# An Economics Lesson from a Talking Pencil (Update)

An episode of [Freakonomics Radio](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/354668519), 11 Jun 2025, 40 min.

Audio: https://mgln.ai/e/2/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e/episodes/aa9add10-e7e0-4502-b7a2-5e9098cebbc8/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=2be48404-a43c-4fa8-a32c-760a3216272e&awEpisodeId=aa9add10-e7e0-4502-b7a2-5e9098cebbc8&feed=Y8lFbOT4

A famous essay argues that “not a single person on the face of this earth” knows how to make a pencil. How true is that? In this 2016 episode, we looked at what pencil-making can teach us about global manufacturing — and the proper role of government in the economy. • SOURCES: • Caroline Weaver, creator of the Locavore Guide. • Matt Ridley, science writer, British viscount and retired member of the House of Lords • Tim Harford, economist, author and columnist for the Financial Times • Jim Weissenborn, former CEO of General Pencil Company • Thomas Thwaites, freelance designer and associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins. • RESOURCES: • "When ideas have sex," by Matt Ridley (TED, 2010). • "How I built a toaster — from scratch," by Thomas Thwaites (TED, 2010). • "Look on this toaster, ye mighty, and despair!" by Tim Harford (Financial Times, 2009). • "I, Pencil," by Leonard Read (Foundation for Economic Education, 1958). • EXTRAS: • “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job,” by Freakonomics Radio (2025). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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