The day-to-day realities of those who make things for a living get scant attention compared to the potential satisfactions of craft as avocation. But they are every bit as important--especially for those actively considering exchanging the lecture hall, office, or operating room for a workbench and a set of woodworking tools. Honest, earthy, and wryly humorous, this collection of tales drawn from more than 30 years of experience at shops in England and the United States is as thought provoking as it is entertaining. We accompany Hiller as she stumbles into furniture making after dropping out of Cambridge University, finds employment in one, then another, English shop, grapples with monotony, sexism, and self-doubt, attempts escape, and eventually makes peace with her vocation.