Shop Class as Soulcraft

An Inquiry into the Value of Work
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In 2006, contributing editor Matthew B. Crawford wrote a popular New Atlantis essay called “Shop Class as Soulcraft.”

He has expanded that essay into a bestselling book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, published in 2009 by Penguin.

Praise for Shop Class as Soulcraft
    • “A powerful case for the special value of skilled work that requires the use of one’s hands.” (Wall Street Journal)
       
    • “A beautiful little book about human excellence and the way it is undervalued in contemporary America.” (Francis Fukuyama, New York Times)
       
    • “The best self-help book I’ve ever read.” (Slate)
       
    • This book “may upend your preconceptions about labor and, just maybe, cause you to rethink your career (or how you spend your weekends).” (Washington Post)
       
    • “A masterpiece filled with surprises.” (Dallas Morning News)
        
    • “An unusual and compelling book that seduces us to succumb to the passions that are dormant within us, begging for release.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
       
    • “The sleeper hit of the publishing season.” (Boston Globe)
       
    • “A vigorous defence of the figure of the tradesman… More grounded and more elegant than its fellow travellers in hipsterdom and pop culture.” (National Post, Canada)
        
    • “A short and handy book, compelling and challenging.” (The Guardian, UK)
       
    • “A superb combination of testimony and reflection.” (Harvey C. Mansfield, Harvard University)
       
    • “A deep exploration of craftsmanship by someone with real, hands-on knowledge. The book is also quirky, surprising, and sometimes quite moving.” (Richard Sennett, author of The Craftsman)
       
    • “Brave and indispensable.” (Jackson Lears, editor in chief, Raritan)
Interviews with Matthew B. Crawford
Symposium
More Resources