Made By Hand by Mark Frauenfelder

For When: You need just one fix

by Brian Howard

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Published: Jun 16, 2010

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When it comes to DIY bonafides, Mark Frauenfelder, editor in chief of Make magazine and founder of überblog Boing Boing, is as legit as they come. So it's a little surprising to learn that until fairly recently, Frauenfelder wasn't much of a DIYer himself. At Make, he admits, "I was satisfied with helping contributors write their articles and present their projects" — until he paid a visit to the mag's tool reviewer, Mr. Jalopy, who imparted his DIY credo: "You will screw stuff up." And that spark of wisdom, that screwing up is a necessary learning step, is what launched Frauenfelder down a road to deeper engagement with his world and, ultimately, his life.

But Made By Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World is neither a navel-gazer nor a how-to guide. It's a tinker story in which the author relates not just the practical whys and wherefores of projects like raising chickens, hacking an espresso machine and home fermenting, he imparts the pure joy of discovery and deep sense of satisfaction that comes from figuring it out your own damned self. He introduces his friends from the Post Carbon Institute and their philosophy of Ramshackle Solid, as well as the Japanese concept of wabi sabi — that an object's beauty lies in its imperfections. One and a half years into his experiment, Frauenfelder makes no claims to be an "alpha maker" — he proudly owns his missteps, which, he's abundantly clear, are primarily responsible for changing not just his life for the better, but his philosophy, as well.

Portfolio, 256 pp., $25.95, May 27

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