Home Back My Cart : 0 item(s)

 

The Wisdom of Our Hands: Crafting, a Life

The Wisdom of Our Hands: Crafting, a Life
Sale Price: $10.17
Compared at: $16.95
You Save: $6.78
Product ID : 12-1799

Purchase

Description

A guide to living fully and humanely by learning the wisdom of authentic manual work. Many of us live in a world of constant abstraction, immersed in our heads and our screens. But there is a deeper wisdom to be found in working with our hands in the real world. In The Wisdom of Our Hands, craftsman and educator Doug Stowe shows how working with our hands, either professionally or as a hobby, is essential for a full education and a full life. Based on his 45 years as a woodworker and 25 years as a teacher of handcrafts, Stowe argues that human beings have a natural need to express themselves creatively through tangible work. The use of one's hands and whole body to make physical things and reshape our surroundings promotes both physical and mental health and fosters a sense of mastery in both young and adult students. A life of craftsmanship offers the opportunity and obligation to define one's own values. Drawing on his experiences living and working in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a town dedicated to handcrafts and arts, Stowe demonstrates how craft work can create community, forge deeper social bounds, and foster a saner attitude about the value of human labor and material goods. Written for everyone who wants to reconnect with the deep experience of the human body at work, The Wisdom of Our Hands is a quietly radical call to spiritual (and physical) action.

Products You May Like

  • FOR PROS BY PROS: INSPECTING A HOUSE

    FOR PROS BY PROS: INSPECTING A HOUSE $24.95
    $14.97

    This is a must have book for anyone buying a home. Caldwell tells and shows what to look for when inspecting a house. A excellent book for real estate agents and anyone who wants to be informed before they buy. The Inspection Process; Siding, Doors and Windows; Roofs, Gutters, and Grading; Garages, Driveways, and Walkways; Heating and Cooling; Basements; The Kitchen and Bathroom; and Water supply and Septic.

  • TREATISE ON STAIRBUILDING AND HANDRAILING- [POD]^

    TREATISE ON STAIRBUILDING AND HANDRAILING- [POD]^ $28.95
    $17.37

    Paper. Index and bibliography. Completely illustrated. One of the premier books on the subject. Originally published in 1900 this gives extensive coverage of various classes of wood stairs and wreathed handrailings. Includes a short course on the geometric principles bearing on the subject. Intended for joiners, architects, builders and students in the technical schools. The most complete book on the subject currently available.

  • Classic Whittling: Basic Techniques and Old-Time Projects

    classic whittling $14.95
    $8.97

    by Rick Wiebe. In a fast-paced and noisy world that makes your head spin, the classic craft of whittling is the perfect antidote. It makes you slow down, take a breath, and live in the moment. Your hands are crafting instead of typing or texting. Best of all, whittling is simple to learn, lasts a lifetime, and requires only a simple knife. It’s no wonder it’s become more popular over recent years. No longer something only old men do, whittling has reached parents spending time with kids, techies taking a break from computer screens and anyone who enjoys being outdoors. In Classic Whittling, author Rick Wiebe — a whittler for more than 60 years — provides the fundamentals for anyone looking to slow down and learn this classic craft. Classic Whittling begins with the basics of a good knife and how to keep it sharp. Wiebe then covers the best woods to use, ranging from sticks to blocks of wood, along with the basic techniques that will get you started. After that, there’s no limit to what you can do. Projects start out with toys, a whistle, and “treens” — simple forks, spoons, and other utensils used while camping. From there, it’s on to the more challenging projects: the chain, the interlinking hearts, the ball-in-a-cage, the sphere-within-a-sphere and several other classics. This handy and fun guide covers them all step-by-step. By the end of Classic Whittling, your knife will become a magic wand that turns firewood into fun, fascinates your family and friends, and lowers your blood pressure.

  • BUILD LIKE A PRO: INSULATE AND WEATHERIZE

    BUILD LIKE A PRO: INSULATE AND WEATHERIZE $12.50
    $7.50

    From the most basic solutions to advanced, energy-saving projects, no book covers home insulation and weatherization like this one. Advice on how to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer and weather-tight all yaer long. Harley is a engineer specializing in energy efficient residential construction

  • Carving Santas from Around the World

    Carving Santas from Around the World $14.95
    $8.97

    This book shows the reader how to carve each of the 12 Santas presented in two different ways: as "standing" Santas and as "shelf-sitting" Santas. The first part of the book covers the basics of carving Santas. The author includes information on the carving and painting techniques, such as wood choice, basic cuts, carving tools, basic painting supplies and finishing materials. The second part of the book focuses on how to carve the Santas. Readers have two options. They can carve either a standing Santa or a shelf-sitting Santa. Each standing Santa is approximately four inches tall, full-bodied, and can stand on a table-top or shelf. The shelf-sitters are flat-bottomed with the addition of swinging legs. These figures are carved specifically to sit on the edge of a shelf or desktop with legs dangling over the edge. In this second section of the book, the author provides a step-by-step demonstration that shows the reader how to carve, paint and finish a standing, full-bodied Santa. An easy-to-follow pattern and finished photos of the carving start this section. Close-up photography and detailed captions cover the project from start to finish. The author then follows up this demonstration with a second demonstration on "shelf-sitters." She shows the reader how to carve and join the body and legs. The third section of the book includes patterns for the remaining 11 Santas. The patterns are specially designed for beginning carvers. Each has two components: a square on-the-wood pattern to help the reader get started, and a dimensional figure to help the reader finish the project. Patterns are included for both the standing and the shelf-sitting versions. Finished examples of each Santa are shown. These shots include views from several angles, plus close-ups as appropriate to provide the reader with a clear idea of the project. Historical notes on the origin of the Santa, plus carving and painting notes round out this section. This book is ideal for beginning level carvers and will appeal to any carver who would like to expand his repertoire of Santas to carve for gifts or for sale.

Call us: 800-345-4447

Full Website