"What I love most about the pencil is how little it has changed over the last 400 years." So says designer Sebastian Bergne about the humble tool that's responsible for monumental works from Shakespearean plays to towering skyscrapers. Indeed, there's perhaps nothing more reflective of the lastingness of good design than that cylinder of graphite and wood on which so many creatives rely. Now, the utensil is finally getting its proper homage in the form of a new book by designer Alex Hammond and photographer Mike Tinney. The Secret Life of the Pencil (Laurence King, $16) compiles the writing tools of choice for creatives ranging from architect Sir Norman Foster to shoe designer extraordinaire Christian Louboutin. With a delightfully simple design, Hammond and Tinney spotlight the battered nubs and sharp mechanical tips of these masters, their tools the descendants of the pure graphite sticks the 16th-century English wrapped in sheepskin to create the original pencil. Each photograph is juxtaposed with a quote from the pencil's owner about its design. Read on for a selection of writing implements from some of our favorite creatives featured in the tome.