What is a Tool of Excellence?

We are toolmakers; we are driven to create that which enhances our capabilities, be it a thing, an idea, or a process. The earliest tools were a flint that allowed the fast, clean preparation of an animal skin for warmth, a line of gut to catch fish for nourishment, and, of course, fire, once wrenched from a passing storm, which must have been the most life-changing of tools. Further tools were concepts: how to organise the hunt, how to verify food which was edible and the idea of a presence beyond the body for reassurance and explanation: a god, a universe, a spirit.

Now, of course, tools-from power drills to surfboards to iPhones-surround us with abundance.

I am fascinated by tools that make a difference. Some are glittery and seductive; those we get but never really use; those fresh pasta makers at the back of cupboards, for example. Some tasks are best done without any help at all: the fullest of hugs. But some tools, yes, use them well, and there is no stopping you. The best has evolved and will continue to do so; flint became sharpened flint. Sharpened flint was lashed to a wooden handle, multiplying force through leverage. The axe was born, a tool that would reshape civilisations through boats, bridges, and bravado.

From the introduction to The Tools of Excellence.