Every Tool's a Hammer

By Adam Savage

Every Tool's a Hammer - Adam Savage
  • Release Date: 2019-05-07
  • Genre: Science & Nature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 51 Ratings

Description

In this New York Times bestselling “imperative how-to for creativity” (Nick Offerman), Adam Savage—star of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters—shares his golden rules of creativity, from finding inspiration to following through and successfully making your idea a reality.

Every Tools a Hammer is a chronicle of my life as a maker. It’s an exploration of making, but it’s also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things you’re interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you.

Through stories from forty-plus years of making and molding, building and break­ing, along with the lessons I learned along the way, this book is meant to be a toolbox of problem solving, complete with a shop’s worth of notes on the tools, techniques, and materials that I use most often. Things like: In Every Tool There Is a Hammer—don’t wait until everything is perfect to begin a project, and if you don’t have the exact right tool for a task, just use whatever’s handy; Increase Your Loose Tolerance—making is messy and filled with screwups, but that’s okay, as creativity is a path with twists and turns and not a straight line to be found; Use More Cooling Fluid—it prolongs the life of blades and bits, and it prevents tool failure, but beyond that it’s a reminder to slow down and reduce the fric­tion in your work and relationships; Screw Before You Glue—mechanical fasteners allow you to change and modify a project while glue is forever but sometimes you just need the right glue, so I dig into which ones will do the job with the least harm and best effects.

This toolbox also includes lessons from many other incredible makers and creators, including: Jamie Hyneman, Nick Offerman, Pixar director Andrew Stanton, Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, artist Tom Sachs, and chef Traci Des Jardins. And if everything goes well, we will hopefully save you a few mistakes (and maybe fingers) as well as help you turn your curiosities into creations.

I hope this book serves as “creative rocket fuel” (Ed Helms) to build, make, invent, explore, and—most of all—enjoy the thrills of being a creator.

Reviews

  • Truth about a Mythbuster

    4
    By TheRealMarvinJR
    Not only is this a great book for those who love to make, build, tinker, and craft awesome things but it is also a peek into the life of Adam Savage. Each chapter talk about various aspects of the world of making and how it relates to Adam's own journey. He gets pretty in depth with each subject. Hell, there's even entire section of the book dedicated to GLUE! On all accounts, its an amazing read whether you are a maker yourself, a Mythbusters fan, or just looking for inspiration.
  • This book did its job!

    5
    By A. Wooddy
    There is a part of the book where he mentions that if he inspires someone to make something, then he has done his job. I’ve listened to this book multiple times now and it has gotten me off the couch and in the garage every time. Well done Adam.