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required reading/shop class

updated mon 10 may 10

 

mel jacobson on sat 8 may 10


i am about half done with "Shop Class as Soulcraft"
Matthew B. Crawford
thank you diana panciloi.

my god, it is terrific. i have to underline and use a
yellow marker.
in so many ways, it is what i have been yacking about for years.
he is a smart guy, writes and thinks well.

you won't know, til you know. it is not something we can describe.
but, if you love craft, hands on, and you hate the way we teach
kids and how this society has become lead by `A` students...read it.

a great line:
you cannot ship overseas the work of a carpenter. his nail
has to be on site. if you are an accountant your job can
be emailed to india in thirty seconds. they will do the same
job for 80 percent less.

when i fire my gas kiln, homemade, by me, i have to make thousands
of decisions each time i fire. it makes my brain grow.
push a button on a skutt auto kiln, and some program has taken all
your decision making away from you. the great thing about firing is
that you are in control, of work you made, glazes you made and can
take total credit for any success. and you will learn from any failure.

we have allowed the society to take away our ability to fail, learn and
re-learn. there is always an expert that does it better than you.
total bullshit.

the new mercedes benz car no longer has an oil dipstick. a metaphor
for modern life. a technician will check your oil, and what does that
cost...hmmmmm. and what does that take away from you? your ability
to make judgements. forever.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
alternate: melpots7575@gmail.com

Craig Edwards on sat 8 may 10


Mel: I second that... truly a great read... I might go so far as to say a
required read!!!

--
Make Good Pots
~Craig
New London MN
http://woodfiredpottery.blogspot.com/

Kiln building workshop October 15-22
Taku, Japan
karatsupots-workshop.blogspot.com/



On Sat, May 8, 2010 at 1:36 PM, mel jacobson wrote:

> i am about half done with "Shop Class as Soulcraft"
> Matthew B. Crawford
> thank you diana panciloi.
>
> my god, it is terrific. i have to underline and use a
> yellow marker.
> in so many ways, it is what i have been yacking about for years.
> he is a smart guy, writes and thinks well.
>
>

ivor & olive lewis on sun 9 may 10


Dear Mel,

<>>



You would really help this old fellow to order your recommendation from our
travelling library if you gave me a bit more information, like the ISBN
code.

Trish needs to have more than the title and the Author when ordering via
Interlibrary loan.

Thanks for your help.

Ivor.



Ivor Lewis,
Redhill,
South Australia