The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction - book overview

Managed to get hold of Matthew Crawford’s latest book, The world beyond your head: On becoming an individual in an age of distraction, from the local library and work through it over the long weekend.

The book is not for the casual reader. However, Crawford’s weaving of his own experiences to introduce or emphasise the many philosophical points through the book, makes the book more accessible. Hence, the book is a good example of blending some of the rigour of academia into a readable form.

Overview from wall street journal and reviews from the guardian and times higher education are positive and provide summaries of the main argument through the book.

The book has 13 chapters with additional introductory and closing chapters. After the introduction, there are 5 chapters in Part 1 revolving around ‘encountering things’. Then 7 chapters in part 2 centre around ‘other people’. The last chapter, makes up part 3 on ‘inheritance’. Below, my perspectives as I read through the book with 'learning a trade' or attaining expertise in craft, as anchors to my reading.

Introduction:- here the overarching argument of the book is introduced and discussed. There is a need for us to review how we attend to our individual self, despite the prevalent use within our society of various visual and aural stimulus, forcing us to divide our attention and /or continually be pulled from one topic to another through access to an array of options. Finding the time to consider/ think / work through and ruminate is becoming more difficult in a world filled with distractions either of our own making (web browsing) or imposed through the landscape we live in (advertisements). Some activities absorb us sufficiently for our best thinking and application of craft to flourish. In some forms of work, the ‘flow’ takes us on to greater heights of performance. However, can also lead us into the abyss of compulsion and addiction (e.g. gambling).

Part 1 – encountering things

1-      The jig, the nudge and local ecology – Here Crawford uses the concept of a ‘jig’ to illustrate the two ends of the pole of utilising jigs. Jigs are arrangements of tools, materials or spatial organisation to assist the performance of complex tasks. They can be used to enhance work tasks, as per examples provided in carpentry, bar tendering and short order cookery. But sophisticated jigs which can costs large amounts of energy and capital to put in place, can also lead to the ‘mechanisation’ and ‘standardisation’ of job tasks as per assembly line / Mcfood type arrangements.

2-      Embodied perception – uses the seamless relationships hockey players have with their sticks and motorcycle riders to illustrate the concepts of embodied perception. How the body is extended through synergistic attachments to a tool or vehicle. The closer the body to the tool or vehicle, the more the sensory / tactile feedback. Learning to become good in these activities requires time to learn, become accustomed and eventually embodied.

3-      Virtual reality as moral idea – A short chapter, bringing the concepts in the previous two chapters with further examples. In short, the design of things can either assist in forming the embodied relationship between us and tools / equipment / etc. or allow the tool / jig / arrangement to overtake us and cause us to be passive and dependent, completing tasks without thought.

4-      Attention and design – argues more for the need to not take design too far. There is a need for humans to still make decisions. Roads which require our attention to drive along, yield fewer incidences of accidents J whereas roads engineered to allow us to go into auto pilot, may actually be more dangerous.

5-      Autism as a design principle: gambling – uses the gambling industry as an example of how all the mechanisms build into slot machines, are there to entice, excite and eventually to enslave. How our biochemicals can cause us to pander to the needs of the body in ways which lead to fulfilment or decline, depending on the sort of activity we become attracted to.

Part 2 – other people

6-      On being led out – begins discussion on education, the need for social interaction being a key. Uses glass blowing team and the ‘apprenticeship’ of scientist to argue for the need of the relationship between learner and expert. 

7-      Encountering things with other people – basically a call to recognise the socio-culturality of human existence. All of what we take to be ‘independent’ thought, comes through our interactions with others, f2f and through artifacts, social structures etc.

8-      Achieving individuality – So where is the individual placed? This chapter tries to work out where in the bigger picture, the individual fits in. Argues skilled practice is one ‘marker’ recognisable by all, of an individual’s achievements. Therefore, if we become good at doing something, others provide us with accolades leading to cycle of positive reinforcement. For the individual, being good at something provides biochemical injections to cause us to further improve expertise.

9-      The culture of performance – which leads to this chapter on how individual’s show what they are made of. Otherwise, what is the point of doing? 

10-   The erotics of attention – probably the most difficult chapter to work through but persistence pays. In brief, the chapter argues for ways in which individuals may go about to make their mark. Attention is a key requirement, as without attending to what we do, there is no improvement in practice.

11-   The flattening – As a counterpoint to the previous chapter and a lead in to the next, this chapter discusses how individuals represent themselves to others and in turn how they perceive others, in relation to their own attention.

12-   The statistical self – ties up the loose ends in part 2.

Part 3 – inheritance – has the one chapter

13 – the organ makers’ shop – here the work of organ makers is used to support the examples and concepts discussed through the rest of the book. That a group of people have shared values, based on historical associations with an obscure craft, yet manifest strong views of craftsmanship framed by commercial imperatives.

Epilogue, provides a useful overview of the argument and summarises a ‘where to next’.

Overall, there is an need to attend, through the book. Some chapters require a few reads to understand the argument and reply, but each chapter does lead into the next. Several chapters are 'dense' but persistence pays. The book works well as there is a flow from one chapter into the next, so perhaps not a book to dip in and out of, but one which requires attending to :) So, I am happy to have put the time an effort into working through the book and will do a re-read over the summer, to wring out the many messages in the book, pertinent my work.

Shop class as soul craft - book summary

Crawford, M. (2009). Shop class as soul craft: An inquiry into the value of work. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Worked through this book in greater detail over the last few days. Second hand book in pristine condition purchased through Amazon, taking about a month to arrive in NZ, just in time for summer weekend when it was too hot to do much gardening or walk in the hills.

I had borrowed the book from the library and browsed through the book when it was first released. This time a good opportunity to read the book in greater depth.  Here are notes taken, summarising each chapter of book.

Introduction provides background on the decline of ‘shop class’ in the U S of A and Crawford’s thesis that the manual occupations are still important in contemporary life due to our reliance on large numbers of material goods. People who make, maintain and repair things are now more important than ever (as per $$ we pay plumber to unblock drains) and yet the education system puts its main emphasis into preparing ‘knowledge workers’.

1.       A brief case for the useful arts. Here the discussion revolves around how manual work can be fulfilling and requiring use of both bodily and cognitive skills. Plus an argument on how some forms of work in the trades, cannot be ‘outsourced’. So American workers in occupations that can be accomplished remotely (accounting, IT, call centres etc. ) may be more at risk to job restructure than builders / carpenters and joiners who build houses.

2.       The separation of thinking from doing. An overview of how thinking and doing has been seen to be either white or blue collar. Some white collar work is now similar to ‘assembly line’ work and some blue collar requires high levels of adaptability and innovation.

3.       To be a master of one’s own stuff. In this chapter, the argument for work to allow individual agency is presented. Plus some history on the development of motorcycles (and cars) from being fixable by the ‘amateur’ to being difficult for even mechanics to get into.  How society has moved from individuals being able to rectify their own tools / appliances / vehicles to machinery becoming so complex (and relatively cheap to replace) has removed individual’s choice to fix and re-use. Yet, it is more satisfying for humans to have input (using cake mix example – all in product does not sell as well as a product that requires the addition of an egg).

4.       The education of a gearhead. The chapter traces Crawford’s development as a mechanic His first experiences as an apprentice in an automotive workshop where he did the boss’s housekeeping before being allowed to clean engine parts. And reflections on learning the complexities of automotive engineering from mentors, mistakes, dwelling on problems, development of individual understanding and knowledge base.

5.       The further education of a gearhead: from amateur to professional. Here Crawford describes his on-going learning as a motor cycle mechanic and self-employed business owner. How he learns on the job by undertaking difficult work on obscure, older models of motor cycles. How he undercharges as some of the jobs take effort to work through beyond what would seem to be commercially viable charge out rates.

6.       The contradictions of the cubicle. Provides examples of some of his ‘knowledge worker’ jobs and how some have become production line orientated, as per his work indexing and abstracting articles, or without clear outputs that lead to job satisfaction (work in a ‘think tank’).

7.       Thinking as doing. Provides arguments and examples of how manual work involves many aspects of having to also use large amounts of brain power. How practical know how is difficult to pin down. Examples include fire fighters’ ‘sixth sense’, common sense and tacit knowledge in automotive trouble shooting (lubricant or air to clean spark plug based on recent weather  activity or if sand is found around the vehicle), the role of being able to ‘ask the right question’ in problem solving, deciphering archaic and poorly translated vehicle repair manuals.

8.       Work, leisure and full engagement. How leisure and work may be complementary. Also how many people now work to earn $$ to indulge in activities that feed their soul. Perhaps some forms of manual work may both earns $$ and be fulfilling.

Concluding remarks on solidarity and self reliance: Summarises the argument – to have a trade skill means having solidarity with other trade workers in the same field (understanding a common language / ethos and practising skills), being attuned to learning from mistakes / failure and yet taking individual responsibility for one’s on-going learning and improvement.

The notes themselves make interesting reading, some revealing Crawford’s personal history, others filling in on the specialist knowledge of motor cycle repair and overviews of various philosophical approaches. The style of writing is readable without being condescending to the reader.