Shop Class As Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work / by Matthew B. Crawford

Matt Crawford had just received a Ph.D. in philosophy, had been appointed a lucrative position with a corporate think tank which carried excellent benefits. He was, by all visible accounts, living the high life. Yet he was far from fulfilled, both professionally and personally, as he just couldn't see what function or purpose his work was having. This "knowledge work" of a purely intellectual bent dealt with a product which was a purely abstract entity, and of a nature he deemed as largely illegitimate for its solely conceptual, information substance. Soon afterwards, he became a motorcycle mechanic and today owns his own bike shop where he does not only what he loves to do, but performs work that he feels is far more fulfilling intrinsically--both at a operational and intellectual level.

The transition of our world from a world of the physical--first an agrarian and then an industrial society--to a world where work is done through purely informational transactions means that proficiency standards are often undefined. Contrarily, the tradesmen, a person who works manually with his or her hands with a physical substance as product must conform to the standards which the object itself demands (i.e., the car starts or it doesn't, light switches turn on or not at all, a toilet flushes or remains stopped up, etc.). Crawford knows his subject, or rather both his subjects, very well; both through long experience and intellectual understanding. He not only touches on the intricate attributes of manual work as a physical activity with mental attributes, but approaches it from a philosopher's mindset, deconstructing the parameters involved in the process of fixing a carburetor on a bike, paying close attention to the cognitive processes and acquired skill needed for successful application. Conversely, he diagrams the approach to the action of writing a research paper abstract, how multiple variables make for an inexact interpretation of what's acceptable and what's not. All in all this book is a very intriguing read, thought provoking on more than one level. (331 CRAWFORD)

Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance / by Stephen Leavitt and Stephen J. Dubner

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In 2005, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner wrote Freakonomics, a wildly successful book full of interesting stories and anecdotes about why incentives matter to consumers and how actions can have multiple, unforeseeable consequences. Many of these same speculations, weird coincidences and astounding correlatives fill their new book Superfreakonomics, the sequel to the original bestseller. Primary interest points included in this new volume concern the economical benefits of being a prostitute, how supplementing the atmosphere with sulfuric compounds might help solve global warming, why car seats may not be a safer alternative than seat belts and how walking home drunk may be a more dangerous alternative to driving home drunk.

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Some parts of this book seem intended solely for offering quirky factoids on society rather than comment on how economic incentives really do have any practical application. Superfreakonomics is an easy, readable book to get into and most readers could finish it in two to three sittings. But it seems to enhance "economical" aspects of our lives which, while carrying some realistic weight, contain more charming and trivial significance than any authentic relevance. Leavitt and Dubner are well-researched, drawing their material from every conceivable field--economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, physics, etc.--and produce a book which is a very interesting read. But it doesn't seem to have any real objective, any purpose for advocating a need for being aware of why, say, certain shady, slightly unethical professions are sureproof get rich schemes while other law-abiding careers are doomed. Much of the book's concluding analysis sounds as if the authors are facilitating arguments for one cause or another simply for the sake of providing a better alternative.

Freakonomics / by Steven Leavitt and Stephen J. Dubner

If the drug trade is so lucrative, why do dealers still live with their moms? What makes certain people watch certain TV shows? How have some companies with smaller budgets and less pedigree been able to top the competition? What accounts for the decrease in the crime rate during the early 1990’s? This book details all this truly relevant information in what’s not-your-everyday economics textbook. ‘Rogue’ economist Steven Leavitt and associate Dubner detail certain societal trends and pop culture phenomenon in things like education, relationships, and elections (the richest candidate doesn't always win).

Freakonomics remained on the bestseller lists for several months and has sold over 3 million copies. This book is an informative leisure read as well as serious book for educational purposes and contains some interesting factoids on life in general. Both authors write for The Economist magazine and have made appearances on several TV talk shows.