Scan barcode
nickedkins's review against another edition
5.0
This is a completely pointless and very stupid book. I loved it.
I was worried that this was just a funny idea for a book. With an artful photo shoot, a well-designed cover, and enough padding and celebrity endorsements, I thought, you could make a book out of this, but it might not be worth reading.
The line that convinced me otherwise was in a rundown of the equipment required for sharpening pencils, when he says, "It's not hard to come by a good pair of tweezers; I use the ones my wife left behind when she moved out".
The weird emotional truths revealed in these asides colour everything else in the book; it's less about how to sharpen pencils and more about the type of man who sharpens pencils as a calling.
I was worried that this was just a funny idea for a book. With an artful photo shoot, a well-designed cover, and enough padding and celebrity endorsements, I thought, you could make a book out of this, but it might not be worth reading.
The line that convinced me otherwise was in a rundown of the equipment required for sharpening pencils, when he says, "It's not hard to come by a good pair of tweezers; I use the ones my wife left behind when she moved out".
The weird emotional truths revealed in these asides colour everything else in the book; it's less about how to sharpen pencils and more about the type of man who sharpens pencils as a calling.
loujoseph's review against another edition
4.0
Reads like a really long-form Onion article, where the longer it goes on, the funnier it is. Appreciated the thoroughness.
claudiaramone's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
A little long but funny. Reassured my enthusiam for my pencil hobby.
lckrgr's review against another edition
3.0
I was debating my rating of this book as I read it. Initially I was absolutely convinced it deserved 4 stars, but the last few chapters had some turns of phrases that I just didn't like and which stuck with me as I kept reading. It's like when you have a piece of cake and it tastes really awesome and then you bite down on an eggshell and you can keep eating but the paranoia and unpleasantness of the eggshell experience lessens your enjoyment-- hence three stars.
I liked this book. It was a fun read and surprisingly I learned some things about pencil sharpening that I didn't know before. It was also a very quick read, with lot's of handy step-by-step guides to sharpening with different tools. Also, the pencil point protecting system was absurd, but I could actually see being useful if you were going to take an exam and there were no pencil sharpeners in the room so you had to pre-sharpen your pencils and make sure they stayed sharp. The biggest issue I had with this book is that there was no section on resharpening a pencil as all chapters appears to assume you were starting with a virgin pencil. Does the technique differ if a pencil has already been sharpened? At what length do you discard the pencil, i.e. when is it no longer worth it to use your energy to keep sharpening the same pencil? Perhaps if there is a second edition Rees can further expand on these questions.
I liked this book. It was a fun read and surprisingly I learned some things about pencil sharpening that I didn't know before. It was also a very quick read, with lot's of handy step-by-step guides to sharpening with different tools. Also, the pencil point protecting system was absurd, but I could actually see being useful if you were going to take an exam and there were no pencil sharpeners in the room so you had to pre-sharpen your pencils and make sure they stayed sharp. The biggest issue I had with this book is that there was no section on resharpening a pencil as all chapters appears to assume you were starting with a virgin pencil. Does the technique differ if a pencil has already been sharpened? At what length do you discard the pencil, i.e. when is it no longer worth it to use your energy to keep sharpening the same pencil? Perhaps if there is a second edition Rees can further expand on these questions.
willia4's review against another edition
4.0
There is a point in a middle-class existence where one looks around at all of the chintzy mass-produced garbage which so thoroughly fills our life and wonders -- desperately -- if there can't be something just a bit more refined. Something just a bit more real.
And so we turn to good whisk[e]ys and wines. Or we turn to German sports cars that we can't really afford. Or we build a woodshop in the garage and slowly drive ourselves mad chasing the craftsmanship that our grandfathers were unable to pass on to us through our ill-gotten haze of wasted Saturdays filled with nothing more than pop-rocks and cartoons.
One place that I have turned to fill this hole in my life is well-made writing instruments. There is much joy and humanity to be found in placing the tip of a fountain pen to a good sheet of paper or in turning a perfectly-crafted wooden pencil in a fine German single-blade sharpener. And it's this experience which is the subject of this book which is at the same time a reference book, a how-to guide, and a meditative spiritual tract.
Because sharpening a pencil is not just about moving as quickly as possible from "a yellow stick" to "a thing one can mark paper with". It is about that, true. The functionality of a well-sharpened pencil is key. But it's also about the texture of the paint under your fingertips. It's also about the heft of the pencil in your hand. It's also about the smell of the freshly released cedar as you slowly remove everything that isn't a sharpened pencil.
Sharpening a pencil is a full-sense task. And, as such, it is a task that should be taken up with the utmost care lest you waste another moment on this planet without actually seeing any of it.
While instructional, this book is also very funny with charts and footnotes lightening the mood on almost every page. I was particularly impressed with Chapter 11, "A Few Words About Mechanical Pencils". While I ultimately disagree with Mr. Rees' assessment of those tools, he made his argument passionately and persuasively.
I think it's also important to note the design of the physical book as well. It is a classic work that leans strongly on Futura. Every chapter heading, every sub-heading stands out as something worth remarking upon. I normally read electronic books but in this case, I highly recommend purchasing a paperback to hold in your hand. It is a worthwhile exercise and experience.
And so we turn to good whisk[e]ys and wines. Or we turn to German sports cars that we can't really afford. Or we build a woodshop in the garage and slowly drive ourselves mad chasing the craftsmanship that our grandfathers were unable to pass on to us through our ill-gotten haze of wasted Saturdays filled with nothing more than pop-rocks and cartoons.
One place that I have turned to fill this hole in my life is well-made writing instruments. There is much joy and humanity to be found in placing the tip of a fountain pen to a good sheet of paper or in turning a perfectly-crafted wooden pencil in a fine German single-blade sharpener. And it's this experience which is the subject of this book which is at the same time a reference book, a how-to guide, and a meditative spiritual tract.
Because sharpening a pencil is not just about moving as quickly as possible from "a yellow stick" to "a thing one can mark paper with". It is about that, true. The functionality of a well-sharpened pencil is key. But it's also about the texture of the paint under your fingertips. It's also about the heft of the pencil in your hand. It's also about the smell of the freshly released cedar as you slowly remove everything that isn't a sharpened pencil.
Sharpening a pencil is a full-sense task. And, as such, it is a task that should be taken up with the utmost care lest you waste another moment on this planet without actually seeing any of it.
While instructional, this book is also very funny with charts and footnotes lightening the mood on almost every page. I was particularly impressed with Chapter 11, "A Few Words About Mechanical Pencils". While I ultimately disagree with Mr. Rees' assessment of those tools, he made his argument passionately and persuasively.
I think it's also important to note the design of the physical book as well. It is a classic work that leans strongly on Futura. Every chapter heading, every sub-heading stands out as something worth remarking upon. I normally read electronic books but in this case, I highly recommend purchasing a paperback to hold in your hand. It is a worthwhile exercise and experience.
the_reading_dragonfly's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This book was enlightening. It is truly a masterpiece. All my pencils are now perfectly sharpened. There is truly no greater guide to the art of artisanal pencil sharpening. David Rees has changed my life forever.
kellyzen's review against another edition
4.0
Ridiculous and delightful. The photo demonstrations of Rees preparing his workstations and body for the rigors of sharpening were often sublime. Don't read this book in public, unless you are comfortable being seen laughing out loud at sketches of pencils.