Making Things Right

Starred review from February 15, 2018
From the very first sentence, I work with wood, this is a humble yet noble tribute to the value of honest work. As the world veers toward a gig economy, in which employees become their own bosses, Norwegian master carpenter Thorstensen's authentic and engaging account of running his one-man business delivers real truths about doing one's own thing. Of his domain, he laments the disintegration of collaboration between academic fields (e.g., architecture) and artisanal fields. From it, he extracts his philosophy, Measurement, calculation and precision are easy to apply to life as metaphors. And regarding running a company, he says, Office work is the scourge of running a small business. Every chapter provides a story about a job at hand, such as the renovation of one family's Oslo loft. Throughout, readers get advice on hiring building professionals, learn about the difference between parquet and solid wood floors, and begin to understand the mechanics of and psychology behind good and not-so-good construction. Readers will love Thorstensen's insights into work and life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)