| The autobiography of a #2 pencil can teach a lesson that can help save the freedom mankind is so unhappily loosing: "Leave all creative energies uninhibited." "Eloquent. Extraordinary. Timeless. Paradigm-shifting. Classic. Half a century after it first appeared, Leonard Read's "I, Pencil" still evokes such adjectives of praise. Rightfully so, for this little essay opens eyes and minds among people of all ages. Many first-time readers never see the world quite the same again. Ideas are most powerful when they're wrapped in a compelling story. Leonard's main point—economies can hardly be "planned" when not one soul possesses all the know-how and skills to produce a simple pencil—unfolds in the enchanting words of a pencil itself. Leonard could have written "I, Car" or "I, Airplane," but choosing those more complex items would have muted the message. No one person—repeat, no one, no matter how smart or how many degrees follow his name—could create from scratch a small, everyday pencil, let alone a car or an airplane." —Lawrence W. Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education Text taken from "I, Pencil" by Leonard E. Read fee.org Edited, Produced, Illustrated and Read by Professor Chesterton All Artwork (C) Chet Cobb, October 2010. Music by Maya Filipič (Licensed under Creative Commons) Contact Professor Chesterton at: professorchesterton@gmail.com Leonard E. Read (1898-1983) founded FEE in 1946 and served as its president until his death. "I, Pencil," his most ... |
