The Glory of the Ordinary Pencil

     Henry Petroski's, The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance, is among the most important books I've ever read. It perfectly illustrates the insight of Neil Postman that everything can be studied, and should be, in terms of history and philosophy. 
     Leonard's Read's charming and insightful essay, I, Pencil has been turned into a wonderful little movie that can supplement Petroski's rich book and Read's marvelous essay about one of mankind's most brilliant inventions. 
     In truth, if you have grown up writing with a pencil, there is certainly a pleasure in thoughtfully using one. While I do put things on Evernote and increasingly use Google Docs, I still often find myself reaching for a pencil to scribble down notes and there are times, when I need to carefully and in a most leisurely mode compose, in those special moments, nothing is better than the pencil.