Pete's Log: Every Tool’s a Hammer by Adam Savage
Entry #2626, (Books, Writing, n such)(posted when I was 46 years old.)
Just finished Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame. It is a fun combination of autobiography (though more a collection of anecdotes than a structured biography) and tips on making. The book is subtitled "Life Is What You Make It" and full of advice on motivation, organization, and life in general. For example he extends the use of cooling fluid as a metaphor: "Beyond this simple good shop practice, though, the phrase has taken on a deeper and broader meaning for me over the years. Using more cooling fluid is a reminder to myself to slooooow doooooown, to reduce the friction in my life—in my work, in my schedule, in relationships, everywhere, really."
The book is surprisingly mundane at times. Savage spends eight pages describing different kinds of glue and their best uses and devotes another page similarly to scissors. And yet I love it. I have tried to embrace the mundane in my writing and sometimes still struggle with it. This feels like further encouragement to do so.
The book also includes both anecdotes and advice from Savage's friends in the making and show business worlds, which are fun. He also speaks often of momentum and removing momentum killers. This book pushed me to finally embark on the desk upgrade that's been on my mind for some time.
Before I end, I'll share a couple more passages that I wrote down when I read them:
Self-doubt never leaves the attentive craftsperson, so you best make friends with it. And if you don't know how, here's some advice: have the patience and humility to ask someone who's been there before. (pg 105)
The clarifying power of a deadline is something that every maker should embrace in their own work. We should be asking ourselves repeatedly, "What is the essence of this project?" as we move down the path toward completion. And as the delivery deadline nears, we should ask that question more frequently, because it helps us remember why we're there, and what the point of the whole project is. (pg 115)
My only real complaint with the book is that I wish the pictures were higher resolution (or even better: in color) but I understand the economics at play.
So if you're into making or you enjoy Mythbusters, and you're not put off by having a chapter on lists followed up by another chapter on checkboxes, then I think this book is for you.
Oh, one last thing: he references Ten Bullets by Tom Sachs which is an interesting 21 minute video about the rules for working in Tom Sachs studio. I enjoyed watching it.