Every Tool’s a Hammer – Adam Savage

Title: Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life’s What You Make It

Author: Adam Savage

Genre: Memoir

Plot: Adam Savage of Mythbusters tells of his experiences and what he’s learned from his life. Throughout the book, Adam gives advice for how to be a better maker, whether that be a engineer, designer, artist, writer, etc. Though he mostly uses his examples of building props and cosplay costumes, his ideas, examples, and advice is for anyone who creates something. He encourages everyone to dive into their passions, find a community (especially one that builds you up), use what you have around you, and find a system that works for you. Adam also stressed the importance of making lists. He gave lots of examples of the lists that have helped him and others. Throughout the book Adam also stresses having people that support and encourage you. He tells many stories of people who have helped him and encouraged him along the way. He told stories of bad times and good times. Adam tells the importance of finding a system that works for you. And that it’s not gonna be the same for everyone. He encourages everyone to find their own rhythm and find their own processes. He says what’s worked for him and what’s worked for his friends. Adam also talked about the importance of setting deadlines for stuff for fun or for a job. It can keep you motivated, especially if it’s for a for fun task or project. The book ends with finding what tools you need for making what you want.

Rating: 4.0 – a book about finding what you need to do to stay creative

Opinion: This was a good book about finding what you need to be creative. Some parts were harder for me to relate to because I’m not a builder. But overall, it’s a great way for anyone who creates. It’s good to realize that people don’t have the same process for creating things. Some stories made me chuckle. I really related to other ones. I enjoyed learning about some behind the scenes for plays, movies, and Mythbusters. I hadn’t known that Adam had met some great creators like Guillermo del Toro and Star Wars and Lord of the Rings creators. I smiled when I could read a story in Adam’s voice as he’s got a unique voice and I’ve seen a lot of Mythbusters. This is a great book for anyone who’s a creator. It’s even better for anyone who’s a builder.