Ingrained: An Uplifting Memoir about Woodworking and Craftsmanship

by Callum Robinson

The eldest son of a master woodworker, Callum Robinson spent his childhood surrounded by wood and trees, absorbing lessons in his father’s workshop. In time he became his father’s apprentice, helping to create exquisite bespoke objects. But eventually the need to find his own path—to chase ever bigger and more commercial projects and establish a workshop of his own—drew him away. Faced with the end of his business, his team, and everything he had worked so hard to build, he was forced to question what mattered most.

In beautifully wrought prose, Callum tells the story of returning to the workshop and to the wood, to handcrafting furniture for people who will love it and then pass it on to the next generation—an antidote to a culture where everything seems so easily disposable. As he does so, he brings us closer to nature and the physical act of creation—and we begin to understand how he has been shaped, as both a craftsman and a son.

Blending memoir and nature writing at its finest, Ingrained is an uplifting meditation on the challenges of working with your hands in our modern age, on community, consumerism, and the beauty of the natural world—one that asks us to see our local trees, and our own wooden objects, in a new and revelatory light.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook, Scotland, Biography Memoir, Woodwork

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[liv ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

When starting this book, I assumed I would be getting an in-depth explanation of the craftsmanship of woodworking. Instead, I got a brilliantly narrated insight into the day-to-day of what it is like to be a craftsman in the modern world and the instances that brought Robinson to this place. If you know me, usually a mismatch of expectations and reality is almost always enough for me to not enjoy a book, but I was pleasantly surprised and charmed by Callum and his story and the intricacies of what it means to be a modern day wood worker. I was also extremely pleased to see such an incredibly beautiful romance between him and his wife to the point where this might also be classified as my favorite romance because it so well aligns with what I strive for.

I was genuinely disappointed when this audiobook ended before I finished my baking for the day and my only real complaint is that I happily could’ve listened to Callum talk for another 10 hours.

4.5/5

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callum Robinson spent his childhood in his fathers workshop surrounded by wood and trees, becoming his apprentice before setting off on his own path and starting his own business.

This memoir captivated me, the writing is so mesmerising and beautiful. Callum lives and breaths woodwork and hearing someone talk so passionately about their craft, you can’t help but want to go create something of your own. Hearing about his journey to where he is now, it reminds you to slow down, enjoy the journey and of the joy in finding your passion.

Living in a world so full of consmerism, this was a lovely reminder to connect more with nature, treasure the things you own and the beauty of craft. His descriptions of creating pieces of furniture that are to last generations, made me think about community, family and tradition.

There is always something special about reading descriptions of places you know well and this really made me appreciate where I live. Every time I’ve been out a walk and looking over at the bridges I’ve thought about his descriptions of them. He captures the essence of Scotland perfectly 🤍

I also have a very energetic dog and was chuckling whenever he mentioned his, I’m all too familiar with the ‘near-nuclear frenzy’ when I let him off the lead 😂

Can’t recommend this enough! 👏👏

Thanks to Transworld for a proof copy!

[Celine | stuffcelinereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Ingrained is a beautifully written book about trees and craftsmanship while importantly touching upon the hardships of living of your passion in a fast paced world and consumerist society.

This book also hides a touching coming of age story and is an ode to woodwork, always going back to it and to the trees in an elegant and full circle way.

I went into it not expecting to find such a lyrical writing and was gripped from the very beginning because of it. The author's love for his work and art shows through his words and makes you care deeply for the trials he goes through but also smile at his and his family's successes and good fortune.
It's hard to find someone who loves their job and believes in what they're doing and this author has managed to share this sentiment perfectly.
Lastly, as someone who's taking a leap of faith in making my art my job, it gives me hope to find the same contentment in what i create for myself while feeling seen and understood for doubting this path i chose.

Thank you to Transworld and Penguin Random House for sending an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Coco Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, although beautifully written, was boring. The first chapter was a slog, but after that…the pace picked up and there seemed to be the making of a story. But even within what he chose to share about himself, it wasn’t much. No where did he talk about the things I wanted to know: how did he meet Marisa? His book talks about the making of a craftsman, but starts with him doing high end, fancy commercial jobs…which is confusing. How did he find his crew? We know more about his dad than anyone else, and while I like the dad, it just all felt so choppy and the direction wasn’t clear. Surface level stuff. Being married to a woodworker, it kept my interest just enough, but otherwise didn’t do it for me.

[Jack Crockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very tangible ode to the experiences of working with hardwoods. I would encourage anyone that reads it to go and look at the photos of the furniture at their store (Method) while reading it.

As a hobbiest that does not have to turn wood into food, I can afford the time to do projects 19th century handtools. This method, while not always efficient, heightens those experiences.

Hearing about the stresses of being a small business owner, in craft, in a industrial world; I'm happy that I don't woodwork for a living. I can get a smaller measure of those experiences without fearing for my livelyhood.

I could really relate to the descriptions and feelings about the transformation of rough sawn hardwood and also the fear of large industrial machines.

The late author Nancy Hiller who worked in a formal UK Apprenticeship role I think contributed to this genre in a more irreverent and comedic way. This book made me want to seek out more of her writing.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story of a wood craftsman in Scotland. The story takes you from his early years growing up and learning from his father who was a craftsman to when he and his wife open their own small custom furniture shop. He shows his love and appreciation for nature as well as the respect for what he and other craftsman do in their work. The book really gave me an even deeper appreciation to what goes into the design and crafting of quality furniture. It is also a very inspiring story of his and his family’s journey through the years. A great book! I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway.

[Kali · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - some moments were very poignant (his grandmother being sick, learning how to stand on his own two feet in New Zealand, trees that grow up in harsh climates being made into the most beautiful pieces). I also enjoyed the stories about him and his dad. I read a ton of books about mothers and daughters, so it was nice to read about a father and son. You can tell he has a reverence for what he does, and I admit sometimes I got a little lost when he would pivot to “shop-talk”, but my appreciation of craftsmanship has exponentially increased.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps my first memoir where I thought, “Hmm, maybe I should write a memoir…” Recommend this to anyone who works with their hands and/or owns a small business.

Listened on my phone from the library.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

For a book about wood working, the writing was much better than anticipated. Callum’s ability to describe and explain their pieces of work kept the book interesting and allowed the imagination to run wild. Good job!

[Jacquary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, a real good feeling

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story, and gorgeous writing about loving a craft, nature, and making things with your hands. It's a practical guide for anyone who loves wood working or just making something with your hands. I plan to incorporate keeping "the wolf at the door" and the word "bespoke" into my vocabulary forevermore. Imagine the language and description of Robert Macfarlane, just a lovely book.
The woodcuts and epigraphs are stories unto themselves--my favorite style of memoir.

Favorite quotes:
"They say the Inuit have fifty words for snow; Scottish islanders could probably match that for rain...Greetie, smirr, yillen, sump, and haar rolled and lashed in from the Atlantic."

Really loved the Brief Notes On:
"And the lesson here is this: design inspiration can come from anywhere" (220).

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting memoir about the creation of a now well-known Scottish woodworking shop. I found the story of Method’s creation, as well as the relationship between the author and his father fascinating. The audiobook was very nicely narrated by the author himself.

[Tanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ingrained is a thoughtful and beautifully crafted reflection on working with timber, a material I love just as much as stone. As an architect, I use timber whenever possible, and this book deepened my appreciation for its warmth, versatility, and timeless quality. Beyond design, it also resonated deeply with me as a small business owner, touching on challenges and philosophies that feel both personal and universal. An inspiring and insightful read.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant memoir ! A book about wood, work, love and a father’s gift. Immensely readable and up lifting.

[Ethan Chitty]

Superb

Its been a very very long time since a memoir had me excited to pick it up again and again.

[Graeme Pitman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I could have read 800 pages of this.

[Graig · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about a craftsman, a master woodworker. Loved it!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But things that come too easy get boring fast, most pain is temporary, and is ANY amount of money really worth the misery of spending your time doing something you loathe?"

Loved.

[Daniel Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction that’s as gripping as fiction. Prose that reads like poetry. Love this book! Echoes of shop craft as soulcraft, zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance, with something else wholly its own.

[Logan Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for books where you get to peek behind the curtain into the head and heart of people who are masters of their trade.

[Courtney Rodgers]

Beautiful writing, but I found this book quite dull.

Full review will appear on AudioFile

CW:
Profanity, financial difficulties, job loss

[Ben Southworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job showing the way we can drift away from doing something we care about, towards something 'more important' - in this case, Robinson seems to suddenly realize he hasn't made anything with his hands in years, and is now just managing a woodworking business and trying to please high-profile clients. I think everyone can relate to this on some level, and so it's gratifying to see how he finds a way (treacherous as it may be) to get back to doing what he loves, and doing it more on his own terms. There's also great insight into the importance of storytelling as a component to running small business, and the beautiful depiction of Scotland is more than enough to make me want to go back again.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir of a woodworker is so beautiful. His extravagant words conjure up the scents of wood, the honest tiredness of a full day of work and the tactile delights of his trade. In the days of instant consumerism it is a joy to read this book.

[Mr Ronnie McKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book I would have rushed out to buy, but my wife gave me a copy after hearing the author at Wigton.

I loved Callum's story, which was full of vivid description and overflowing with feelings. Without giving away anything significant, I did think the pages advising the reader on how to get employment as a woodworker weren't really part of the memoir and might have been better in the author's notes after the epilogue. Otherwise, I found myself empathising with Callum and found his story engrossing.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t go looking for this. It found me (via an email from bookbub who included this as a 99p kindle offer).

The description included these words “blending memoir and nature writing at its finest, Ingrained is an uplifting meditation on the joys and challenges of working with your hands in our modern age, on inheritance, community, and the beauty of the natural world.” - I love reading good memoirs, and I read a lot about nature so this immediately appealed.

I started reading this while on holiday, staying in a log cabin in a forest. I sat on the decking looking out at trees and read chapter after chapter. It suited my surroundings beautifully.

I’ve found myself looking at furniture slightly differently. Evaluating the items I have in my own home - a chair, a side table, and those I pass - picnic benches, park benches. Wondering about the construction. Wondering about the invisible hands that brought them into being. Not are the finely finished items that Callum and his team work on but they’re still being created and deserve to be cared for.

A wonderful read.

Highlights:

Allowed to move freely around the freshly milled timber like this, the relentless Scottish wind will slowly wick away the moisture, a year for every inch of thickness, plus another for luck.

Andrew has never been fully silent. He probably whistles in his sleep, or yodels, or hums. Or all three. I
can’t say he didn’t warn us … but if someone tells you in their interview they were once fired for singing too much, you don’t actually believe them, do you?

Unearth the things you love, the things that speak to you, and ask yourself why they work – not just how.

What is it about wood that can capture our imaginations so – draw us in, speak to us as no other
material can?

A thousand years ago, Scandinavian longships were being constructed along almost identical lines to
the ship-lapped boards of my father’s Hebridean boatshed. Two thousand years before that,
Tutankhamun’s antechamber was being filled with finely wrought wooden furniture, almost as the
walls of Rekhmire’s tomb were being decorated with paintings showing carpenters hard at work, using
techniques the boys in the workshop would undoubtedly recognize today. Go back even further and
split-and-worked timber floors were being laid in sites that predate Britain’s break from continental
Europe. Further still, back when our ancestors first rolled off the production line, we actually used to
live up there in the branches. Where it was safe. Where everything didn’t want so very badly to eat us.
So it isn’t so outlandish to think that, even then, we were crafting things from wood.


By the time the sun goes down tonight, nearly half the world will have cooked over a wood fire.


is any amount of money really worth the misery of spending your time doing something you loathe?

it has been all too easy to forget that independent local businesses, the kind of hardworking businesses
that are right here on my doorstep, may be waiting in the silence for someone like me to swish through
the door. That no matter how original or full of charm and quality they may be, many will not be able to
survive without our support. And that they aren’t really businesses anyway; in towns and villages up
and down the country, they are the lifeblood, the culture and the character of communities. They are
somebody’s hopes and dreams.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it about wood that can capture our imagination so –draw us in, speak to us as no other material can? (p. 282)

This question moves through the heart of the memoir of a still-young man, Callum Robinson, a furniture maker. His writing, at first, reminded me of John Lister-Kaye, whose Song of the Rolling Earth brims over with descriptive details about the natural surroundings of a home in rural Scotland. Then I thought of Norman Maclean, author of A River Runs Through It and Young Men and Fire, two unforgettable books by a writer with a keen eye for detail.

Callum Robinson has no college degree, nor has he found time –at least as his autobiography leads me to believe –for reading great literature. Yet his book has received critical acclaim. You will laugh at his misadventures, ache during his anxious days, shudder when soaking storms blow his tools all over the place, and flinch whenever he injures himself on sharp saws or heavy lumber. In other words, his writing will draw you in and capture your imagination.

The narrative covers his childhood and adolescence. He recalls how his year away in New Zealand shaped him physically and prepared him beyond the training he had helping his father. He includes his wife Marisa, a college-educated instructor and expert in computer-assisted design. Her partnership is indispensable to his success and happiness. He also gives credit to his “boys,” the three skilled craftsmen who specialize in executing the making of tables, chairs, desks, cabinets, cutting boards, and bowls. They are colorful and distinctive.

There’s a plot to this memoir. After acquainting the reader with the workshop, Robinson recalls a crisis which nearly wiped him and his team out of business. From despair, he and Marisa get a risky idea –to lease a small shop in town, where they will display and sell furniture. Woven through the main story are numerous anecdotes and recollections that constitute the rest of the memoir.

As I read this moving and hilarious account, the names of several of my friends who are woodworkers came to mind. Most of them embraced the craft after retiring from other types of work although one has been supplementing his job as a school bus driver by refinishing items originally made by others. I’ve come no closer to anything resembling woodworking than making walking sticks from hardwood branches I find lying on the ground. So, take my word for it, you don’t have to be experienced with furniture making to be enchanted by Ingrained.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC provided on NetGalley
Publisher: Ecco
Publication date: 3 December 2024

This drew me in with a blurb about craftsmanship, woodworking, and the gorgeous cover.

There were some beautiful moments in the book -- the opening scene of the author and his dad scrabbling about a big, remote warehouse looking for hidden gems of hardwood; his interaction with an old joiner in his retail shop; his stint in a New Zealand workshop.... Some beautiful descriptions of wood, trees, and the people who work with them. "Wood is such a deeply special material." -- I agree.

However, on the whole, it felt like repeated over-dramatization of some poor business decisions. Many of the major obstacles were of his own contrivance -- he repeatedly praises his crew's master-craftsmanship, but then seems to not use their expertise when his business is most imperilled - describing them whiling away the time and twiddling their thumbs, whilst he alone scrambles to come up with a solution. After WEEKS of idleness and angst, we see them turning out cutting boards, and with ideas to open a shop & make some smaller-scale furniture. I'm not a businessperson, but I was thinking this ONE page after the big mysterious bespoke ultra-wealthy job fell through. Which is another thing - what WAS the giant, bespoke, specialty job that got cancelled? It was all very vague, but it was the only thing they were going to be working on and it was going to take the entire workshop weeks (months?) to do.... The reader never hears about this other than in the most general terms.

The rest of the book was a scattering of stories about his childhood, his father, and his earlier life growing up & working in his dad's workshop and gaining his skills. I looked up the retail shop in Linlithgow, and it's now closed permanently, but his company does have a gorgeous very high-end website. So I guess he returned to that type of work - and it is incredible work.

I left this book thinking this guy could write reasonably well, sometimes even beautifully when waxing on about various timber and wood, could build some beautiful things, but was annoyingly obtuse when it came to business acumen, and the majority of the book felt all over the place and the story did not hold my interest, other than in a few brief sections.

[Rajesh Kandaswamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ingrained is an autobiographical account by Callum Robinson of his struggles to build a high-end woodworking and carpentry business with his wife. He learned the art of carpentry from his supportive father, whom Robinson admires. While he expresses his love for well-crafted things and invites us to share in that appreciation, the book offers much more. It is about the wood, the forests, the challenges of working in remote Scotland, the life of a struggling entrepreneur, the relationship one has with a craft, the support of family, and more.

The book is part story, part diary. There’s a loose, episodic flow, with some chapters going deep into particular themes. It took me a while to get into the book, as I found the chapters jumped from one topic to another, making it hard to get my bearings—but once I settled in, it became an easy and absorbing read. It’s one of those books that ends up creating images in my mind and hence will be easily accessible for a long time:: Robinson and his wife walking the dog in the forest, the lumber yards, his beautiful little store, and his workshop. I finished listening to this book a few weeks ago, but the images are still vivid in my mind.Robinson writes candidly about his experiences, his shyness, his early struggles, and his sense of unease.

His adoration for his wife and admiration for his father come through often. The writing on wood, the carpenter’s work, the challenges, and the techniques are quite enjoyable—and I found myself wishing there were more. His attention to the many small things that accompany a devotion to craft made me wonder if I bring such care to what I do. I especially wanted to see the pieces he wrote so lovingly about—particularly the dining table and his father’s osprey sculpture. I found some of his work on his website and Instagram account, but I wish there were more pictures.

I do seek and enjoy certain books about one’s relationship to craft, especially ones around crafts I like. Some of the ones I’ve particularly enjoyed—both real and imagined—are Ken Kaufman’s Kingbird Highway, Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, and Ross King’s Brunelleschi's Dome.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice antidote to the dense and depressing book about racism. Callum Robinson was raised around a woodshop, and he's spent most of his life making things out of wood. If you are the sort of person who sighs over all the antique furniture you run across, you will be able to relate to his love of wood, and enjoy his descriptions of the different characters of the woods he works with.

Having moved away from the actual making while running a business selling high end furniture to corporate clients, he had to re-evaluate this when a client rescinded a job at the last minute, leaving him with nothing to keep his three employees in work. As he and his wife struggled to decide how to move forward, he gradually realized that he would be so much more content if he stepped back closer to the machines and materials and tools he knew so well. They took the leap to open a bespoke furniture business, designing and making things either to put in their shop or on commission from individuals who came into the shop and wanted something more personal.

The book is full of the roar of saws and the feel of wood grain. A lot of it is the process by which Robinson found his way, inside his own head, to the place where he belonged, but you're never far from the router and chisel. Although he never attended university and feels that chatting up customers is something he's terrible at, he has a natural gift for writing, and this was one of my favorite sentences: "In what seems no time at all I am on my feet and pulling my bag from the rack, fumbling for my ticket, stepping down onto a station platform that is all echo and thunder and pigeon." Pigeon! :-)

If you know anyone who makes things by hand, or if you are someone who makes things by hand, you will enjoy and understand this book. I wish I was ever going to be in Linlithgow so I could peek into the shop!