The Mechanical Pencil: The Mezzanine Pt. 2
The way Howie sees the world in this book really had an effect on me. After reading a few chapters, I would usually look up and sigh with relief. Suddenly, I would start to really notice everything around me, for instance a lamp sitting next to me whose light I read by. That lamp probably came from a lamp factory halfway across the globe. One chapter that really influenced my post-reading alertness was chapter 9, in which Howie remarked on the wonder of the men's bathroom. "Is there any other spot in the modern office where a comparable level of mechanical ingenuity is so concentrated and on display?" Howie said, referencing the ingenious design of the toilets, the urinals, even the soap dispensers. This made me think about the pencil I was holding. It is a perfectly cylindrical shiny metal mechanical pencil with a knurled grip* at the end, and it is undoubtedly the best pencil I've ever owned. I discovered mechanical pencils when my back-to-school shopping