As a carpenter, I have come to think through making. I am inextricably bound to it, but also to all the contradictions implicit in that relationship. Now there is a growing thirst and interest in what it means to make, and I can’t help but reflect on the longing I had over thirty-five years ago and on what I see and hear around me now. Having made the decision to alter my path and ground myself in the journey to become a maker, I never imagined I would spend thirty-five years in one vocation.

In excerpts  from his book Material, a woodworker reflects on lost skills, making things, and building a house for his family.