Customer Reviews

Thinking With a Pencil

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In the field of rapid visualisation, there are only two books I would often recommend to others:

For left-brainers, i.e. people who are naturally logic-oriented: get hold of 'Thinking with a Pencil' by Henning Helms;

For right-brainers, i.e. people who are naturally creative &/or imagination-oriented: get hold of 'Rapid Viz' by Kurt Hanks;

Both books cater to all those who wish to use a simple drawing as a tool for thought & communication. They explain how to draw &/or sketch quickly as well as how to use graphic illustration as a thinking tool & as a means of organising & presenting ideas on paper. This, in a nut shell, is essentially the process of rapid visulaisation.

The only difference between the two books lies in their approach to the process, even though both have a free-hand style.

'Thinking with a Pencil' has a more structured approach, with a slant toward technical drawing. It has almost 700 technical illustrations.

'Rapid Viz' has a more free-form or creative approach, with a emphasis on speed & simplicity. In essence, it's more wholistic in terms of the process. It has some 900 illustrations & is also packed with ideas, games, puzzles & exercises to guide the reader.

As an engineer by training, I have owned the first book since the late sixties & the latter book since the early eighties. During my engineering days, the first book has been my field guide.

I have found that both books are written for the novice in mind. They provide easy-to-follow step by step instructions.

They are the only two true classics in the field!

...this is the sort of book that causes its readers to long for it well after it has been loaned to a friend for good. Once you break through the "I'm not a drawing sort of person" wall with teh helpful advice of Henning Nelms, you are empowered to communicate your thoughts in a more powerful way.

I would love to see this book back in print, or in a new edition that extends the concepts to the digital age and teaches us also to "Draw with a Digital Pencil."

Thinking with a Pencil is the best book I have read on how to make your concepts into recognizable sketches that can convey your ideas to other people. You do not need to know how to draw to use Nelms's ideas. I had a copy of this book, gave it to a graphic artist, and now want another one myself. Please, publisher, reprint it again.

I first found this book in a used book store in 1971. Since then I have searched it out in other used book stores to give as a gift to my friends. I am a craftsperson. But I never had any formal training in drawing. It was very difficult for me to draw my ideas, or execute a high quality drawing for a craft project, until I got this book. I still do not consider myself an expert with a pencil, but now I can draw recognizable images. If you need to draw, but don't really know how, this is an excellent book to get you started. It really should be reprinted!

This book contains the best instruction I've ever seen for the proper way to present data in a graphical format. Its comments about how data should be presented in graphical format are more valid today then they were when it was first written.

Books written by people who have gone beyond merely mastering their craft are always fascinating. I had to find my copy used, unfortunately, but I will have it on my shelf for the rest of my life. If art classes were taught seriously, this would be 1 of 3 important texts. He covers most aspects of drawing, in an easy to understand style. The other reviews here are also accurate. This is well worth the price, whatever the price may be. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was also a text I used in a class. I went from very bad drawings, to art quality, in about 10 lessons. I saw this reviewed in The Next Whole Earth Catalog, the 1982 edition, which means I'm not the only one who thinks it's a classic.

Many of us procrastinate because we can't "see" where we're going. We can't imagine it. But everyone has an imagination that can be brought to play. But how? Think with a pencil. Yes!

For those of us who are visual learners, this very straight-forward book on drawing is a wonder.

Often what holds us back from going forward on a journey is our inability to show someone where we want to go with a concept.

This elementary instruction offers the encouragement that makes it possible to seal a concept on a napkin.

With practice, such handy visualization comes easier and communication much more thoughtful.

Highly recommended.

Thinking with a pencil is a book that helps people in the action of thinking. This is the second copy of this book I have purchased. The first one got away.

This out of print book was exactly what my wife wanted, and despaired of getting. It was the perfect gift. Palmetto Picks, LLC was absolutely wonderful to work with. I had not told them in the order that it was a gift for our twentieth wedding anniversary, but they gift wrapped it, included a bookmark and made it very special. It worked perfectly and my wife could not have been happier. Thanks.

Excellent service. There was an error in my shipment, but Mr Rooney was very speedy in remedying the problem. The way I figure it is any one can make a mistake (to err is human) but it's how the error is addressed is the measure of the man.