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Description
From his unique vantage point as editor in chief of Make magazine, the hub of the newly invigorated do-it-yourself (DIY) movement, Mark Frauenfelder takes listeners on an inspiring and surprising tour of the vibrant world of DIY. The Internet has brought together large communities of people who share ideas, tips, and blueprints for making everything from unmanned aerial vehicles to pedal-powered iPhone chargers to an automatic cat feeder jury-rigged from a VCR. DIY is a direct reflection of our basic human desire to invent and improve, long suppressed by the availability of cheap, mass-produced products that have drowned us in bland convenience and cultivated our most wasteful habits. Frauenfelder spent a year trying a variety of offbeat projects, such as keeping chickens and bees, tricking out his espresso machine, whittling wooden spoons, making guitars out of cigar boxes, and doing citizen science with his daughters in the garage. His whole family found that DIY helped them take control of their lives, offering a path that was simple, direct, and clear. Working with their hands and minds helped them feel more engaged with the world around them. Frauenfelder reveals how DIY is changing our culture for the better. He profiles fascinating "alpha makers" leading various DIY movements and grills them for their best tips and insights. Beginning his journey with hands as smooth as those of a typical geek, Frauenfelder offers a unique perspective on how earning a few calluses can be far more rewarding and satisfying than another trip to the mall.… (more)
User reviews
I would recommend this book highly to anyone who is not good with their hands, or thinks that they need to hire someone else to really do it right, because there is lots of wisdom in this for you. If you've ever been too scared to tackle a project you thought you might be able to do, pick this book up and don't feel so intimidated. The biggest lesson Mark teaches us is that failure isn't bad, often times it is very good. I know that I have learned this first hand over the years. Often I break something that I fashioned as a somewhat "final" version, only to break it and discover something that would make it infinitely better. Then the process of breaking it begins again, and you realize that it was just a beta you were building! This is the most rewarding part of DIY, and I discovered it years ago for myself.
If you are building homebrew robots on Arduino or building brackets and fixtures by hand already, then this book is not for you, but if you are a little scared about DIY, this is a great read, and will fill you with confidence to try and fix it/build it/do it yourself.