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Making Things Work: Tales From A Cabinetmaker's Life
As cautionary woodworking tales go, Nancy R. Hiller’s might just be the funniest – and the most sincere.
Standing in contrast to James Krenov’s “The Impractical Cabinetmaker” from 1979, Hiller’s book, “Making Things Work: Tales from a Cabinetmaker’s Life,” is not about waiting for a particular plank of wood to tell you its true purpose. It is not an exhortation to fuss over each detail, no matter the personal cost.
Instead, Hiller’s funny and occasionally ribald story is about a cabinetmaker who was trained to work at the highest level possible and how she has dealt with the personal anxiety that occurs when the desire and drive for excellence collides with paying the monthly bills.
The backdrop for “Making Things Work” is a cast of characters who could populate a Cohen brothers film – a Missouri furniture maker who masquerades as a Brit to impress his customers. A 30-something client and her older husband who seem hell-bent on cheating every trades worker in the Midwest. And Hiller’s British trainers, who through teasing, criticism and mockery finally let her know what “navy cake” really is.
At the center of it all is Hiller. She seeks to run an honest business, make beautiful things and be fairly paid. Doing all three things at once is an immense challenge, and she tells her odyssey in a series of vignettes that read like a modern-day Aesop’s fable. There is a lesson in each chapter about the craft, business or personal relationships. But it’s up to you to decode them. Her indirect approach is one of the great charms of the book.
If you are considering abandoning your cozy corporate job to make furniture, “Making Things Work” is required reading. It will illuminate you as to how difficult the profession can be. If you are undaunted after seeing the quality of Hiller’s furniture and reading about her struggle to make a living, perhaps you have a shot.
For amateur woodworkers, the book is a great read. Hiller is a fine and precise writer who knows exactly when to land a punch line (sometimes with a sledgehammer).
For those of you who appreciate the manufacturing quality of Lost Art Press books, “Making Things Work” will please you. Hiller used one of our printing vendors here in the United States. This is a book designed to last. Hardbound with a sewn binding, the books boards are covered in a sturdy dust jacket.
[Synopsis copied from Lost Art Press website]
Standing in contrast to James Krenov’s “The Impractical Cabinetmaker” from 1979, Hiller’s book, “Making Things Work: Tales from a Cabinetmaker’s Life,” is not about waiting for a particular plank of wood to tell you its true purpose. It is not an exhortation to fuss over each detail, no matter the personal cost.
Instead, Hiller’s funny and occasionally ribald story is about a cabinetmaker who was trained to work at the highest level possible and how she has dealt with the personal anxiety that occurs when the desire and drive for excellence collides with paying the monthly bills.
The backdrop for “Making Things Work” is a cast of characters who could populate a Cohen brothers film – a Missouri furniture maker who masquerades as a Brit to impress his customers. A 30-something client and her older husband who seem hell-bent on cheating every trades worker in the Midwest. And Hiller’s British trainers, who through teasing, criticism and mockery finally let her know what “navy cake” really is.
At the center of it all is Hiller. She seeks to run an honest business, make beautiful things and be fairly paid. Doing all three things at once is an immense challenge, and she tells her odyssey in a series of vignettes that read like a modern-day Aesop’s fable. There is a lesson in each chapter about the craft, business or personal relationships. But it’s up to you to decode them. Her indirect approach is one of the great charms of the book.
If you are considering abandoning your cozy corporate job to make furniture, “Making Things Work” is required reading. It will illuminate you as to how difficult the profession can be. If you are undaunted after seeing the quality of Hiller’s furniture and reading about her struggle to make a living, perhaps you have a shot.
For amateur woodworkers, the book is a great read. Hiller is a fine and precise writer who knows exactly when to land a punch line (sometimes with a sledgehammer).
For those of you who appreciate the manufacturing quality of Lost Art Press books, “Making Things Work” will please you. Hiller used one of our printing vendors here in the United States. This is a book designed to last. Hardbound with a sewn binding, the books boards are covered in a sturdy dust jacket.
[Synopsis copied from Lost Art Press website]
138 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2017
5 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 15, 2017
Worth it for the Pedro chapter alone.
August 20, 2018
I so enjoyed this book. I'm captivated by what people do for work, true vocation in particular, and how they came to that work. And Hiller tells her story marvelously, through hilarious anecdote and honesty. It's especially refreshing because furniture and cabinetmaking are simultaneously romanticized (idea of lone worker in beautiful shop with hand tools and gleaming wood) and undervalued, because too many people think anyone can do them well, i.e. "I'll just quit my office job and make cabinets." It's important to have the real story told from the inside.
January 26, 2022
Memoirs are easy to write. Good memoirs are not, which is why I enjoyed Nancy's book so much. As a beginning woodworker, I've been soaking up as much information as I can about the trade (or avocation, as it were). And while there's a lot of factual information available on the Net, Nancy provides compelling, humorous insight about the human side of the craft.
Having a bit of a short fuse when things go wrong, I identified right off the bat with Nancy as she described going postal on a sideboard (courtesy of a sledgehammer), swearing all the way. The scene is hilarious, yet cuts close to home. Later in the book, a friend shares valuable information with Nancy: "Look... there's something you've got to understand if you're going to get anywhere: It's all problems. That's what we do: solve problems."
That quote pops into my head every time I start getting frustrated with a troublesome task. Sometimes it helps; other times not so much, but the insight is most welcome. And that's one of the things I really like about the book: the author grows and develops into the kind of craftsperson she dreams of becoming.
My only complaint about the book- and probably an unfair one, at that- is that it's too short. I understand that Nancy has two other books published, and doesn't want to spread the material too thin, but there have to be many other stories she could include, more lessons learned. That being said, I'll put in a plug for the many other tomes her publisher (Lost Arts Press) offers: beautiful books about woodworking, trees, tools, and the importance of learning how to make things with one's own hands.
Having a bit of a short fuse when things go wrong, I identified right off the bat with Nancy as she described going postal on a sideboard (courtesy of a sledgehammer), swearing all the way. The scene is hilarious, yet cuts close to home. Later in the book, a friend shares valuable information with Nancy: "Look... there's something you've got to understand if you're going to get anywhere: It's all problems. That's what we do: solve problems."
That quote pops into my head every time I start getting frustrated with a troublesome task. Sometimes it helps; other times not so much, but the insight is most welcome. And that's one of the things I really like about the book: the author grows and develops into the kind of craftsperson she dreams of becoming.
My only complaint about the book- and probably an unfair one, at that- is that it's too short. I understand that Nancy has two other books published, and doesn't want to spread the material too thin, but there have to be many other stories she could include, more lessons learned. That being said, I'll put in a plug for the many other tomes her publisher (Lost Arts Press) offers: beautiful books about woodworking, trees, tools, and the importance of learning how to make things with one's own hands.
December 11, 2017
Hilarious, heart-warming and sometimes gut-wrenching, this was a quick and quality read. As a hobbyist woodworker, I've often daydreamed about what the life of a professional is _really_ like. The author is a lady woodworker and while this is not a book about gender studies nor does it push any agenda, it does dip a toe into some of the ways in which being a lady woodworker presented some particular challenges in the books usual humorous style (example: an early place of employment had no bathroom because it was right near the woods...) In this collection of stories about dealing with clients and life as a perfectionist woodworker, the realities of necessary trade-offs are made clear -- though the author avoids complaining or wearing sacrifice as a badge of honor. Great for any woodworker. This book contains very little about the actual shaping of wood, however.
May 26, 2017
This book is a humorous look at a career as a cabinet maker. Even if you are not a woodworker you will still enjoy this book.
Also if you are considering starting your own small business read this book. If you still want to have a go after reading this book great, if this book scares you maybe give it a second thought.
Also if you are considering starting your own small business read this book. If you still want to have a go after reading this book great, if this book scares you maybe give it a second thought.
April 30, 2018
Nancy Hiller has worked in the trades for decades, I remember furniture and articles from her in Fine Woodworking. This is a collection of stories that illustrate some of the joys and pitfalls working as a craftperson. If you ever get the urge to build furniture or remodel homes professionally you should give this a read.
October 22, 2017
Well done, Nancy. A hilarious and knowledgeable craftsman, Nancy reaffirmed for me that regardless of the craft or art we apply ourselves to, we all must concentrate on the task at hand and keep those niggling voices silenced.
May 9, 2019
I felt this book. As a woman working in a mostly-male field (engineering) that is also "all problems" for the most part, I found this so relatable. And it was a truly hilarious and enjoyable read to boot.
August 12, 2017
Excellent book on being a woodworker, things to consider and pitfalls from being your own boss. Funny, thought provoking, good book.
April 3, 2019
Fantastic little book
February 6, 2019
An enjoyable read with insight into both the soul and the business side of furniture making and craft work.
December 10, 2022
Great stories and a valuable resource. Perhaps a little niche, but being a cabinetmaker myself, I didn't mind.
January 21, 2023
A fun compilation of stories from Nancy's life, and probably an accurate view of what it generally looks like to be a cabinetmaker in today's world.
March 31, 2017
Brave, readable, funny. If you think you're ready for a career as an artisan, read this first.
April 25, 2017
Sweet read, reminds me of Cheryl Strayed's writing style, open and smart. The trials and tribulations of a cabinet maker. Loved the part near the end - “You return to a clients house years later and find yourself wondering “Did I really build that?” Nothing banishes self-doubt more effectively than objective proof of skill. There’s the gratification of knowing that your work is enhancing daily life …"
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews