A number of years ago, Douglas Harper moved to northern New York to teach in a small college. Upon his arrival there his department chairman noted his eight-year-old Saab and said, "You'll be meeting Willie." Haper spent the next years establishing not only a working relationship but a friendship with Willie. In Working Knowledge, he introduces us to Willie, a mechanic and jack-of-all-trades. With this engaging and insightful profile—part biography, part ethnography, and part photo essay—Harper documents what Willie does and how he does it. Harper's dignified portrait captures a disappearing feature of modern life—the essential human factor in the world of work.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A case study, as warm and lively as it is reflective, that records an important example of 'material and folk culture.'" -- Philip Morrison, Scientific American
"A luminous essay showing the setting, the worker, and many details of his work: closeups of machines that need repair, of grinding, of welding, of Willie's hands, tools, and products." -- Charles Tilly, Sociological Forum --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"A luminous essay showing the setting, the worker, and many details of his work: closeups of machines that need repair, of grinding, of welding, of Willie's hands, tools, and products." -- Charles Tilly, Sociological Forum --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Inside Flap
"Harper's portrait of Willie, the all-around craftsman, is more than an endearing one. It is a reflection on the role, good and bad, that technology, its use and misuse, has played in our lives. Working Knowledge is beyond nostalgia. It is a challenge for us to take a long hard look at where we are today in the matter of our life and our work."--Studs Terkel
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
I moved to northern New York a number of years ago to teach in a small college. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
wheel harrows, ford tractor, welding job Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North Country, World War, United States New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
I moved to northern New York a number of years ago to teach in a small college. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
wheel harrows, ford tractor, welding job Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North Country, World War, United States New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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This book cites 16
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31
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- Hidden Rhythms: Schedules and Calendars in Social Life by Eviatar Zerubavel in Back Matter
- North Country (Graphic Novels) by Shane White on page 92
- Riding the Rails by Michael Mathers in Back Matter
- Dust Bowl Descent by Bill Ganzel in Back Matter
- Conversations With the Dead by Danny Lyon in Back Matter
See all 16 books this book cites
- Image-based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers by Jon Prosser on page 38, page 109, and page 127
- What Is a Case?: Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry by Charles C. Ragin in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and page 157
- Image-based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers by Jon Prosser on page 40, page 111, and page 129
- Reflexive Ethnography: A Guide to Researching Selves and Others (The ASA Research Methods) by Charlotte Aull Davies on page 123, and Back Matter
- Fables Of Abundance: A Cultural History Of Advertising In America by Jackson Lears in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 31 books citing this book
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