Deskbound, Romancing the Brick

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THE tarnishing of Wall Street and the breakout success of “Shop Class as Soulcraft” by Matthew B. Crawford, the Ph.D. who left academia to become a motorcycle repairman, are probably no coincidence.

As corporate America has shed millions of jobs, Mr. Crawford’s philosophical musings on the spirit-restoring value of working with his hands touched a big nerve, quickly becoming a national best seller and generating widespread publicity.

It was not the only sign that recession-pummeled Americans are indulging in a romance with blue-collar trades, while also questioning the hollowness of white-collar work.

Besides “Soulcraft,” whose subtitle is “An Inquiry Into the Value of Work,” Richard Sennett, a New York University sociologist, offered a tribute to artisans last year in “The Craftsman.” Reality shows like “Deadliest Catch,” featuring commercial crab fishermen, and “Ice Road Truckers,” following drivers hauling loads across frozen waters in northern Canada and Alaska, have drawn huge audiences.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/fashion/27trades.html?th&emc=th