Making a Review

21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

I read the Makers book by Chris Anderson for this Assignment. Overall I thought it was an interesting read and that the philosophy behind the Maker Movement described in this book, but that Anderson placed far too much stock in this movement to solve our economic issues.

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

Anderson is very enthusiastic about how technology is opening up new opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses that operate in new ways. He discusses the maker movement and where it came from, and then the technology and trends he sees changing it today as well as where he thinks it will go in the future.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

I think this book did a great job combining things I have learned in this class with the Creativity in Context class I am also taking for the Innovation Academy. In that class we learn and use many of the design programs talked about in this book, but the process to make a business we use in this class is also very similar to several of the examples in the book. Most of this book was about technology and the changes its causing, but within the sections there was information applicable to this class. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I think the best exercise for this book would be to have students design their product, or at least a logo for a service business idea, in a CAD software and require students to follow the steps to get it printed all the way to the preview before you pay on Ponoko or the other sites the book recommends. This would give students the hands on experience of taking action and making a prototype for our ideas, and give those that want to make their idea a reality something they could go ahead and hit print on.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

I thought the author made a great argument for open source products and letting the community that forms around a product help improve it. I realized that some of the things I like most do this in ways I had not thought about and that I should seriously consider it as an option for when I make something of my own.