Return of the Artisan : How America Went From Industrial to Handmade

Discover the evolution of the artisanal movement from the fringes of the 1970s to the spike of domesticity—home-cooking, gardening, and DIY crafting—caused by COVID-19 and what it means for the future of work and American culture. In the 1950s, America was a world of immaculate grocery stores, brightly packaged consumer goods, relentless big brand advertising, homes that were much too clean, and diets so rich in salt, sugar, fat, and preservatives you nearly have a heart attack just thinking of them. And while this approach made a great fortune for large consumer packaged goods companies it has been detrimental to American's overall health and wellbeing. Then, towards the end of the 20th century, Alice Waters and other pioneers figured out how to market natural, handmade, small-batch products to the American consumer again—and the rest is history. Now, we are in the third wave of a revolution. Thanks to COVID-19, millions of Americans went from being consumers of artisanal goods to being producers. People in the mainstream are baking bread, keeping bees, growing vegetables, and even raising chickens. Gardens are flourishing, workshops are growing, and sewing machines are whirring. Thousands have left the cities for the countryside, and if their companies don't require it, they might never return. Return of the Artisan is a collection of stories and interviews with artisanal businesses across America including family farms and collectives. This book explores their business models, their motivations, and explores how you can join them by turning your own hobby or passion into your work. Whether you want to make this a profession or simply enjoy providing artisanal goods to your family and friends, this book is a must-have for navigating the ups and downs of the latest artisanal revolution. Trenchantly on point and bursting with insight, anthropologist Grant McCracken shows American corporations how keeping a finger on the pulse of contemporary cultural trends can change their business practices for the better -- and ahead of the curve. Levi-Strauss, the jeans and apparel maker, missed out on the hip-hop trend. They didn't realize that those kids in baggy jeans represented a whole new -- and lucrative -- market opportunity, one they could have seen coming if they had but been paying attention to the shape of American culture. Levi Strauss isn't alone. Too many corporations outsource their understanding of culture to trend hunters, cool watchers, marketing experts, consulting firms, and, sometimes, teenage interns. The cost to Levi-Strauss was a billion dollars. The cost to the rest of corporate America is immeasurable. The lesson? The American corporation needs a new professional. It needs a Chief Culture Officer. Grant McCracken, an anthropologist who now trains some of the world's biggest companies and consulting firms, argues that the CCO would keep a finger on the pulse of contemporary cultural trends-from sneakers to slow food to preppies-while developing a systematic understanding of the deep waves of culture in America and the world. The CCO's professionalism would allow the corporation to see coming changes, even when they only exist as the weakest of signals. Delightfully authoritative, trenchantly on point, bursting with insight and character, Chief Culture Officer is sure to expand your horizons-and your business.

How can you become Steve Jobs, A.G. Lafley, or David Ogilvy? Hint: read this book.

Publishers Weekly

McCracken (Flock and Flow), a research affiliate at Convergence Culture Consortium at MIT, argues that every company needs a chief cultural officer to anticipate cultural trends rather than passively waiting and reacting. CCOs should have the ability to process massive amounts of data and spot crucial developments among an array of possibilities; they will be able to see the future coming, no matter which industry they serve, and create value for shareholders, move product, create profit and increase the bottom line. McCracken provides an impressive list of individuals deeply connected and in tune with the zeitgeist including Steve Jobs, A.G. Lafley, Mary Minnick, Joss Whedon and Johnny Depp—who fought Disney in order to create a campy male lead in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie—as well as such corporations as Starbucks and Nike that have “refashioned culture.” McCracken’s case is persuasive, and his book, peppered with pop culture references and enlivened by his restlessly inquisitive nature (and ability to strike up conversation with just about anyone), makes for enlightening and entertaining reading. (Dec.)

Self Reinvention Has Become A Preoccupation Of Contemporary Culture. In The Last Decade, Hollywood Made A 500-million-dollar Bet On This Idea With Movies Such Asmultiplicity, Fight Club, Existenzandcatch Me If You Can. Self Reinvention Marks The Careers Of Madonna, Ani Difranco, Martha Stewart, And Robin Williams. The Nike Ads Of Lebron James, The Experiments Of New Age Spirituality, The Mores Of Contemporary Teen Culture, And The Obsession With Extreme Makeovers Are All Examples Of Our Culture's Fixation With Change. In A Time Marked By Plenitude, Transformation Is One Of The Few Things These Parties Have In Common. Although Transformation Is Widely Acknowledged As A Defining Characteristic Of Our Culture, We Have Almost No Studies On What It Is Or How It Works. Transformationsoffers The First Comprehensive And Systematic View. It Is An Ethnography Of The Contemporary World.--book Cover. Self-transformation In A Popular Culture -- Traditional Transformations -- Status Transformations -- Modern Transformations -- Postmodern Transformations. Grant Mccracken. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [307]-402) And Index. Self reinvention has become a preoccupation of contemporary culture. In the last decade, Hollywood made a 500-million-dollar bet on this idea with movies such as Multiplicity, Fight Club, eXistenZ, and Catch Me If You Can. Self reinvention marks the careers of Madonna, Ani DiFranco, Martha Stewart, and Robin Williams. The Nike ads of LeBron James, the experiments of New Age spirituality, the mores of contemporary teen culture, and the obsession with "extreme makeovers" are all examples of our culture's fixation with change. In a time marked by plenitude, transformation is one of the few things these parties have in common. Although transformation is widely acknowledged as a defining characteristic of our culture, we have almost no studies on what it is or how it works. Transformations offers the first comprehensive and systematic view. It is an ethnography of the contemporary world. Grant McCracken, an anthropologist who now trains some of the world's biggest companies and consulting firms, argues that the American corporation needs a new professional--a Chief Culture Officer--who would keep a finger on the pulse of contemporary cultural trends while developing a systematic understanding of the deep waves of culture in America and the world. Getting past guru: being Steve Jobs Stealth CCOs Culture fast and slow Status and cool Producers and consumers Building a secret sneaker store How-to Philistines Bonus feature A. Ten candidates for CCO Bonus feature B. A tool kit for the rising CCO. Demonstrates how to increase a company's awareness of pop culture in order to gain competitive market advantages, citing the importance of gaining understanding of fast-moving trends and not outsourcing culture-related agendas. Getting past guru: being Steve Jobs Stealth CCOs Culture fast and slow Status and cool Producers and consumers Building a secret sneaker store How-to Philistines Conclusion.