasperated with it the further I read. I did finish it, but only so that my criticism would be complete.

Anyone with much knowledge of the sciences will be irritated by Sennett's tenuous grasp of basic scientific principles. Any engineer will be exasperated with his conflicting positions between the craft of creating and perfecting machinery, the design and use of tools as part of craft, and the romantic distaste for replaci...moreI really wanted to like this book, but became increasingly exasperated with it the further I read. I did finish it, but only so that my criticism would be complete.

Anyone with much knowledge of the sciences will be irritated by Sennett's tenuous grasp of basic scientific principles. Any engineer will be exasperated with his conflicting positions between the craft of creating and perfecting machinery, the design and use of tools as part of craft, and the romantic distaste for replacing handwork with a tool that produces more precise and regular results. The idea that machines are in some way antithetical to craft is absurd. Machines mostly replace workers doing dull, repetitive, and often dangerous work. This may be a source of short-term upset among workers - especially those disinclined to learn new skills. However it is often the "craftsman" striving for practical excellence (a.k.a. engineering) who usually conceives of better tools. When new, these tools are a threat to established patterns of labor. A decade to a generation later, these same tools redefine craft and skilled labor.

Moreover, any craftsperson will be dismayed with Sennett's disregard for actual craft, in the course of his analysis of the social and political structures of "craftsmen." The author seems to little understand the joy of crafts that are truly physical (woodworking, pottery, blacksmithing, plumbing). His closest experience is writing, but a mental craft is far different from a physical one. Coders may share philosophy, social structure, etc., with handworkers, but they differ in fundamental and significant ways. Coding does not teach you about how the physical world works. Woodworking does. I speak from experience as a woodworker, blacksmith, and coder.

What craftspeople in code and wood share is an attitude that values work well done, that values producing rather than only consuming, and that values process over (or at least in equal measure to) result. I do not sense that Sennett really grasps the importance of this.

Working with your hands teaches you to think in 3-space, to see a result in your mind, and to plan a way to that goal. There is less romance than practical good here. Every child should be taught some physical craft, and perhaps some mental craft as well, to realize the benefits from each activity. Sennett apparently missed this.

Sennett claims as his central theses:

The political: "good craftsmanship implies socialism," despite the fact that almost none of his examples or arguments lead us to this conclusion. It is just his personal conviction/faith.

And the sociological: "...the craft of making physical things provides insight into the techniques of experience that can shape our dealings with others." The inverse could be argued just as easily (and perhaps more convincingly). OTOH, many craftsmen (e.g., famously, surgeons, and many coders) are social maladepts. Another "thesis" that Sennett can at best claim to have explored, but not to have coherently argued or even supported.

Unless you find these ideas particularly compelling, and enjoy extended non-sequiturs and sociopolitical meandering, do not bother with this book.(less)

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Dec 16, 2008

Sabine Maennel rated it

· review of another edition

I really liked this book. Sennett has a deep understanding where society should turn and what is wrong with it. I think craftsmanship is about handing our knowledge over to the next generation in a meaningful way. Todays society is often pushing the artist instead, the unique individuum who cannot be replaced, like CEOs of companies who are often paid a fortune to have the most ingeniuos ideas, that often end in Chaos, such as Enron for example.

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Sep 16, 2008

Brent Wilson rated it

· review of another edition

This book is packed with interesting and provocative ideas for me as an instructional designer. Its focus is on the manual crafts, but I'm thinking about the issue of craft more generally and how it competes with general processes and technologies that threaten to overwhelm education. Is education something to be mass-designed and delivered via automatic tools and program - or a craft to be custom-designed and delivered by a pro? The answer is in between somewhere, and I'm exploring how both tec...more

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Feb 05, 2010

Tony rated it

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An intellectual defense of making as thinking. We can very quickly gain conceptual understanding of very complicated things, but the craftsman--one desiring to do things well for their own sake--needs many hours of experience (a constant 10,000 hours in such diverse fields as carpentry and music). This is a very good read with social, ethical, and educational implications.

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Jan 01, 2010

Laura is currently reading it · review of another edition

Just started this book after reading an interview with the author in the latest issue of Utne. Sennett explores the importance of craftsmanship to our culture, psyche and economy. It is a tad dense but seems to be an important read - especially for those of us who take pride in things crafted by our hands!

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Aug 03, 2008

Joshua rated it

· review of another edition

I had our local library purchase this new book just for Donnie to read. They'll do things like that for you; they're wonderful. She liked it so much that she bought a copy as a gift for a photographer friend and one for herself to keep and annotate.

After abandoning "Digital Fortress," I took her copy with me on vacation to Wisconsin but have not been able to pay serious attention to the book until I returned. I'm getting into it now and will let you know.

F...more

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Nov 25, 2009

Rachel rated it

· review of another edition

Read this for a class - liked it. Sennett ties together a ton of examples and information to prove that People do! (care about what they make, and that it's quality craftsmanship.) Sociology, but it covers design, software engineering, architecture, etc etc.

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Feb 08, 2009

Michael rated it

· review of another edition

My Tweets on this book:

"Craftsman" review 1: revises Arendt's view of Animal Laborens, arguing craft work offers insight into dealings with others; neopragmatist

"Craftsman" review 2: I didn't enjoy as much as "Fall of Public Man"; some chapters belabor points; last 1/3 of book great, esp. conclusion

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Aug 19, 2009

Anna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction-read

This book is defining my life right now, at least from a studio perspective. No, actually, from every perspective. Thoughts on skilled hand work/craftsmanship and how it has impacted us psychologically, socially, physiologically and how the loss of learned skills and the age of information is building an intellectual and emotional debt we may not be able to repay. Totally fascinating! Science and philosophy, my faves in one place! And now, thanks to Tyger, I have my very own copy (inclusive of ...more

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Dec 04, 2008

Whitney rated it

· review of another edition

interesting exploration of craft (including related to architecture) but SERIOUSLY flawed. Remarkably poor editing - typos, misspellings, you name it. No bibliography and poor footnotes.

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Aug 11, 2010

Shannon is currently reading it · review of another edition

This is a truly worthwhile, yet difficult book. I read parts of it alone and was intrigued and confused. Then I read it with others and was rejuvenated. Still working on the rest.

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Jun 18, 2011

Steve rated it

· review of another edition

An in-dept technical and philosophical description of craftsmanship. It is treated as concept and a history. The book is filled with examples, historical references, and analogies to both explain as well as deepen understanding through extended thought. Very insightful, but at times tedious. I found most insightful the second of the three parts; Craftsman, Craft, Craftsmanship. Particularly, I enjoyed the chapters about The Hand, and he relationship of the activities of the hand formulating...more

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May 25, 2009

Anniec added it · review of another edition

In the middle but answering many questions about the difference between art and craft...the ethics of craft and maybe the current explosive of "craft"

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Dec 15, 2008

JayeL marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Heard about this book on the To the Best of Our Knowledge show called Reconsidering Craft, 12/14/2008: http://www.wpr.org/book/081214a.cfm.

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Feb 06, 2012

Jim rated it

· review of another edition

Voor de geoefende filosoof ongetwijfeld vijf sterren waard, maar net een tikje te ingewikkeld voor een simpel mens als ik. Uitgaande van het leesgenot daarom vier sterren.

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Feb 09, 2010

Kathy rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

What an amazing book. I thought this might be dry, since the book is about craftsmanship. Sennett deals with craftsmanship in so many different realms, not just in terms of building physical objects but also social organizations such as businesses and governments.

There is so much interesting information here that I will need to read this again just to get everything to soak in.

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Jan 28, 2012

!Tæmbuŝu marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook-available, philosophy

KOBOBOOKS

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Sep 01, 2010

Hayley Jade Fryer rated it

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I found this book exteremely dull and couldn't bring myself to read any further than the second chapter! Very disappointed as it came highly reccomended. I learned never to judge a book by it's cover, ironically!

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Mar 22, 2010

Mark Fallon rated it

· review of another edition

An excellent philosophical discussion on the importance of making things.

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Jun 25, 2010

Mark9359 added it · review of another edition

A tough go for me, but full of productive thinking

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