About this title: Henry Petroski recounts the story of the common lead pencil as only Henry Petroski can do it: with immense erudition and sharp wit, and from an engineer's perspective that nonetheless is made perfectly clear for nonspecialists. Beginning with the surprisingly elusive history of the pencil's invention, he goes on to consider the way it is manufactured, the way it has changed, and the uses it has been put to. He also writes about individual pencils he has known.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Good. Purchasing this DVD supports the North Central Regional Library. Thriftbooks and NCRL have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Library ID found on DVD and case. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 0679734155 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. 1990-Hardcover---may contain minor shelf-wear-Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780679734154ISBN:0679734155
Description: Very Good. Henry Petroski recounts the story of the common lead pencil as only Henry Petroski can do it: with immense erudition and sharp wit, and from an engineer's perspective that nonetheless is made perfectly clear for nonspecialists. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 1992-11-10
ISBN-13:9780679734154ISBN:0679734155
Description: Good. *** Softcover in Good + condition. Binding tight, pages clean. No previous owner names. Wear and some denting to cover edge. Reading copy, light spotting to top page edges. *** read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 1990-01-14
ISBN-13:9780394574226ISBN:0394574222
Description: Very Good. Unmarked, crisp pages. Strong, tight binding and straight boards. Dust jacket is bright. Very mild shelfwear. All items packaged promptly with care. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc
Date Published: 1992
Description: Very Good. 1992--This soft bound book has a pictorial cover, b/w illustrations, clean tight pages, and no lib markings. -First Edition-Privately Owned Site allows up to 30 calendar days for standard U.S. shipping-please take this into account when choosing a shipping method. Thank you! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 1992-11-10
ISBN-13:9780679734154ISBN:0679734155
Description: Like New. Clean, Unmarked Copy, No Remainder Mark, Unbroken Spine, Very Slight Crease on Corner of Front Cover, Priority Shipping recommended for prompt delivery by USPS when offered, Delivery Confirmation on all domestic items where available. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780679734154ISBN:0679734155
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Book is in near new condition, pages are bright and unmarked. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 434 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date Published: 1993
ISBN-13:9780679734154ISBN:0679734155
Description: ISBN 0-679-73415-5. Trade Paperback. Third Printing. Good Condition. Tight sound copy with some small brown stains to edges, and a few to covers, small owner's name on front free endpaper, minor rubs to edges and corners of covers. read more
Edition: First Edition, 5th Printing
Binding: Pictorial Wraps
Publisher: Knopf, New York
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780679734154ISBN:0679734155
Description: FINE in WRAPS. Narrow 8vo (5-1/4 x 9-1/4), 414 pp including Index. Trade Paperback is FINE--unread, unmarked and would be AS NEW but for small bumps on two corners of the pictorial wrap. Mr. Petroski's understanding of functional design as it effects our lives. A fascinating history of something so integral to our lives as to be invisible or, at best, considered mundane. Mr. Petrovski makes it clear this device is anything but mundane. (h) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780394574226ISBN:0394574222
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Price clipped. Signed by previous owner. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 434 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
"Some of the material is fascinating; who knew that Thoreau was a somewhat serious engineer, who had an important influence on pencil design? But a fair bit seems to be something of an info-dump; I don't care that much about the exact corporate history of various pencil companies."
"There were interesting bits in it, but I felt like I had to sift them out like veins of pure graphite in sub-standard ore. He repeats himself a LOT. I wish he had told me about the pencil half as much as he repeated the phrase "The pencil is a paradigm for understanding engineering itself." (I swear that exact sentence appears no less than 80 times.)
I liked the description of old pencil technology. The victorian pencil factories made me wax steampunk, and part of me really wants to see if I can get ahold of some graphite stone and make my own 16th century pencil.
But, alas, that is not the author's doing, but his subject matter - despite him. I was really hoping for another fun page turner like "One Good Turn"."
"This book covers the history of the pencil -- how it was invented, manufactured, and developed over time. I read it because I was actually curious about what goes into making pencils, but the pencils are really just intended as a case study to illustrate what goes into researching, developing, and engineering anything, even a seemingly simple product.
As you might imagine of a book on engineering, the writing is wordy, and there's exhaustive detail that can be a bit too much at times. After the first 10-20 pages, I wasn't sure I wanted finish it. The writing style is a bit dull, and the author repeats himself A LOT.
It also could have used more illustrations. There are one or two times when he describes something in detail that's hard to visualize - for instance, an orthographic illustration on the cover of a book. Just including a photo of the book cover would have been so much better.
There was some interesting stuff - for instance, you learn that Henry David Thoreau was a pencil maker and came up with an improved method for making pencil leads. You also learn about a pencil-making venture started by the industrialist Armand Hammer for the Soviet Union in its early years, when it was open to some foreign industry.
I probably would have given it two and a half stars if that was an option on GoodReads."
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