Peter Korn On 'Why We Make Things'

Peter Korn's new book, Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman, lies comfortably somewhere between memoir and deep meditation. He is a master New England furniture maker whose work has been exhibited in some of the nation's top galleries and museums, and founder and executive director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine.

Korn's book seeks to connect head and hand, spirit and toil, meaning and physical matter — not the mass-produced, industrialized stuff of every day consumerism. Rather, we're talking about beautiful things made by someone who cares. And to that end, the book's title has a declarative feel. But shift the emphasis slightly, and you open the door to Korn's more profound purpose. He asks the question: "Why do we make things? Why does it matter?" Peter Korn joins us to try to get a little closer to that answer.

Peter Korn, founder and executive director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, and author of Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman.

Read an excerpt from the book here.