The Perfection of the Paper Clip

April 15, 2015

Inspired by his Velos 1377 Revolving Desk Tidy, former library employee Ward decided to chronicle the accidental and intentional inventors in stationery history. The loosely chronological narrative follows the competitive world of pen manufacturing in the early 20th century--Bic's Cristal vs. Reynold's ballpoint vs. Paper-Mate's retractable--along with the rise of Dixon Ticonderoga's signature yellow pencil and the recent resurgence of the fountain pen. Alongside brief biographical sketches of each inventor, Ward reminisces about his favorite items, noting that his book contract was signed with a Bic Cristal. Historical insight is also provided on paperclips, thumbtacks, push pins, binder clips, highlighters, erasers, and glue. The lone female inventor profiled, Bette Nesmith Graham, became a millionaire with her correction fluid Liquid Paper in the 1970s. There are illustrations of stationery products and occasional trivia sprinkled throughout: stale bread was previously used to remove pencil lines, former mining company 3M found unexpected success with Post-It notes in the 1980s, and Swingline's profits were revitalized by the film Office Space. VERDICT Since Ward writes from a British point of view, some items may be unfamiliar to American readers. However, his frequent pop culture references to touchstones such as Seinfeld and The Simpsons, along with his mentions of Trapper Keepers make this humorous debut a breezy, nostalgic read for trivia fanatics and stationery collectors.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
If Bill Bryson (A Really Short History of Nearly Everything, 2009) were to write a book about office supplies, it would probably read pretty much like this one. Ward, creator of the very unboring I Like Boring Things blog, takes us through the surprisingly elaborate, often suspenseful history of such seemingly humdrum objects as paper clips, thumbtacks, ballpoint pens, erasers, postcards, highlighters, business cards, pencil sharpeners, and more. The book contains some very interesting surprisesHenry David Thoreau was instrumental in the development of the pencil; in 1909, a 15-year-old was killed by an eraserand Ward's abundantly enthusiastic treatment of his subject matter translates to a hugely entertaining experience for the reader. For those who like the kind of nonfiction that takes something that's seemingly ordinary and makes its history into thrilling reading, this engaging book is an absolute must.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)