As the world’s workshops migrate over to Asia, it’s all too easy to become utterly blasé about the way things are made; barely two generations ago and any self-respecting designer could dash off a decent dovetail joint or whittle a chess set from a log.

Given that contemporary crafts are all about manipulating new materials, Manufacturing Processes is a timely and informative stab at the myriad ways we can create objects in the modern world. Thompson’s tone isn’t off-puttingly dry like most technical tomes, and the extensive photographs are an open invitation into the workshops that are at the literal cutting edge of material culture.