Mr. Ballpoint

A Novel

Non-Fiction - Social Issues
281 Pages
Reviewed on 08/26/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Trevor Otieno for Readers' Favorite

Gerald Everett Jones has applied his admirable talent to the real-life account of the brash businessman Milton Reynolds, who hustled his way to millions of dollars in the late 1940s using the common ballpoint pen. Mr. Ballpoint is told from Milton's son's point of view. The ballpoint was introduced to the United States by Milton Reynolds, who also caused the largest single-day shopping riot in history at Gimbels in Manhattan. A great marketer is a creative and innovative performer, as this book demonstrates. Milton Reynolds had the full, thrilling “life of a salesperson,” and his improbable career is proof that reality can consistently outperform fantasy. If you want to learn about the events first-hand, get a copy of the book.

The father-son comedy Mr. Ballpoint explores the history of the ballpoint pen. However, its best quality is as an educational read. I found myself giggling at the father's and son’s antics. The first week of sales and Milt’s frantic efforts to get the ballpoint pen on the U.S. market first were some of the noteworthy occurrences I came across in the account. Gerald Everett Jones undoubtedly has a knack for entertaining and amusing storytelling. It’s incredible to consider that every object we take for granted now once didn’t exist and has a history. The accomplished use of language by the author is demonstrated through this original work, which is both enlightening and enjoyable. Jones deserves considerable praise for his excellent effort.