The club's inaugural book will be Nancy Hiller's "Making Things Work: Tales From a Cabinetmaker's Life." I have been a fan of Nancy's for years and felt this would make a perfect book to kick off our club. It's not a technical book about woodworking but more about what it means to be a woodworker. Just read Kathryn Lofton's description on the back cover.
“THIS IS NOT A BOOK MERELY about making cabinets or dressers or chairs. It is about the forging of a principled life. Nancy Hiller introduces us to the everyday struggles and big philosophical questions that define what a craftsperson is and how she may survive on our mass-produced world. This book is riveting, pulling the reader into the authors transatlantic story including unrequited romances, conflicts about hinges, the occasional slapstick, and sleepless nights spent worrying about budget, hardware, and design. Read this book to see how we can make our way, one dovetail joint at a time”
I mean, come on, if that overview doesn't perfectly describe what I'm trying to open conversations about, I don't know what would.
So, get a hold of "Making Things Work: Tales From a Cabinetmaker's Life" however you can. (Friends might have a copy you could borrow.) I Ordered it from the publisher Lost Art Press (Link at the bottom of the post). Read it at your leisure throughout the month. The book club's first meeting will be held on the last Sunday of the month, 1/26/2025.
I'm trying to keep the number of attendees in each meeting under 15, so if need be, we will have multiple sessions and a Discord channel set up for further discussion.
Any questions you can reach me at info@thewoodworkersbookclub.com
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