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Every Tool's a Hammer
- Life Is What You Make It
- Narrated by: Adam Savage
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
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Summary
MythBusters’ Adam Savage - Discovery Channel star and one of the most beloved figures in science and tech - shares his golden rules of creativity, from finding inspiration to following through and successfully turning your idea into reality.
Adam Savage is a maker. From Chewbacca’s bandolier to a thousand-shot Nerf gun, he has built thousands of spectacular projects as a special effects artist and the cohost of MythBusters. Adam is also an educator, passionate about instilling the principles of making in the next generation of inventors and inspiring them to turn their curiosity into creation.
In this practical and passionate guide, Adam weaves together vivid personal stories, original sketches and photographs from some of his most memorable projects, and interviews with many of his iconic and visionary friends in the arts and sciences - including Pixar director Andrew Stanton, Nick Offerman, Oscar-winner Guillermo Del Toro and artist Tom Sachs - to demonstrate the many lessons he has picked up from a lifetime of making.
Things like: don’t wait until everything is perfect - in your workshop or in your life - to begin. Plan with pencil and paper. Sweep up every day. Learn from doing. Share your toys. There is an exact tool for every task (Adam probably has four of them in his wondrous shop), but if you need to pound in a nail and all you have handy is a skill saw - hammer away. The most important thing, always, is just that you make something.
Every Tool’s a Hammer is sure to guide and inspire you to build, make, invent, explore and, most of all, enjoy the thrills of being a creator.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.
Critic reviews
"Adam has drawn for us an imperative how-to for creativity... I am aware of no human outside of fiction more qualified to pen this rousing paean to making. I adore this book," (Nick Offerman, star of Parks and Recreation)
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What listeners say about Every Tool's a Hammer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Shanemccabe
- 13-02-22
Young designer(maker)’s necessity
I am a industrial designer, having a similar affinity for craft and having to endure the tribulations of project management I thought this would have something in it for me. I can say fervently this book is an essential piece of wisdom. narrated with the infectious and nostalgic excitement of Adam savage, whom I’ve adored since I was child watching mythbusters, I can’t imagine a person alive who wouldnt get something out of this absolute gem of a niche maker-centric self help book
2 people found this helpful
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- Omnia
- 12-06-19
A manifesto for making
Adam Savages love for his craft shines through every single line of this book. inspiring and insightful at all times.
2 people found this helpful
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- Taranne Kendon
- 30-05-19
Wonderful book, excellent narration
Always been a fan of Adam Savage and this book is so interesting, the narration is lovely as its read by Adam himself which bring a whole new level to it.
2 people found this helpful
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- Nathan Freeman
- 17-03-22
Makers, this book is a must.
I found this book to be as useful as any of the tools in my shop. If you take this book in in its entirety there are gems inside that really will help you with I would say any creative endeavour. From how to approach and plan a project to how to organise things in the most efficient way for you, I would definitely recommend this book, It is informative and funny.
1 person found this helpful
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- Cal
- 11-07-21
Brilliant and engaging
Definitely a replayer(audio equivalent of a reread?) look forward to approaching my future projects with a different mindset
1 person found this helpful
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- Ian
- 29-06-19
Meh
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Adam Savage but this book is well, not fully a book.
If I knew that 50% of it was going to be a list of equipment and glues I probably wouldn’t have bought it.
It’s starts very inspirational indeed and it does make you want to make things but if you’ve made things before that makes the last half kinda pointless.
I don’t believe it’s Adam’s fault, it feels more like a publishers push to get a book out than an authors meticulous process to create a masterpiece.
A shame but I’m kinda hoping there will be another which is more in depth about who Adam really is.
4 people found this helpful
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- I like random things
- 19-05-22
Informative and heartwarming
Been a fan of Adam since Mythbusters and I watch all of his Tested videos on YouTube and decided to listen to this too. I’m so happy that I have. The best way I can describe this one is like having a amazing uncle who has lived a awesome life give you a few pointers on what ways you could do things and what directions in life you could take but doesn’t come across as condescending.
Thank you Adam Savage for this gift.
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- Nick Ford
- 12-05-22
Great book for makers and the mechanically curious
Fab insight into how Adam thinks and works with lots of information and tips that have worked for him. It will change how my lists look! Thanks for sharing Adam
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- Anonymous User
- 25-03-22
Really awesome book about order and mess!
I can really see the Me from the Past in so many of the situations that Adam describe.
But most importantly, he shows you how to turn yourself from messy to tidy.
And his philosophy works for all aspects of life.
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- Cameron Rhys Bowen
- 03-11-21
My first book.
Always wanted to read but could never but the words on this painted pictures in my imagination, my hand could never.
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- Anonymous User
- 01-10-19
Adam Savage Just Gets Me
I loved every minute of this book. There were moments where I just wanted to cry while listening to Adam Savage speaking, because it felt like he just understood me the way few other people ever have.
This book has excited me and inspired me more than I can describe. I cannot wait to get started on my next project.
2 people found this helpful
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- PL
- 23-04-21
A Project Management Book for a Maker
Has some good project management tips - but definitely a book tailored more for makers.
1 person found this helpful
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- Isaac sheets
- 14-08-20
Dude. Like dude. Dang
This book is so good. I love watching tested and Adams one day builds and when I listened to this book it was like I could finally understand and connect some things that he does in his shop with his past. I could feel his passion and hard work that he put into this book and it was even better because he was the one reading it. I don’t read. I really don’t read. But I really liked this.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kalyn N.
- 21-12-21
Love the overall story!
Sometimes you have to pause the book to write some helpful information down but otherwise would read again!
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- Marcelo
- 27-11-21
Adam never disappoints
Read by Adam Savage himself, this is a surprisingly personal journey into the mind of a maker. I doubt you'll learn many things about *making* (even if the scissors chapter is unexpectedly informative) and St the same time I'm sure you'll learn a lot about the mindset of making, project management, people management and, as the subtitle promises, life itself.
Adam's performance is extraordinary. The passion with which he talks about so many subjects is touching. This wasn't a book where I was expecting to shed a tear, yet the first chapter had me doing exactly that. And the fact that Adam can speak eloquently about scissors, among many other things, was as surprising as inspiring.
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- 4Bach
- 20-07-21
enjoyable
good listen..big mythbusters fan!! Adam's advice about organization really hit home.
definitely worth the time!
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- Zach Brunson
- 21-06-21
This was Awesome and Helpful
This book was awesome. I expected to get a mix of Adam's classic manic energy, fun stories, and useful factoids. This was even better. I listened to this book while writing my dissertation, and was struggling with a particularly unwieldy chapter. This helped me organize my thoughts better and motivated me to get over the hump. It also gave me plenty of new perspectives on my work, my life, and my hobbies. Thanks Adam!
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- Fred
- 29-04-21
this book is my bible
as someone who obsesses and is a creative, this book is perfect. it is amazing
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- I make stuff
- 10-02-21
Thank you Adam
This book gave me reassurance that I’m not an anomaly in my way of thinking. The tips on planning a project were my favorite moments and have helped me exponentially since implementing them in my process. Seconded by the personal anecdotes that truly encompass a journey that people want to hear about as makers. And it was wonderful to hear it coming from Adam.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-12-20
book about life
I thought this was about his life and life style more than general life advice still a good book just not what I thought