This is my new book, due out in early May of next year (2022).

Here’s a passage:

“There is a “conversation” between the hand and the material being worked.The craftsperson proposes a shape for the wood.The wood disagrees and makes a counter-offer.The two of them work out a compromise. This will sometimes rise to the level of inspiration. Neither party knew what would come of their interaction until, magically, something did.”

I look at the cultural properties of artisanal culture and economy.

In some ways, this is a Valentine to all those people who earn their living as artisans.

Ok, here’s a little more

“The artisan discredits many things that took root in America after World War II: processed food, mass manufacturing, national brands, chemical and mechanical intervention, cross-country shipping, and especially the factory farm. (Many, in fact, believe that the words “factory” and “farm” should never appear in the same sentence.) After the hardships of World War II, we were thrilled to industrialize food. (Recall the popularity of Tang and TV dinners.) Now we are happiest when deindustrializing it.

The artisan does this one small enterprise at a time. They are taking up new kinds of work. They make cheese or soup or jam. They run a coffeehouse. They work as butchers or bakers. They run their own taxi service, thanks to Uber or Lyft. They operate a very small hotel, thanks to Airbnb. Remove the industrial layer of the American economy, and we find millions of small enterprises making their way in the world and in the process making a world for the rest of us.”

You can preorder on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Artisan-America-Industrial-Handmade-ebook/dp/B08LDVY6J2/ref=sr_1_1? Hope you like it. Let me know.