Customer Reviews

Cognition and Tool Use: The Blacksmith at Work (Learning in Doing)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Gilmore gave this excellent book a 1 star rating because it was about anthropology, not blacksmithing. Duh.

This is a 5 star book about anthropology, and more generally, human cognition. It demonstrates that the traditional way we classify things -- by category (all hammers go together, all screwdrivers, all foods, all clothes), is misleading, because in real usage, categorization goes by function. So this hammer goes with that anvil. This bread goes with that meat and that mustard. Why? Because they are used together.

The book is filled with deep insights that come about through careful observation. Yes, the authors observed blacksmithing (hence the title), but this is a book about human cognition, not about blacksmithing.

It is most unfortunate that the book was given a low rating because it wasn't the topic the reviewer wanted it to be.

If you care about understanding people, this is a great book.

This is an anthropology book and has nothing to do with hands on blacksmithing.