THE HANDS THAT BUILT THIS: K.A. PIERCE CALLS FOR A NATIONAL REAWAKENING OF AMERICA’S SKILLED TRADES

An  urgent,  experience-driven  manifesto  arguing  that  the  trades  must  become  first-choice  careers  to rebuild communities and the workforce.

New York, NY — As labor shortages threaten infrastructure, housing, and economic stability across the United States, author K.A. Pierce delivers a timely and compelling call to action with The Hands That Built This: Restoring Respect and Rebuilding the Future of the Trades. Drawing on more than three decades of hands-on experience, Pierce challenges long-held cultural assumptions that have pushed skilled trades to the margins—and lays out a clear path forward.

Part memoir, part manifesto, The Hands That Built This is grounded in Pierce’s 14 years as a carpenter and ironworker and nearly two decades as a construction safety professional. Through vivid job site scenes and firsthand accounts, the book illustrates the pride, precision, and responsibility embedded in trade work, while confronting the systemic failures that have left America critically short of skilled labor.

Pierce argues that trades should never be treated as a fallback or “Plan B,” but as viable, respected, and essential career paths. The book explores how outdated guidance in schools, rising college debt, and cultural stigma have discouraged young people from entering the trades—often at great cost to individuals and communities alike. In contrast, Pierce highlights earn-while-you-learn models that offer stability, purpose, and financial independence without crushing debt.

Beyond storytelling, the book provides practical solutions. Pierce examines apprenticeship programs, mentorship initiatives for women entering the trades, and safety-first training as proven strategies to strengthen the workforce. Case studies demonstrate how well-structured programs reduce costly failures, improve job-site outcomes, and build long-term careers rather than short-term labor.

The motivation behind The Hands That Built This is deeply personal. Pierce writes not only as a tradesperson, but as an advocate for the dignity of work and the people who quietly sustain society’s foundations. The book speaks to parents weighing career advice for their children, educators shaping curricula, contractors facing workforce gaps, and policymakers tasked with long-term economic planning.

Concise, voice-driven, and unapologetically direct, the book does not romanticize the trades—it respects them. Pierce emphasizes that rebuilding the future requires more than policy shifts; it requires restoring respect for the hands that build roads, bridges, homes, and entire communities.

The book is now available — secure your copy here: https://a.co/d/h2mP3MF

For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:

K. A. Pierce

Email: kajelegacy@gmail.com