What do you think?
Rate this book
Free to Make: How the Maker Movement is Changing Our Schools, Our Jobs, and Our Minds
A fascinating study of the global Maker Movement that explores how ‘making’ impacts our personal and social development—perfect for enthusiastic DIY-ers
Dale Dougherty, creator of magazine and the Maker Faire, provides a guided tour of the international phenomenon known as the Maker Movement, a social revolution that is changing what gets made, how it’s made, where it’s made, and who makes it. Free to Make is a call to join what Dougherty calls the “renaissance of making,” an invitation to see ourselves as creators and shapers of the world around us.
As the internet thrives and world-changing technologies—like 3D printers and tiny microcontrollers—become increasingly affordable, people around the world are moving away from the passivity of one-size-fits-all consumption and command-and-control models of education and business. Free to Make explores how making revives abandoned and neglected urban areas, reinvigorates community spaces like libraries and museums, and even impacts our personal and social development—fostering a mindset that is engaged, playful, and resourceful. Free to Make asks us to imagine a world where making is an everyday occurrence in our schools, workplaces, and local communities, grounding us in the physical world and empowering us to solve the challenges we face.
Dale Dougherty, creator of magazine and the Maker Faire, provides a guided tour of the international phenomenon known as the Maker Movement, a social revolution that is changing what gets made, how it’s made, where it’s made, and who makes it. Free to Make is a call to join what Dougherty calls the “renaissance of making,” an invitation to see ourselves as creators and shapers of the world around us.
As the internet thrives and world-changing technologies—like 3D printers and tiny microcontrollers—become increasingly affordable, people around the world are moving away from the passivity of one-size-fits-all consumption and command-and-control models of education and business. Free to Make explores how making revives abandoned and neglected urban areas, reinvigorates community spaces like libraries and museums, and even impacts our personal and social development—fostering a mindset that is engaged, playful, and resourceful. Free to Make asks us to imagine a world where making is an everyday occurrence in our schools, workplaces, and local communities, grounding us in the physical world and empowering us to solve the challenges we face.
336 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2016
56 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 1, 2017
Fantastic book. Very inspiring. This is going on my unschooling shelf!
October 28, 2019
I’m about 3/4 of the way through this book, but I have huge respect for what Dale has done and continues to do in the Maker community – so I wanted to make sure this rating gets out. This book deserves way more attention, especially with the definitions of “education” and “work” being turned on its head in today’s times.
Dale is the founder / creator of both Make: magazine and the Maker Faire – which is dubbed as “the greatest show and tell on earth.” I actually picked up this book at the last official Maker Faire in San Mateo earlier this year, and had a brief chat with Dale at the end of the show (he was all out of Champagne by that point). Having visited the fair for the first time, I was blown away by the sense of inclusiveness and collaboration throughout – especially among the young makers who had not yet grown up to become the institutionalized, overly serious “engineers” that Dale rants about in the book (focusing more on what can’t be done and why, instead of asking in the words of Apple’s former chief designer Jony Ive “HOW can we do this?”). Perhaps they could learn from James Dyson, who is perhaps one of the best engineers alive today, yet who began his career as a creative / artist.
This attitude is perhaps why there has always been such a contempt for designers amongst engineers. For these types of engineers – I recommend looking into the maverick visionary Soichiro Honda, who built it into the founding Honda culture / management policy to “Proceed always with ambition and youthfulness.”
I particularly loved Dale’s rant on how broken the education system is, and needs to evolve. I’ve heard it said that our current system “replaces curiosity with compliance” which leads to “obedient factory workers” but no longer anything resembling creative thinkers – which is ESSENTIAL in our current times of mass automation & A.I.
Christopher Armstrong,
Author of The Maker’s Field Guide
Dale is the founder / creator of both Make: magazine and the Maker Faire – which is dubbed as “the greatest show and tell on earth.” I actually picked up this book at the last official Maker Faire in San Mateo earlier this year, and had a brief chat with Dale at the end of the show (he was all out of Champagne by that point). Having visited the fair for the first time, I was blown away by the sense of inclusiveness and collaboration throughout – especially among the young makers who had not yet grown up to become the institutionalized, overly serious “engineers” that Dale rants about in the book (focusing more on what can’t be done and why, instead of asking in the words of Apple’s former chief designer Jony Ive “HOW can we do this?”). Perhaps they could learn from James Dyson, who is perhaps one of the best engineers alive today, yet who began his career as a creative / artist.
This attitude is perhaps why there has always been such a contempt for designers amongst engineers. For these types of engineers – I recommend looking into the maverick visionary Soichiro Honda, who built it into the founding Honda culture / management policy to “Proceed always with ambition and youthfulness.”
I particularly loved Dale’s rant on how broken the education system is, and needs to evolve. I’ve heard it said that our current system “replaces curiosity with compliance” which leads to “obedient factory workers” but no longer anything resembling creative thinkers – which is ESSENTIAL in our current times of mass automation & A.I.
Christopher Armstrong,
Author of The Maker’s Field Guide
March 27, 2025
I really liked this book. Valid criticisms from other readers (this book desperately needed an editor, and didn't have a unifying narrative) didn't do enough to knock it down from 5 stars (maybe 4.5?)-
This book is definitely written as a series of profiles- people, organizations and concepts of the maker community- but what I took away from all of this is a sense of empowerment. My local library has a makerspace. I've bookmarked several groups mentioned in these pages and sent others on to friends. I found the book both a motivational tool- (I believe in you, you can do these things)- and a resource (here's who can help you). I'd recommend this book to anyone with a crafty-fix-it-handyhuman nature, whether manifested or just instinct. I'm keeping it an extra day from the library so I can go back through and make sure I didn't miss any resources.
This book is definitely written as a series of profiles- people, organizations and concepts of the maker community- but what I took away from all of this is a sense of empowerment. My local library has a makerspace. I've bookmarked several groups mentioned in these pages and sent others on to friends. I found the book both a motivational tool- (I believe in you, you can do these things)- and a resource (here's who can help you). I'd recommend this book to anyone with a crafty-fix-it-handyhuman nature, whether manifested or just instinct. I'm keeping it an extra day from the library so I can go back through and make sure I didn't miss any resources.
May 18, 2017
Interesting overview of where the Maker Movement currently is and where it has come from. Similarly to others, I was interested in seeing what I could takeaway and apply for my library work, but there is less practical application and more mental and emotional takeaway for me. I also found it too long and wish it was actually two books: one about the maker philosophy and the other with all the case studies. I felt that its core message of everyone being a maker and what that means gets lost in the examples that Dougherty gives to illustrate the points. Also, Hatsune Miku being referred to as Hatsuna Miku at the end gave me a little jolt of "I wonder what other typos found its way in..." An enjoyable if slightly drawn out book.
August 29, 2021
Dougherty started Make magazine, and the first Maker Faire. The book is his manifesto for what the maker movement can be, with plenty of anecdotes for what is going on now. Little in the way of specific information, but good for anecdotes. He reads a lot too, and some of the books he quotes are probably interesting.
Maybe the most important thing is how formal schooling underserves so many of us, and how maker programs can change that.
Maybe the most important thing is how formal schooling underserves so many of us, and how maker programs can change that.
December 20, 2023
A great book on the maker movement. The first half drags a bit trying to fairly capture the breadth of interests: computing, engineering, food, laser, 3D printing, etc. But it picks up again when it gets into the info of how hardwired we all are for hands-on making and problem-solving, and the profound loss here in the US where K-12 has dropped this aspect from the curriculum.
May 9, 2017
A history of the maker movement with excellent resources for schools and communities interested in bringing a maker mentality to their community. I like that it keeps the focus on the process of making.
July 5, 2017
Practical handbook and guide to those entering the world of "Making" for the first time. Written by editor of the premiere periodical "MAKE" and creator of Maker Faire. Paperback was very affordable. Readers will find this to be a "go to" book for information regarding the Makerspace Movement.
April 5, 2018
A fascinating romp through the world of DIY and making from one of the leaders at the center. Like Chris Anderson's Makers: The New Industrial Revolution, This is a book that will have you thinking differently and seeing new possibilities.
February 21, 2021
Love what Dale is doing to foster the maker movement, and to spread his insights in the maker community. Will make you think long and hard about the future of things to come!
I for one couldn’t be anymore excited :)
I for one couldn’t be anymore excited :)
October 31, 2021
Really enjoyed reading the anecdotes. Also lots of resources to explore. I think more people are makers and don't even know it. If more people knew more about this side of personality, our outcome based education could be improved.
December 20, 2017
Good book that weaves the history, direction, makers, and everything together. It does take some awareness to realize the book is shifting. Good read if you want to know more about it.
September 6, 2018
who's who of makers and thinkers in the collaborative, diy, connected learning world
September 11, 2018
Nice, quick read. Almost like having 50+ mini case studies on various makers and maker businesses. You won’t learn new skills here, but will hear about how others have gone down this path before.
Read
September 17, 2020Excellent primer for the maker movement for educators and interested humans. The examples are inspiring.
March 9, 2017
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this! I'm currently a substitute teacher in public schools and I've been having some concerns over how much technology is used in our schools and how little creativity the students are encouraged to come up with. This book is a start in the right direction. My hope is that it will be followed up with a "how to implement" the Maker Movement. Explaining it is one thing, but I want to see how it can be put into practice!
I really enjoyed this! I'm currently a substitute teacher in public schools and I've been having some concerns over how much technology is used in our schools and how little creativity the students are encouraged to come up with. This book is a start in the right direction. My hope is that it will be followed up with a "how to implement" the Maker Movement. Explaining it is one thing, but I want to see how it can be put into practice!
May 9, 2017
If you’re a librarian, teacher, educator, or maker looking for information on how to go about building a makerspace or even making a case for a makerspace, you likely won’t find much of use here. Free to Make is full of fascinating case studies, but it doesn’t deliver what it advertises. Though easy to read and inspiring in many places, the contents are not what I’d lean on for any research on the topic.
May 5, 2019
I am currently reading Free to Make: How the Maker Movement is Changing Our Schools, Our Jobs, and Our Minds as a paper back book. I enjoy the book because it provides details into the international maker's movement and how the Maker's Movement affects traditional education. I have jumped in and out of reading it for the past couple of months. I am excited to finish reading it.
The author mentions his own Make Magazine, interviewers other makers, and discussing the in-depth history of making.
The author mentions his own Make Magazine, interviewers other makers, and discussing the in-depth history of making.
December 30, 2016
A nice overview of what the maker movement is, who is involved, what it entails and why it is vital to the future. Might not be revelatory to those who already consider themselves makers, but it would be a good one to hand to a school administrator or city official if you're trying to make a case for supporting making in your community.
July 21, 2016
Review closer to publication. However, I was expecting more in the way of "how to" rather than "what is". This would be great as an argument for starting a Maker Space at a school or library, but it does not contain a lot of practical application.
November 5, 2016
600 Doughert 9/2016 Nonfiction I was interested in what our library was creating labeled Maker. The book cleared up the concept.Then pg 214 mentioned Skills USA.. and Henry Ford Museum (Michigan connection personal)
Read
November 28, 2016As of today, November 27, 2016, I have not yet received this book I won on 9/25/16.
January 15, 2025
Tough read but great ideas.
March 28, 2017
Good background and philosophy behind maker movement. No lessons or projects included but numerous examples of current practices around the nation - most examples geared toward older students and adults.
April 3, 2017
A phenomenal, comprehensive insight into the Maker movement that manages to simultaneously inspire, inform, and entertain. I can't wait to continue Making and encourage others to do the same!
April 11, 2017
Broad overview of the Maker Movement, with some discussion of schools and public libraries. Emphasis on tinkering as learning. Good passages to bring to a discussion on building a makerspace or learning commons, but less so with the specifics.
April 28, 2017
Good book. Would have gotten four stars except for a major copy editing fail where the word "mindset" was apparently replaced with a space every time it was supposed to appear for more than a chapter.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews