Ingrained

The Making of a Craftsman

De: Callum Robinson

Narrado por: Callum Robinson

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION

A captivating memoir that immerses readers in the life of a Scottish carpenter as he perfects his craft, builds a business, and reflects on what inheritance and shared responsibility really mean

The eldest son of a master woodworker, Callum Robinson spent his childhood surrounded by wood and trees, absorbing lessons in his father’s workshop. In time he became his father’s apprentice, helping to create exquisite bespoke objects. But eventually the need to find his own path—to chase ever bigger and more commercial projects and establish a workshop of his own—drew him away. Faced with the end of his business, his team, and everything he had worked so hard to build, he was forced to question what mattered most.

In beautifully wrought prose, Callum tells the story of returning to the workshop and to the wood, to handcrafting furniture for people who will love it and then pass it on to the next generation—an antidote to a culture where everything seems so easily disposable. As he does so, he brings us closer to nature and the physical act of creation—and we begin to understand how he has been shaped, as both a craftsman and a son.

Blending memoir and nature writing at its finest, Ingrained is an uplifting meditation on the challenges of working with your hands in our modern age, on community, consumerism, and the beauty of the natural world—one that asks us to see our local trees, and our own wooden objects, in a new and revelatory light.

Very relatable memoir

Well written and very well told. Anyone making things with their hands will enjoy this

A Family Journey With love and Wood

This is a lovely story, which I relate to strongly. I wish the author, and his family, all of the success in the world.
He is a woodworker, a philosopher and an interesting person.
You will enjoy this
J

Ingrained, the perfect title

This book was a surprise, referred to me by my husband. I was captivated, first by Callum’s voice, then by the sheer weight of his story. His patient father. The mess and the lostness. The emerging beauty. The appreciation of all that is ingrained in trees and people and communities. A very rich read.

Beautifully Crafted Writing

This was an immensely satisfying book, both for my husband (a finish carpenter and furniture maker) and me (not a woodworker by any means and not really allowed around power tools). It is beautifully, almost lyrically written with a decidedly organic and genuine style. The author is also a surprisingly good narrator, usually the kiss of death for me. My only negative comment is the production value of the audio recording. Twice the recording settings abruptly changed, enough for my husband and I to wonder if the producers had changed narrators. It would gradually even out to the original voice, but it was a little jarring in an otherwise wonderful book.

Heartwarming, authentic, soul-stirring

A beautifully written and beautifully told story of following our calling, respecting and investing in true craftsmanship, developing our natural aptitudes and skills, protecting the earth and its scarce resources, and remembering the value of making things with our hands.