The subtitle is "An Inquiry into the value of work." Crawford is a smart cat and it's a hard read but thought provoking. He gew up in a commune in CA, obviously on his own path; earned a Phd from U of Chicago and found himself running a think tank in Washingto DC. He returned to his passioin and roots in the speed shop and now finds greater challenges and rewards working on motorcycles. The parts that stike me as the most essential say that "REAL" knowledge comes from "REAL" things (wire, gears, the feel of the ride etc) and if you are going to judge the world fairly, you have to look at it from outside your own head. The "knowledge" economy is vastly overrated.... His descriptions of motorcycles (and other trades) and the thought behind the work suit me.