Hatch is a lively, informal writer, his discourse littered with explosions of ‘BOOM!’ in the same way he peppers his talks. It makes for a passionate, driven polemic in favour of the potential for makerspaces to transform lives. The Maker Revolution first outlines the trends that are driving the changes: the exponential technology changes that leave us dizzy as we try to keep up with them; the 90%+ fall in the costs of tools in recent years – in laser cutters, CNC machines, 3D printers; and changes to capital, manufacturing, and marketing. All with examples that really highlight that we’re living in a new world, whether we’ve noticed it or not.
In turn, the growth of makerspaces – particularly in the United States, and Hatch’s work is very US-centric – has begun to make major changes in people’s lives. From military veterans to grandmothers and tattooed bikers, Hatch recalls working alongside a wide variety of people on their projects. Through education, enabling innovation, and very real – and startling ($12 billion in estimated shareholder value from TechShop alone) – economic improvements.
The strong and detailed call-to-arms of the last section outlines just what US readers should be doing to spread this revolution. You won’t get this far in the book without it kindling an enthusiasm to do something to help the changes along, wherever you live, and there are plenty of ideas you should be able to enact in your own community. BOOM!
Mark R. Hatch £24.99 wiley.com
Verdict
A breathless tour of the staggering changes happening everywhere as makerspaces bring access to tools and unleash potential.
