Expect chocolate, artefacts from manufacturing history, and perhaps a few publishing mishaps when Churchill College Fellow Prof. Tim Minshall joins College Master Prof. Sharon Peacock for the Master’s Book Club series on Tuesday, November 4th, discussing his eye-opening exploration of how the things we use every day come to be.
The evening promises to be accessible and engaging for all, with Tim bringing along some rather remarkable items, and using baking to illustrate how manufacturing shapes our world. One lucky attendee will even leave with a special technical artefact!
As Head of the Institute for Manufacturing at Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, Tim has spent his career at the intersection of innovation and production. His debut book for a general audience, Your Life is Manufactured: How We Make Things, Why It Matters, and How We Can Do It Better, arrives at a crucial moment when the UK is rediscovering the vital importance of manufacturing to a resilient economy.
Tim argues that society has fundamentally misunderstood manufacturing’s role over recent decades. “We have somehow forgotten that manufacturing is the process by which ideas and opportunities are converted into products and systems that improve our lives,” he explains. The book spans technical, social, environmental and political domains to demonstrate why manufacturing matters – and how digital technologies are increasingly intertwining the manufacturing world with our daily lives.
The book’s interdisciplinary approach reflects Tim’s unique position at Churchill College and the Institute for Manufacturing, where he had ready access to expertise across multiple domains. This advantage proved invaluable during the writing process, which Tim describes as filled with “numerous mistakes” – experiences he’s keen to share with aspiring authors.
The evening offers an opportunity to reflect on our role within the manufacturing world and discover “readily sharable” stories and concepts to explain manufacturing’s importance to others. Tim hopes attendees will gain new perspective on the choices we make as consumers and citizens – choices that could help accelerate us “on a less planetary-damaging path.”
The event takes place from 6-7pm in Wolfson Hall, Churchill College, followed by a drinks reception. While the event is free and open to all, advance booking is essential. To secure your place, please reserve your place via the online booking form. Book your ticket – The Master’s Book Club – Churchill College, University of Cambridge
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