Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World Audiobook

" I very much enjoyed this book if only to get a better sense of the guy behind Boing Boing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I feel very attuned to Mark when it comes to his DIY approaches and have been tracing my own path through projects searching for a similar kind of meaning. "

" More than anything else, this book made me want to check out MADE magazine, which is edited by the author. "

" In the prologue, Frauenfelder documents his attempt to physically get away to a simpler life, but realizes that changes in his lifestyle might be a better path to simplicity. In this book, he documents how a DIY mentality, from making espresso to raising chicken (and children) can add meaning to life in unexpected ways. Frauenfelder is the editor in chief of Make magazine. "

" Fun and a source of inspiration. "

" I sincerely hope that some of the stories told in this book are exaggerated in the way most of my "laugh at my mistake" stories are inflated and the California view-point is a bit of a drag - hence the 4 stars rather than 5. But this is an excellently written tale of one man's attempt to live a slower life in a disposable culture - something I think many of us want to do these days. "

" Great book that describes the "coolness" or yearning that comes with building your own things and the DIY movement. The concepts espoused in this book are why I decided to build beds for my kids for Christmas. "

" I read this book a long time ago but apparently forgot to review it. The opening of this book was full of promise and got me excited for what was to follow, but it never quite sustained that initial excitement. Good, not great. "

" Inspiring book. Could have used better editing: author goes back and forth in time which is confusing. Sometimes funny. No silly advice or dogma, just personal account. "

" You won't learn a whole lot about how to do the DIY projects Mark Frauenfelder undertakes, but you will get a spirited memoir and a little argument for why we need more DIY projects in our lives. Frauenfelder definitely has me thinking seriously about beekeeping. Definitely worth a look. "

" Nice. He's very free about sharing -- and positive about the value of -- his mistakes, which keeps the book from being too boosterish. But still: OMG California. "

" I picked this up at the library for my husband to read and then read it, too. It's less a how-to-book of DIY projects and more an inspirational look at the whys and hows of what Frauenfelder calls the "DIY Movement". "

" The author set out to write a book about becoming more of a do-it-yourselfer. The writing is fine, but the actual do-it-yourselfing was a little underwhelming and disjointed (chicken coop, beehive, cigar box dulcimer). There's probably just not enough there to make a book out of. "

" This book had less storytelling than I was expecting. I put it down to read a book club selection and haven't found a reason to pick it back up. It goes back to the library on Monday! "

" A good book with quite a bit of inspiration, delving into the world of "make it yourself / do it yourself". This isn't a how-to book, though there are a few tips included. "

" I really enjoyed this. I want to raise chickens and build things. "

" A good book with quite a bit of inspiration, delving into the world of "make it yourself / do it yourself". This isn't a how-to book, though there are a few tips included. "

" Fascinating look into DIY culture. Frauenfelder can get caught up in the personal details of those he interacts with, but his ultimate message rings clear that the effort we put into projects helps us re-focus on things we might ignore. "

" I found Mark Frauenfelder through Boing Boing and heard some interviews for this book on the TWiT network. It is a great book to inspire you to live your life a little more real, especially for those of us who live life on the computer. Now if only my subdivision would let me raise some chickens! "

" Not a how-to instructional book, but perhaps a how-to live book. "

" I have always been a Mcgyver kind of guy. This is great reinforcement for me. Cool ideas to try out. Raising chickens in a condo. Hmmm? "

" Great book for technology loving dudes on a search to fill other aspects of their being. "

" I've already forgotten most of this book... "

" I read this book a long time ago but apparently forgot to review it. The opening of this book was full of promise and got me excited for what was to follow, but it never quite sustained that initial excitement. Good, not great. "

" Sorry, Mr. Frauenfelder, I admire your cigar-box guitar, but your book still makes you seem like kind of a douche. "

" I had been looking forward to this book. It was a fun read, quick and informative. It was kinda lame that so many of his projects seemed to involve a step one of paying a bunch of money, but there was still some great stuff. It was really empowering that he as so honest about his own mistakes. "