Book
Sennett R. The Craftsman. New Haven: Yale University Press; 2008. 326 p.
Why we cite it
A sociological treatise defining craftsmanship as “the desire to do a job well for its own sake” — a universal human capacity not limited to traditional trades. Argues that all skills originate in bodily practice and habit, that technical understanding develops through imagination rather than mere repetition, and that the process of doing well is itself rewarding. Relevant to the project’s emphasis on building cooking competence as intrinsically motivating: skill development in the kitchen follows the same craft principles — sustained attention, practice, and the satisfaction of doing something well.
About the author
Richard Sennett (b. 1943): University Professor of the Humanities, New York University; Centennial Professor of Sociology (Emeritus), London School of Economics. BA summa cum laude, University of Chicago (1964); PhD Harvard (1969). Trained as cellist at Juilliard before hand injury ended performance career. Fellow: American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Royal Society of Literature, British Academy (FBA). OBE (2018). Hegel Prize (2006). Gerda Henkel Prize (2008). Honorary Doctorate, Cambridge (2013). Presidential Medal, Harvard (2017). Major works include The Fall of Public Man (1977), The Corrosion of Character (1998), and Together (2012).
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