Makers: The new industrial revolution

Makers: The New Industrial Revolution is the best book hi-lighting the impact Makers have established over the last five years. The Maker movement is growing due to the collision of powerful digital tools, the internet of things and cost effective manufacturing. As a child I always wished for these advanced tools to bring to life my ideas, inventions and the toys my childhood friends would talk about and dream about making.

My ideas for creating art was always apart of my Saturday art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art. The drawings I kept of my inventions have all but disappeared.

This is where Makers: The New Industrial Revolution comes into focus for parents and educators today a generation later. What is making this possible? The industrial global supply chain has driven the cost of affordable powerful IoT including the new $5 Raspberry Pi Zero that will drive new innovations at incredibly efficient price points.

We should be careful at home because the world is embracing these technologies. Remember Anderson shares his belief that inventors and creative types are actually makers. Now this is happening on a truly global scale.

If the buzz of 3D printers and filament reels make your eyes glaze please remember that YouTube is the best example of Makers sharing their passion. Look at any dedicated YouTube channel – say woodworking- and you will find Makers creating and uploading passionate lessons regarding their craft. Look no further than Esty for a commercial success as a reseller of Maker’s crafts now listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Simply unheard of just 5 years ago.

Now consider the ability of your son or daughter to bring their ideas from a notebook and print them on a personal CNC mill or desktop laser cutter. Still sound too far into the future? While the price of entry is still considered high for some tools these solutions have never been better prices or built upon open source hardware.

I was impressed how Anderson addresses the shift from China to learn how Makers are bringing parts of those manufacturing elements back to America. If Chris Anderson can launch 3D Robotics without a engineering degree and hire his first employee in 2012 without a college degree you can tell this is truly a new market. Hiring Jordi Muñoz is a great inspirational story about the sudden success of the Maker movement itself.

This is a must read for any parent with children who like to tinker….