How do you write a book review about Handmade Nation when most folks already know how swank it is? The answer: you don’t – the review really writes itself. Raved about by critics and crafters alike, the book features 24 profiles of professional crafters across the country, serving as an example of the ever-vibrant and growing creative community.

There is certainly something to be said for being a trailblazer, and all of the crafters in this book represent a second coming-of-age for not only the handmade community, but also an entire generation. “I was going to all these fairs and I remember thinking: Something big is happening. This has to be documented,” said Faythe Levine, the book’s co-author in her September 2008 New York Times interview.

Faythe is also the director of an accompanying Handmade Nation documentary, which is currently being screened at festivals worldwide. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it yet, but each and every review I’ve read has raved about its honest and inspirational tone. All upcoming viewings are listed on both the documentary’s official website and the Handmade Nation blog (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Boston screening).

If, by some strange twist of fate, you haven’t seen the documentary either, check out the trailer and the vibrant stop-motion opening sequence.

Bottom line: this book is a must-have for any crafter, professional or purely personal. Whenever you feel down on your work or are losing direction, just grab your copy of Handmade Nation and you will be revitalized by others who have stuck to their guns and helped to change the entire marketplace.