Introduction: Engaging with the objects around us -- Life on Pumpkin Creek -- A few words on craft -- The paper challenge -- Being "hands on" -- Tricks of the trade -- Tooling up -- Learning by doing -- Prototyping -- One thing for another -- Face to face -- Communities of respect -- Finding our way -- The contact zone -- The paradise of trust -- The view from the hardware store -- Time to pay attention -- The myth of the dumb object -- Going deep -- The way of tea -- All that is left -- Small worlds -- Fewer, better things -- To have and to hold -- Thinking things through -- Material science -- Handle... with care -- Anchor points -- The view from Tucumcari -- Thinking inside the box -- Material histories -- The itinerary of plastic -- A book of secrets -- Facts, not opinions -- Two castes, one people? -- Epilogue: The virtues of things.
Summary:
"Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience."-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.