Celebrating Matthew B. Crawford

Matthew B. Crawford, a six-pack of Coors, and his 1976 VW Bug drift car. Image: Jean Boulanger

A good friend just celebrated his 58th birthday last Saturday. I’ve known Matt since meeting him in person at a Triumph motorcycle launch in downtown San Jose on January 4, 2020, but I’ve known of him since 2010.

I was U.S. editor of BikeRadar.com, a British cycling website that launched in July 2007. Bicycles were my life, and I was neglecting a BMW R 90/6 in the garage in favor of the 15 or so bicycles hanging from the rafters. It was my job, after all, and my 43-year-old body needed to stay in shape. A few years later I became aware of a new book called “Shop Class As Soulcraft” written by a guy who owned a one-man motorcycle repair shop in Virginia.

I was immediately smitten with the vintage red BMW airhead on the cover, but it was the content that had an immediate effect on my brain. The author was Matthew B. Crawford, and his stifled wisenheimer smirk glared at me from the back dust jacket author’s photo every time I shared my copy or bought more for friends.