Leonard Read’s 1958 essay “I, Pencil” is among the most eye-opening and influential pieces of economic writing ever. That essay even inspired the cover art for the original edition of Milton and Rose Friedman’s blockbuster 1980 volume, Free To Choose.
Like many principles-of-economics professors, I tell the “I, Pencil” account on day one of class. It’s powerful. Very, very powerful.
Now, the Competitive Enterprise Institute offers here this six-plus-minute-long video that brings “I, Pencil” to life. Written by Nicole Woods Ciandella and produced by Nick Tucker, this video is not to be missed. It is vivid, beautiful, moving, and – indeed – powerful. To Fred Smith and everyone at CEI: thank you!
