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GRACE HAWTHORNE
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ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer Hardcover – December 6, 2005

by Shoshana Berger (Author), Grace Hawthorne (Author)
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 76 ratings
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HOW TO MAKE {ALMOST} EVERYTHING

A Do-It-Yourself Primer

You need this book. As the stuff of life piles up and things spin out of control, we could all use a little help. These never-before-seen designs and how-tos are full of surprise and wonder. Learn how to turn everyday objects into spellbinding inventions to give away to friends or keep for yourself. Our simple self-improvement techniques will make you smarter, better-looking, and more well-adjusted.


(RE) MAKE IT!

This is the “sales copy” section. Here we will talk about how useful, delight-inducing, and excellently well put together this book is. If things have gone a little flat and you’re searching for inspiration, look no further. ReadyMade is full of fun projects for the whole family. It solves problems, cures dizzy spells, and holds open the door. It has a collegial, ’50s garage tinkerer sensibility. It read Popular Science as a kid and dreamt of building rockets. It launches with fiery trails. It soars. When it falls, it brushes itself off and starts over. It is the Captain of Creativity. Resistance is futile. This book is 100% hope.

First project: Personalize this book and protect it from theft by cutting out this portion of the cover and replacing it with your own photo. (See page 16)
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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Potter Style
  4. Publication date
    December 6, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    7.48 x 0.92 x 8.98 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781400081073
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1400081073
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A partly serious, partly humorous look at materials we usually discard, the work provides step-by-step instructions on how to transform paper, plastic, metal, wood, concrete and fabric into such unlikely (and undesirable) household items as a chopstick clock or a colander light sconce. Berger and Hawthorne (the editor-in-chief and publisher, respectively, of ReadyMade magazine) also include acknowledged failures, such as the water bottle lounge chair, too fragile and noisy to sit on. Each section begins with a history of the "raw" material, designed to make readers more aware of the environment and the uses of these materials. In addition to proposing new uses for Fed Ex boxes (a CD rack) and plastic detergent containers (an "ultraclean coatrack"), the authors also offer how-to advice, both silly (how to write a love note) and useful (how to self-publish). The playfulness extends to noncraft instruction on what to do with plastic ("how to start a business on credit cards") and glass ("how to break through your own glass ceiling"). Inspired by Marcel Duchamp, who coined the term "readymade," the authors are interested in encouraging creative thinking as much as, if not more than, making re-purposed objects. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

From the pages of ReadyMade magazine appears this compendium of more than 30 projects making the most of recycled paper, plastic, wood, metal, glass, and fabric. Not content to simply show and tell, authors Berger (magazine editor in chief) and Hawthorne (magazine publisher and CEO) add their own funny commentary. Want to debate the utility of chopsticks versus forks? Need to research the manufacture and ingredients of polyester, say, or specific alloys? Desire non-do-it-yourself recycling ideas for some of the more than 730 pounds of paper an average American uses each year? Instructions are easy to follow, the tone is always engaging, and all the projects are practical (for instance, why not have a beer-can room divider or FedEx CD rack?). Appended are abbreviations, hardware screw sizes, conversions, and glossary. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1400081076
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Potter Style; First Edition (December 6, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781400081073
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1400081073
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.85 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.48 x 0.92 x 8.98 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 76 ratings

About the author

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GRACE HAWTHORNE

GRACE HAWTHORNE

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Grace Hawthorne is an entrepreneur, artist, author and educator. She is the Founder/CEO of Paper Punk, an award-winning Origami meets LEGO mashup that helps people exercise their creativity and Foldmade, an innovative work supply system that helps people get stuff done. As an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University's design institute (aka: the d.school), she teaches courses on creativity and failure and started a groundbreaking research project on creative capacity building published in Science and covered by Wired magazine. Previously, she founded ReadyMade, the culturally groundbreaking design magazine that ignited the maker movement, and led its acquisition by Meredith Corporation (NASDAQ: MDP) and co-authored the critically acclaimed book on reuse design, ReadyMade: How to Make (Almost) Everything (Random House/Potter). Her products can be found on the shelves of mass retailers and her artwork has been exhibited in several national museums including the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum Triennial. She holds an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA, MFA from UCLA’s School of Film and Television, and a BA in Visual Communication from UC Berkeley. Grace has dedicated her life to making things and experiences that cultivate human creativity through the marriage of art + commerce.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
76 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Barton Poulson
    5.0 out of 5 stars ReadyMade changed my life (well, almost)
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    This book appears to provoke profound ambivalence. However, for me, it was pee-in-your-pants funny and extremely inspiring, in the creative sense. In my review of the magazine by the same name, I said that it leads one to view the built environment in new and wonderful ways. The same holds in this case. In the reduce-reuse-recycle scheme, it makes an absolutely compelling case for creative reuse. This has two major benefits: (1) it helps overcome mindless consumerism and (2) it makes one a more appreciative and thoughtful person. Excellent outcomes. I recommend it highly.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Nicole T
    3.0 out of 5 stars crafty book lack realistic projects
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    The creators of ReadyMade have brought their creativity and their "Eco-sense" to the yellow pages table. However, while some of the project are fun and creative, many are outlandish and incredibly difficult. They take their recycling to an extreme with projects like an empty water bottle lounge chair and a beer can room divider. They have really great ideas, I just wish the book would have been filled with them.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Keith Daly
    5.0 out of 5 stars How to Live a Well Designed Life
    Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    Unlike the reviewer who felt this was only practical for dorm room dwellers, I found this book to be just right for those who appreciate thoughtful and well designed projects. Sure there are silly things (as the revewer mentioned) but even those proved insightful - I have a new appreciation for exercising my creativity and considering new and different solutions for my home which I never would have otherwise.

    Finally, a book filled with projects which are accessible, creative, and inspiring. Thank you ReadyMade!
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Indiana Friend
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A fun book.
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  • Gail Martin
    1.0 out of 5 stars Unappealing projects
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    I expected this book to show me how to make projects comparable to those found in the "ReadyMade" magazine: Practical, attractive projects that make good use out of cast off items. Instead, this book shows projects made out of junk that look like nothing more than projects made out of junk. A coat rack made out of laundry soap bottles looks like a stack of laundry soap bottles. The cd racks made out of shipping cartons look like shipping cartons. I was very surprised to find not one item in the book that I wanted to make.

    Tastes being what they are, you may enjoy this book more than me. All I'm saying is that you'd probably want to look at a copy of it before buying, to make sure.
    122 people found this helpful
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  • SHIRLEY
    2.0 out of 5 stars Fun book to read. Similar to the magazine( why I purchased this).
    Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Fun book but it only had a few instructions for repurposing items/ making things from recycled materials. Loved the magazine. Sadly the magazine was
    only produced 2007-2011. If you're a fan of the tiny home movement/ enjoy repurposing items, you'll enjoy this as a coffee table book. It has clips about history of inventions/ popular items.
    One person found this helpful
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  • cmomgofast
    5.0 out of 5 stars excellent service and product
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This book is amazing - any boy would love it!! My boy is 28 years old. The Post office ruined his copy while it was being shipped and he could not live without it!
    One person found this helpful
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  • catrishia cordova
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love the magazine
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Love this book
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Client d'Amazon
    4.0 out of 5 stars Un ouvrage pratique
    Reviewed in France on October 14, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Pas mal du tout! Bien compose, un atout pour les bricoleurs en herbe en mal d'idées. Je recommande. Quelques petites astuces mais rien de mirobolant.
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  • Mr C J Adair
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Great item
    Report
  • Jonny
    3.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother. Just use google
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Its ok. Quite dated now. Its ok as a novelty or to get design ideas for other projects but there is nothing worth making in it.
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  • selbst
    2.0 out of 5 stars Wenn Designer sich austoben...
    Reviewed in Germany on October 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Der Buchtitel sowie die Beschreibung klangen schon mal sehr spannend. Jetzt habe ich das Buch bekommen und durchgesehen, und ich muss sagen echte Geldverschwendung.
    Die Pluspunkte: Das cover ist originell was Optik und Haptik betrifft
    Die Minuspunkte: DIE FORM: Das Innere des Buches ist total überladen mit typischem "ich bin Designer und muss das auf Teufel-komm-raus jedem Beweisen" layout. Die Seiten sind vollgepackt mit Ikons, Symbolen, Grafiken, die Übersicht um was es jeweils geht ist nur schwer möglich.
    DER INHALT: Hat man endlich die do it yourself- Ideen ausgemacht, erweisen sich diese als ziemlich banal und dabei weder besonders funtkional noch optisch ansprechend.
    FAZIT: Es gilt nach wie vor: Form follows function, dieses Design-Credo scheinen die Designer dieses Buches umgedreht zu haben. Von daher würde ich von dem Buch abraten.
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  • Cliente Amazon
    2.0 out of 5 stars i love the concept its just not easy enough
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    It honestly doesn't really help with anything, i love the concept its just not easy enough, crammed, and expects you to have a bunch of hipster pristine junk.
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