This sounds like the kind of book I'd love. SMBSLT. (So many books, so little time. . .) I liked the applications of the three mindsets to warfare, and that made sense. I try not to "spiritualize" things too much, but I was struck by "Stewardship as obligation. The maintenance mind owns long-term outcomes as a moral responsibility, whereas the neglect mind treats failure as aberration, defers consequences, and pushes responsibility onto others." What I've seen in the worst of Protestantism, the health-and-wealth sectors as well as those who define their Christianity as a vehicle to a comfortable lifestyle, is this. When severe trials do come, they see it as an aberration, even so much as an unfair imposition they didn't deserve. After all, they did "all the right things" and then their health craters or their families disintegrate. How dare God allow this, I've heard, when He could have prevented it at least. In this, they know where the buck stops and when He allows such things, He let them down. I hope I don't sound harsh, but I'm practically quoting from a ministry leader I know.
I know exactly what you mean. I grew up in that world. Christ enters our suffering, which is endemic to the world, he doesn’t teach us to pretend it doesn’t exist or won’t affect us. Instead, he encourages us to follow his example and enter into the suffering of others—the maintenance mind in action. Help those who need it.
Right, Latayne. Proverbs 24 agrees with you and assigns the term "sluggard" to the lazy mindset that ignores maintenance. Your critique of the ministry leader is too true and exposes that type of mindset that only reads part of the Bible. Jesus did all the right things and still got crucified. The reward is in resurrection, not here and now.
My father designed and built his own house. His maintenance style is "whatever comes, deal with it" and for decades, he maintained the house very cheaply by his own ingenuity - he singlehandedly replaced the aging shingle roof with metal - but as age catches up with him, it becomes harder and more expensive as he has to pay workers to do things he once did for himself. Entropy does not only act on things, it also acts in people.
Maintenance is crucial to the existence of films, television series and animation. Depending on the era in which the project was made, key components can easily break down. Fortunately, in recent years, maintenance technology has greatly improved and an increasing number of formerly decayed and washed-out films are being given a much needed face-lift.
This article was so practical, I asked Chat to summarize it into some actionables:
ASSUME DECAY IS NORMAL-- Plan for wear, failure, and corrosion in anything you own or lead. If something hasn’t broken yet, don’t celebrate—inspect it. Build maintenance into schedules and budgets, not as a reaction but as a default.
OWN WHAT YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR—FULLY-- Decide, explicitly: “This is mine to care for.” If responsibility is vague or shared, assign a single owner. If no one owns it, it will fail—guaranteed.
FIX SMALL PROBLEMS IMMEDIATELY-- Treat early warning signs as urgent, not optional. Create a rule: first sign of failure = repair now. Delay multiplies cost, complexity, and risk.
DESIGN FOR SIMPLICITY-- Remove unnecessary features, tools, systems, or processes. Fewer parts = fewer failures = less maintenance. Complexity is not sophistication; it’s often laziness disguised as progress.
PREPARE BEFORE YOU START-- Don’t rely on optimism. Hope is not a plan. Stress-test plans against predictable problems. Ask: What breaks first? What fails under pressure?
BUILD REPAIR SKILL, NOT DEPENDENCY-- Learn how your tools, systems, and workflows actually work. Read the manual. Watch the tutorial. Get your hands dirty. Outsource strategically—but never outsource understanding.
EMPOWER THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM-- Give decision-making authority to those doing the work. Remove permission bottlenecks that delay fixes. Reward initiative, not just compliance.
TREAT MAINTENANCE AS SKILLED WORK-- Stop viewing upkeep as beneath you. Maintenance builds competence, clarity, and confidence. Pride in upkeep is a marker of maturity, not drudgery.
DESIGN SYSTEMS YOU CAN ACTUALLY SUSTAIN-- Ask: Can this be maintained long-term by real humans? Favor modular, replaceable parts over bespoke complexity. If upkeep requires heroics, the design is flawed.
CLOSE THE FEEDBACK LOOP-- Pay attention to breakdowns—they’re information. Adjust systems based on real-world use, not theory. Ignoring feedback doesn’t make it go away; it just makes it louder later.
I must admit that, as I've gotten older and the technology has "improved," I leave a lot of maintenance to the experts. But my wife still wails when I want to repair the stove/dishwasher/dryer/etc. instead of just buying a new one! 😂
Stewart Brand always has a fascinating perspective. I remember my family having a copy of his Whole Earth Catalog in the early '70s.
YouTube is an amazing resource, if you want to try to fix something. One day, our microwave door wouldn't stay closed. I found a 5 minute video that addressed my exact situation. All it took to fix it was a rubber band.
On another note, there are lots of videos of people pointing out how shoddily made so many tools and household items are these days. Everything has lots of bells and whistles, but they don't last. I still use some tools that belonged to my grandfather, and they are nearly 100 years old.
I agree. The steel in older tools if far superior to today's throwaway tools from the PRC. I have my dad's and another gentleman's older tools, and they still do their jobs well.
I dont know if I would go so far as to say older tools are far superior to todays tools, even though I understand your point that you're coming from. I think that tool that your Dad or Grandfather bought was an expensive tool for the time. And in doing so they cared for it, maintained it, and were lucky enough to hand it down. You can still find extremely superior steel compared to older tools, you just have to be willing to pay the price for Quality. And thats Capital Q quality, not branding/marking as quality.
There were many many poorly made tools made back in the day, that are no longer around. The great tools made with, time test material and love from those who owned them made those things: Timeless.
I lean towards saying "sadly, people making cheaply made parts is not a new phenomenon" But after thinking about it, im not so sure its that sad, sometimes a cheap plastic Ice scraper does the job and many other things it shouldnt do just to get a job done.
Reading through the comments, I noticed most of the discussion stayed on the maintenance of things, which makes sense because it is easier to see.
We all understand physical maintenance. Changing oil before the engine locks. Replacing ball joints before they fail. Swapping out a water hammer under the sink because it has been a few years. That kind of maintenance is quiet, repetitive, and honestly a little boring when it is done well. Nothing really happens.
Fixing is dramatic. Maintenance is not.
What struck me, though, is how much harder it is to notice maintenance when it comes to life. Relationships rarely announce when they need oil. Bodies do not always fail loudly at first. You do not get a service light when your attention starts drifting from your child or your marriage.
And yet the same logic seems to apply. Full attention to your kids. A closed mouth and open ears with your spouse. Stretching before you work a body you plan to keep using for decades. In the moment, all of it feels optional. Easy to delay. Easy to dismiss. Until suddenly it is not.
By the time something clearly breaks, repair may already be limited. The conversation does not come as easily. The relationship does not quite return. The knee that used to click now just hurts.
What I keep circling is this idea that maintenance might be the root of resilience, and that resilience is what gives something a chance at being timeless. Not perfect. Just durable in the presence of time.
I am curious if anyone else felt that reading this. Maintenance of parts is obviously critical, but did it raise anything for you about attention, timing, or care in places where failure does not announce itself early?
Funny you should bring this up. My wife started reading the book right after I did. It prompted an interesting conversation on marriage maintenance. First action step? We had a great date earlier this evening :)
The maintenance mind applies to all spheres of life. Alas, so does the neglect mind.
I have thought about this question "First action step?" since you sent it. I think the question brings more questions than true answers, doesnt it? How did the conversation start? How or what made the evening great? Most importantly what did you learn from your conversation?!
People who do not understand that things break down should not be in charge of them. Unfortunately, I have seen too many legal adults who think that if they took over something, it would just go on forever without further effort.
Very interesting and thought provoking. I find myself as a 52 year old Australian woman living in Honduras, discovering that I am becoming needfully well acquainted with the maintenance mindset. I've grown up around creative, practical and ingenious people (Mum, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Nan & Pop, siblings, Aunts & Uncles...) Many of whom have gone the way of all the earth, the rest of whom live on the other side of the planet to me. So, my husband has the responsibility of our business, and I have the responsibility of our units. The admin side with tenants and the practical side with maintenance. After discovering its difficult to find a capable tradesman with integrity and availability, you tube (and calling my Dad) have become my go to. Ive taught myself how to solder and fix our washing machine, how to do basic and sometimes not so basic plumbing and tile repairs. And the next one freaking me out is a french drain and possible foundation repair. It would be easier to "hope for the best" but I value the investment my husband and I have laboured for. So ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away isn't the answer. I look forward to re reading this article again more slowly :)
Melanie, you sound incredibly diligent! I've gotten so "soft" in my old age. I watched my parents repair things (and fight during pretty much every home improvement project) growing up. Now, I live with a husband who is tech-y, but happy to pay someone to come fix things, and I adore our handy man and am happy to give him work. But it was satisfying figuring out how to clean the washing machine filter last month when it was acting up!
Hello Marika, good on you for figuring out how to clean the washing machine filter. "Figuring out" is indeed satisfying. As for becoming "soft" Honduras doesn't encourage softness :) So we adapt and grow and learn, and sometimes surprise ourselves by what we are capable of.
Nice review. It sounds like a surprisingly interesting book! Oddly, on almost all the characteristics you describe, I'm much closer to the maintenance mind, yet in practice my approach is much closer to "hope." We need to add something like apathy to the picture--there are plenty of things that can break down and I just don't care enough to take time away from other things that are more important to me. This is, of course, a character defect, and one that my wife understandably finds rather frustrating!
Reading about it made me remember about the importance of regeneration and reparation these days, out there and from within. We need more of Kintsugi in our society and embracing the fractures as part of the process!
Marvellous review. Stewart Brand's book is exactly the kind of book I would enjoy reading (and maintaining in a humidity/sunlight-free environment). :-)
This sounds like the kind of book I'd love. SMBSLT. (So many books, so little time. . .) I liked the applications of the three mindsets to warfare, and that made sense. I try not to "spiritualize" things too much, but I was struck by "Stewardship as obligation. The maintenance mind owns long-term outcomes as a moral responsibility, whereas the neglect mind treats failure as aberration, defers consequences, and pushes responsibility onto others." What I've seen in the worst of Protestantism, the health-and-wealth sectors as well as those who define their Christianity as a vehicle to a comfortable lifestyle, is this. When severe trials do come, they see it as an aberration, even so much as an unfair imposition they didn't deserve. After all, they did "all the right things" and then their health craters or their families disintegrate. How dare God allow this, I've heard, when He could have prevented it at least. In this, they know where the buck stops and when He allows such things, He let them down. I hope I don't sound harsh, but I'm practically quoting from a ministry leader I know.
I know exactly what you mean. I grew up in that world. Christ enters our suffering, which is endemic to the world, he doesn’t teach us to pretend it doesn’t exist or won’t affect us. Instead, he encourages us to follow his example and enter into the suffering of others—the maintenance mind in action. Help those who need it.
Preach it, brother.
Right, Latayne. Proverbs 24 agrees with you and assigns the term "sluggard" to the lazy mindset that ignores maintenance. Your critique of the ministry leader is too true and exposes that type of mindset that only reads part of the Bible. Jesus did all the right things and still got crucified. The reward is in resurrection, not here and now.
Indeed, I'm already thinking of a sermon or two about what Brand has written.
My father designed and built his own house. His maintenance style is "whatever comes, deal with it" and for decades, he maintained the house very cheaply by his own ingenuity - he singlehandedly replaced the aging shingle roof with metal - but as age catches up with him, it becomes harder and more expensive as he has to pay workers to do things he once did for himself. Entropy does not only act on things, it also acts in people.
My Grandpa Olson designed and (helped) build his house as well. And entropy working on us, too? Too true.
Maintenance is crucial to the existence of films, television series and animation. Depending on the era in which the project was made, key components can easily break down. Fortunately, in recent years, maintenance technology has greatly improved and an increasing number of formerly decayed and washed-out films are being given a much needed face-lift.
We lose what we don’t maintain.
And so much lost, sadly.
This article was so practical, I asked Chat to summarize it into some actionables:
ASSUME DECAY IS NORMAL-- Plan for wear, failure, and corrosion in anything you own or lead. If something hasn’t broken yet, don’t celebrate—inspect it. Build maintenance into schedules and budgets, not as a reaction but as a default.
OWN WHAT YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR—FULLY-- Decide, explicitly: “This is mine to care for.” If responsibility is vague or shared, assign a single owner. If no one owns it, it will fail—guaranteed.
FIX SMALL PROBLEMS IMMEDIATELY-- Treat early warning signs as urgent, not optional. Create a rule: first sign of failure = repair now. Delay multiplies cost, complexity, and risk.
DESIGN FOR SIMPLICITY-- Remove unnecessary features, tools, systems, or processes. Fewer parts = fewer failures = less maintenance. Complexity is not sophistication; it’s often laziness disguised as progress.
PREPARE BEFORE YOU START-- Don’t rely on optimism. Hope is not a plan. Stress-test plans against predictable problems. Ask: What breaks first? What fails under pressure?
BUILD REPAIR SKILL, NOT DEPENDENCY-- Learn how your tools, systems, and workflows actually work. Read the manual. Watch the tutorial. Get your hands dirty. Outsource strategically—but never outsource understanding.
EMPOWER THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM-- Give decision-making authority to those doing the work. Remove permission bottlenecks that delay fixes. Reward initiative, not just compliance.
TREAT MAINTENANCE AS SKILLED WORK-- Stop viewing upkeep as beneath you. Maintenance builds competence, clarity, and confidence. Pride in upkeep is a marker of maturity, not drudgery.
DESIGN SYSTEMS YOU CAN ACTUALLY SUSTAIN-- Ask: Can this be maintained long-term by real humans? Favor modular, replaceable parts over bespoke complexity. If upkeep requires heroics, the design is flawed.
CLOSE THE FEEDBACK LOOP-- Pay attention to breakdowns—they’re information. Adjust systems based on real-world use, not theory. Ignoring feedback doesn’t make it go away; it just makes it louder later.
Those are great! A great example of Chat teasing out practical application from a book.
"Read the destructions!" is one of my favorite pieces of advice to my wife and children. I'm one of those guys.
I’m mostly not, despite growing up around plenty of great maintainers. I have a lot to learn (and repent for 😂).
I must admit that, as I've gotten older and the technology has "improved," I leave a lot of maintenance to the experts. But my wife still wails when I want to repair the stove/dishwasher/dryer/etc. instead of just buying a new one! 😂
Brand would approve!
Stewart Brand always has a fascinating perspective. I remember my family having a copy of his Whole Earth Catalog in the early '70s.
YouTube is an amazing resource, if you want to try to fix something. One day, our microwave door wouldn't stay closed. I found a 5 minute video that addressed my exact situation. All it took to fix it was a rubber band.
On another note, there are lots of videos of people pointing out how shoddily made so many tools and household items are these days. Everything has lots of bells and whistles, but they don't last. I still use some tools that belonged to my grandfather, and they are nearly 100 years old.
I agree. The steel in older tools if far superior to today's throwaway tools from the PRC. I have my dad's and another gentleman's older tools, and they still do their jobs well.
I dont know if I would go so far as to say older tools are far superior to todays tools, even though I understand your point that you're coming from. I think that tool that your Dad or Grandfather bought was an expensive tool for the time. And in doing so they cared for it, maintained it, and were lucky enough to hand it down. You can still find extremely superior steel compared to older tools, you just have to be willing to pay the price for Quality. And thats Capital Q quality, not branding/marking as quality.
There were many many poorly made tools made back in the day, that are no longer around. The great tools made with, time test material and love from those who owned them made those things: Timeless.
I lean towards saying "sadly, people making cheaply made parts is not a new phenomenon" But after thinking about it, im not so sure its that sad, sometimes a cheap plastic Ice scraper does the job and many other things it shouldnt do just to get a job done.
Reading through the comments, I noticed most of the discussion stayed on the maintenance of things, which makes sense because it is easier to see.
We all understand physical maintenance. Changing oil before the engine locks. Replacing ball joints before they fail. Swapping out a water hammer under the sink because it has been a few years. That kind of maintenance is quiet, repetitive, and honestly a little boring when it is done well. Nothing really happens.
Fixing is dramatic. Maintenance is not.
What struck me, though, is how much harder it is to notice maintenance when it comes to life. Relationships rarely announce when they need oil. Bodies do not always fail loudly at first. You do not get a service light when your attention starts drifting from your child or your marriage.
And yet the same logic seems to apply. Full attention to your kids. A closed mouth and open ears with your spouse. Stretching before you work a body you plan to keep using for decades. In the moment, all of it feels optional. Easy to delay. Easy to dismiss. Until suddenly it is not.
By the time something clearly breaks, repair may already be limited. The conversation does not come as easily. The relationship does not quite return. The knee that used to click now just hurts.
What I keep circling is this idea that maintenance might be the root of resilience, and that resilience is what gives something a chance at being timeless. Not perfect. Just durable in the presence of time.
I am curious if anyone else felt that reading this. Maintenance of parts is obviously critical, but did it raise anything for you about attention, timing, or care in places where failure does not announce itself early?
Funny you should bring this up. My wife started reading the book right after I did. It prompted an interesting conversation on marriage maintenance. First action step? We had a great date earlier this evening :)
The maintenance mind applies to all spheres of life. Alas, so does the neglect mind.
I have thought about this question "First action step?" since you sent it. I think the question brings more questions than true answers, doesnt it? How did the conversation start? How or what made the evening great? Most importantly what did you learn from your conversation?!
People who do not understand that things break down should not be in charge of them. Unfortunately, I have seen too many legal adults who think that if they took over something, it would just go on forever without further effort.
You see that in business with inexperienced managers and directors.
On a larger scale, there are those who assert that the Revolution will seize the means of production -- and use them forever.
Very interesting and thought provoking. I find myself as a 52 year old Australian woman living in Honduras, discovering that I am becoming needfully well acquainted with the maintenance mindset. I've grown up around creative, practical and ingenious people (Mum, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Nan & Pop, siblings, Aunts & Uncles...) Many of whom have gone the way of all the earth, the rest of whom live on the other side of the planet to me. So, my husband has the responsibility of our business, and I have the responsibility of our units. The admin side with tenants and the practical side with maintenance. After discovering its difficult to find a capable tradesman with integrity and availability, you tube (and calling my Dad) have become my go to. Ive taught myself how to solder and fix our washing machine, how to do basic and sometimes not so basic plumbing and tile repairs. And the next one freaking me out is a french drain and possible foundation repair. It would be easier to "hope for the best" but I value the investment my husband and I have laboured for. So ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away isn't the answer. I look forward to re reading this article again more slowly :)
Melanie, you sound incredibly diligent! I've gotten so "soft" in my old age. I watched my parents repair things (and fight during pretty much every home improvement project) growing up. Now, I live with a husband who is tech-y, but happy to pay someone to come fix things, and I adore our handy man and am happy to give him work. But it was satisfying figuring out how to clean the washing machine filter last month when it was acting up!
Hello Marika, good on you for figuring out how to clean the washing machine filter. "Figuring out" is indeed satisfying. As for becoming "soft" Honduras doesn't encourage softness :) So we adapt and grow and learn, and sometimes surprise ourselves by what we are capable of.
Agreed! Solving problems for ourselves is a tremendous confidence boost.
Nice review. It sounds like a surprisingly interesting book! Oddly, on almost all the characteristics you describe, I'm much closer to the maintenance mind, yet in practice my approach is much closer to "hope." We need to add something like apathy to the picture--there are plenty of things that can break down and I just don't care enough to take time away from other things that are more important to me. This is, of course, a character defect, and one that my wife understandably finds rather frustrating!
Yeah, that’s definitely a factor. I’ve got it.
Reading this review made me want to get this book right away!
You won’t regret it! It’s excellent.
Reading about it made me remember about the importance of regeneration and reparation these days, out there and from within. We need more of Kintsugi in our society and embracing the fractures as part of the process!
So true.
My copy of the book is on its way! :)
Brand is 87 and still productive. Use it or lose it.
Yeah, he’s phenomenal. The best lubrication for old parts—stay in motion.
Yeah so definitely need to purchase. Great review Joel!
Thanks, man. It’s a fun book.
Goodness this sounds fascinating! Thanks for such an intriguing review Joel - will definitely keep this on my reading list.
It really is good. And a nice overlap with some of Kingsnorth’s concerns.
Marvellous review. Stewart Brand's book is exactly the kind of book I would enjoy reading (and maintaining in a humidity/sunlight-free environment). :-)
Thanks, Ricky!