Thoughtful and Inspiring, a Wonderful Tale of the Learning Process (Carpentry and Beyond)

I read Hammer Head by Nina MacLaughlin and absolutely loved it. Honest and heartfelt storytelling that provides amazing insights about going from here to there in a career change, and well beyond that. There are no overdramatics in this work — it explores change, disillusion and disappointment and the inherent pressure of a ticking clock, and working to find what’s meaningful in life, slowly and not so surely, with diligence, hard work, and a willingness to listen and learn. And it’s not all about hitting you over the head with lessons learned and metaphors — the writing is much too good for that. Just a wonderful exploration of the learning process, and all that going through it presents to us and informs how we think about how we live our lives. I’m still always looking for the board stretcher (will make sense after you’ve read the book). This book inspired me to think deep about how I handle things when I can’t find it.

(Got a chance to interview Nina for the Writing Drafts podcast last November, you can listen to it here.)