A review by sun_dog
Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World, by Mark Frauenfelder
3.0
I was looking forward to hearing the thoughts of one of the leaders of the DIY movement, and to a degree it was as I'd hoped--a homespun tale of his adventures in making things by hand, learning how things work, and fixing it yourself. There was a goodly dose of the philosophy and even research on the value of Doing It Yourself. The author has led an interesting life and is a down to earth and likable guy.
At times however, it ended up reading like a diary. While a larger story or section might be worth adding to the book, the writing execution can often fall into a "...and then I did this, and then this happened, and I talked to this cool guy and he said this, and then we had lunch, and I finished the chicken coop. My family and I still aren't sure if we like it." Erm, right. After fifty pages on that story, I'm not sure I liked it either...
So, double points for the topics, his unique place in the field, and a likable author. It would have been better with a conscious effort at a story arc and tending the 'story garden' better to make sure all the pieces belong and fit together. "Here's a bunch of stories about my efforts in DIY" is just ok.
At times however, it ended up reading like a diary. While a larger story or section might be worth adding to the book, the writing execution can often fall into a "...and then I did this, and then this happened, and I talked to this cool guy and he said this, and then we had lunch, and I finished the chicken coop. My family and I still aren't sure if we like it." Erm, right. After fifty pages on that story, I'm not sure I liked it either...
So, double points for the topics, his unique place in the field, and a likable author. It would have been better with a conscious effort at a story arc and tending the 'story garden' better to make sure all the pieces belong and fit together. "Here's a bunch of stories about my efforts in DIY" is just ok.