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I, Pencil: The Movie

I, Pencil · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Microeconomics & behavioral economicsBusiness & economics (other)

What it is

A short film from the Competitive Enterprise Institute adapting Leonard Read's 1958 essay I, Pencil, showing how no one person knows how to make a pencil and how many people cooperate without central planning.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it as a quick video version of the classic essay on specialization and economic interdependence.

  • 3 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2017, last 2021

What HN commenters said

  1. “There's even a video adaptation available for those who don't want to read at all.”

    Video adaptation of I, Pencil for those who do not want to read.

    flyingfences, 2017-03 · Recommendation · in “Most items of clothing have complicated international journeys”

  2. “It's really about specialization and the interdependency of everything in the economy”

    About specialization and interdependency in making a pencil.

    CWuestefeld, 2020-02 · Recommendation · in “Brown: color is weird [video]”

  3. “(6:33 in total; it’s a bit “dreamy” sometimes but still worth a watch, you can skip the first minute)”

    Short movie on the collaboration needed to produce a pencil.

    pieno, 2020-09 · Recommendation · in “On Modern Web Applications Stability”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: i, pencil, free markets, interdependence, economics, leonard read

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