The concept of craftsmanship has never been as relevant and timely as it is today. Assailed on all sides by - among many other tendencies - flexible working, short-termism, portfolio careers, quick-fix training and the cult of celebrity, it has recently re-entered public debate with a new sense of urgency. Why? Only when the romantic cobwebs have been blown away, it argues, can the key importance of the crafts be fully understood. Bestseller in hardback.