Looking for evidence that people are still thinking

Noted joke-teller Jerry Seinfeld once quipped that bookstores are the only evidence we have that people are still thinking.

Outside of the world of academia and its research papers, he might be right.

With all the media bias, outright partisanship, and “fake news” floating around, it can be difficult to source not just the news, but also the ingredients that go into making the news: information.

The internet is full of clickbait headlines; Nigerian email scams; and time-wasting, yet hilarious, memes. It’s quickly becoming a clearinghouse for nonsense. Books bring something else entirely to the table. They are – for the most part – well-researched, edited, crafted even.

Before Johannes Gutenberg introduced moveable, mechanical printing to the world, books were hand-crafted status symbols. The finest leathers, paper, ink, and precious metals were used in their production. Whereas today people may show off their taste and wealth by owning a fine Patek Philippe or Lamborghini Aventador, before Gutenberg, the rich and famous owned books.

Today Project Gutenberg is named for the man who brought books, and therefore information, to the masses. It is a web-based information dissemination initiative that offers more than 56,000 free e-books for download. While e-books don’t give the same tactile sensation of their paper cousins, the information is there, attainable with only a few clicks of a button.

Many forward-thinking companies even have intraoffice book clubs for employees that provide them with an opportunity to expand their knowledge base. In fact, most executive-level promotions or hires typically come with some form of reading list. Reading helps create active conversations on a range of topics, and book selection can help drive corporate culture and get everyone – pun intended – on the same page.

An example of this recently came across my desk and helps make the point. But it’s for the shop floor, not the boardroom.

If your company is thinking of making the jump into 5-axis machining, or if you have employees that you want to cross-train on this technology, consider having them read Michael Cope’s The Power of FIVE: The Definitive Guide to 5-Axis Machining.

Cope is a former job shop owner, machinist, and now applications engineer with machine tool builder Hurco. Among its many topics the book explains, one machinist to another, the concept and benefits of 5-axis machining, as well as the difference between 3+2 machining and simultaneous 5-axis work, programming challenges, and maintenance.

It’s a good read for both rookie machinists and experts.