The Makers' Top Reads (& Listens) of 2019

Maker Staff
Star Rating
★★★★★
Reviewer's Rating
Mar 6, 2020

Check out the favorite reads and listens of 2019 from the MakerSpace squad.

Books

Every Tool's A Hammer
by Adam Savage
"Adam Savage narrates the audiobook and is a good storyteller. I had no idea what his backstory as a maker was pre-Mythbusters, so hearing that was super interesting. The book is Insightful and it was surprisingly gratifying to hear someone else's journey grappling with the ever-changing world of materials, machines, and processes." - Nick W

How to Make Hand-drawn Maps
by Cann, Helen
"How to make hand-drawn maps – As a traveler and immigrant, maps mean a lot to me: a way to look forward to where I’m going and find my favorite places in unknown spaces. As useful as they are, Google Street View and road maps reflect the geography of our world, but not what it might mean to you! So grab this book, learn to put the beauty of your own worlds on paper, and maybe even share them with the people around you." - Thomas M.

Printing Things
"Is there more to 3D printing than toys and gadgets? This book explores how this not-so-new technology changes the way 21st-century designers, engineers, and craftspeople worldwide look at their field and dives into the social and cultural impact of desktop manufacturing, present or soon-to-come." - Thomas M

The Noma Guide to Fermentation
by Redzepi, René
"Not a practical guide a but super interesting to deep dive into fermentation. What's better than collaborating with microbes to create delicious food? For an added bonus it's a really gorgeous book" - Brian O.

Folding Techniques for Designers
by Jackson, Paul
"Folding Techniques for Designers/ Sheet to Form by Paul Jackson is an advanced book for the package designer at heart. Paul Jackson includes folding patterns that take on sculptural forms, opening a whole new perspective and possibility for a plain sheet of 8.5X11 paper." - Angelica S.

Digital Handmade
by Johnston, Lucy
"Digital Handmade presents seventy international designers, artists, and craftsmen who combine the precision and flexibility of computing and digital fabrication with the skill and tactility of the master artisan to create unexpected and desirable objects and products." - Angelica S.

Automate the boring stuff with Python
by Sweigart, Al
"Make your digital life easier and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what’s going on in your devices! Use Python -one of the most approachable programming languages in the computing industry- to write small programs that can work together to assist you every day." - Thomas M.

Podcasts

Cool Tools Podcast
"The Cool Tools podcast is hosted by Mark Frauenfelder and Kevin Kelly. Each week they interview creative people and have a focused 30-minute conversation about the tools they love." - Brian O.

RM-3 (Raw Materials 3 Ways)Podcast
"Dry, slow and at times verbose.. this is a great podcast to listen to while sharpening a chisel" - Nick W.
 

Magazines

HackSpace Magazine
"HackSpace is a monthly magazine from the Raspberry Pi Foundation that compiles projects for tinkerers of all abilities. A PDF of the magazine is available free on their website." - Brian O.

Reviewed by Brian O.
See their Lists and Reviews in our Catalog!