The Craftsman

Whydopeopleworkhard,andtakeprideinwhattheydo?Thisbook,aphilosophically-mindedenquiryintopracticalactivityofmanydifferentkindspastandpresent,isaboutwhathappenswhenpeopletrytodoagoodjob.Itasksustothinkaboutthetruemeaningofskillinthe'skillssociety'andarguesthatpurecompetitionisapoorwaytoachievequalitywork.Sennettsuggests,instead,thatthereisacraftsmanineveryhumanbeing,whichcansometimesbeenormouslymotivatingandinspiring-andcanalsoinothercircumstancesmakeindividualsobsessiveandfrustrated.TheCraftsmanshowshowhistoryhasdrawnfault-linesbetweencraftsmanandartist,makeranduser,techniqueandexpression,practiceandtheory,andthatindividuals'prideintheirwork,aswellasmodernsocietyingeneral,suffersfromthesehistoricaldivisions.Butthepastlivesofcraftsandcraftsmenshowuswaysofworking(usingtools,acquiringskills,thinkingaboutmaterials)whichproviderewardingalternativewaysforpeopletoutilisetheirtalents.Weneedtorecognisethisifmotivationsaretobeunderstoodandlivesmadeasfulfillingaspossible.