''Adventures in Stationery: A Journey Through Your Pencil Case'' is a non-fiction book by

James Ward James Ward may refer to: Military *James Ward (Medal of Honor, 1864) (1833–?), American Civil War sailor * James Ward (Medal of Honor, 1890) (1854–1901), American Indian Wars soldier *James Allen Ward (1919–1941), New Zealand pilot and Vi ...

about stationery. It was published by British publisher Profile Books in 2014.

Synopsis

In ''Adventures in Stationery'', James Ward presents the history of numerous items of stationery, integrated with his personal opinions and current trends. Some of the topics discussed include the invention of the ballpoint pen by László Bíró, the development of the

Pritt Pritt is a brand of adhesives, tapes, KidsArt, correction, and fixing products designed and marketed by Henkel. Pritt invented the world's first glue stick, also known as the Pritt Stick, which is a solid adhesive in a twistable casing. Histor ...

glue stick, the design of the paperclip, the shape of Stabilo highlighters, the possible uses of

Blu-Tack Blu Tack is a reusable putty-like pressure-sensitive adhesive produced by Bostik, commonly used to attach lightweight objects (such as posters or sheets of paper) to walls, doors or other dry surfaces. Traditionally blue, it is also av ...

, and urban legends about the development of ballpoint pens during the Space Race.

Reception

Andrew Martin of '' The Observer'' wrote in a review that ''Adventures in Stationery'' is "elegantly written, but in a strangely blank, glassy-eyed tone" and opined that although Ward's personal anecdotes were interesting, more interviews with other subjects should have been included in the book. In a review for the '' Financial Times'', Alexander Gilmour wrote that "Ward writes with a blend of wit, unhealthy obsession and pure love" and described the book as "high-class pornography for the stationery enthusiast". '' The Independent'' Rhodri Marsden commented that the book "certainly is serious, while frequently frivolous", referring to its contents as "fascinating". Alex Sarll of the ''

Irish Examiner The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ...

'' summarised the book as a "chatty, witty treasure-trove" of facts and believed it "deserves a wider audience" than just stationery fans. Ben Richardson, who gave the book 2 out of 5 stars in a review for the ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...

'', felt that it was little more than "a laundry list of 'fancy that!' factoids" and that Ward should have integrated more "interactions with real people".

References

{{reflist, 30em 2014 non-fiction books Stationery British non-fiction books Profile Books books