Accidental Inventions: The Chance Discoveries That Changed Our Lives

by Birgit Krols

It’s hard to imagine a world without Coca-Cola, Post-its, or Velcro, but have you ever stopped to wonder how and when these items came to be? Accidental Inventions reveals the fascinating stories behind the toys, foods, gadgets, and tools we now consider indispensable. From peanut butter to penicillin, roller skates to radioactivity, dozens of essential inventions are spotlighted.

Fully illustrated with over 240 photos, Accidental Inventions traces the path from inception to “ah ha!” for more than 60 products, and introduces the cast of clever, hardworking inventors behind them. Engaging narrative and colorful design make these stories accessible to readers of all ages, illuminating the happy collision of accident and inspiration that would profoundly change our lives.

Genres: Nonfiction

168 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 2010

About the author

Birgit Krols (Belgium) flew around the world as a film journalist until she helped found a city magazine for Antwerp, of which she later became editor-in-chief. In 2006 she began writing international books for Tectum Publishers. At the present time, she coaches debuting authors at the BoekenBouwers.

Reviews

[Behrooz Parhami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This illustrated book, with lots of images and brief half-page descriptions, is an easy read and a delight. It teaches us that many of the most-useful items in our daily lives were invented accidentally. Errors and accidents play key roles in science and technology. In other words, "oops" may be just as important for discoveries as "aha." According to Mark Twain, "Accident is the name of the greatest of all inventions." Sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov tells us that "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'eureka!' but 'that's funny'."

Krols groups the inventions she discusses into five categories. Category titles and examples follow.

- Entertainment: Silly Putty; Play-Doh; Fireworks; Slinky; Roulette

- Food & Drinks: Artificial Sweeteners; Peanut Butter; Cheese; Tea

- Medicine: X-Rays; Penicillin; Viagra; Band-Aids; Rubber Gloves

- Everyday Life: Superglue; Post-Its; Kleenex; Velcro; Stainless Steel

- Substances: TNT; Radioactive Material; Synthetic Dyes; Dynamite

[Clotilde Menendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidental Inventions is a very interesting book with very appealing graphics.
The way the stories behind different inventions are presented is easy to read
and will hold a kid's interest and teach him or her many things about stuff we
use all the time. I didn't know how chocolate chip cookies came to be. (It is a funny
coincidence that they are mentioned in my children's book as well but in a different context.)
The Kellogg brothers did not run a mental institution but a patient hospital where even
surgeries were performed. But the book is interesting, informative, and even entertaining.

[Melinda Brasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating topic, bite-sized bits of information, good writing, good pictures. What's not to like?

Some people might want more detail, but it was perfect for my purposes, and can be a springboard for further individual research.

More accurate rating: 4.5

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish that this was more in depth.

[Heather Baucum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would pair this book with TTYL

Citation
Krols, B. (2012). Accidental inventions: The chance discoveries that changed our lives. San Rafael: Insight Editions.

Audience

I would give this book to a student who is interested in history. This book covers very briefly the history of inventions that were created by mistake. I might also hand this off to a history teacher who would like their students to know more about the economy has shaped history and how history shape the economy. An economics teacher could benefit from this book as well to talk about opportunity cost.

Selection Criteria
Accuracy – The small vignettes contain the history of inventions. They are historically accurate and condensed.
Authority – Brigit Krols was a journalist for 10 years before beginning her writing career. She has traveled all over the world and has been to many places and reported on several significant historical events. She is the author of twenty other publications about extreme places and the lives of celebrities.
Relevance – I believe that this book sparks a reading interest for many students who are interested in quirky trivia about history. It would also be a great reference for economics teachers to talk about supply and demand and the history need for invention to drive the economy.
Appropriateness – I believe that this book is on the reading level of a high schooler. The emotional and intellectual level is also geared for the older student because they discuss things like Viagra and LSD.
Scope – This book does not go into great depth on each invention, but that is not the point of the book. Individual books could be written for each invention in this book. The treatment of each invention is done well in that they discuss historical underpinnings of the inventions and future implications of these inventions.
Literary Merit – The illustrations, photographs, and quotes help this book to come alive to the reader. They are not simply stuck with a words only book, but can see historical and cultural pictures of each invention. The writing quality of this book is well done in that it encapsulates the most important ideas about each invention.
Value – This book would be of value to our library because of its uses in economics as well as for those students or educators who are interested in history. It reads akin to a History Channel special.

Review Source
Carol Holzberg. Booklist. (2004)

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Describing the new technologies in communication, entertainment, and business and their impact on American life.

Ordering information
Accidental Inventions: The chance discoveries that changed our lives. Hardcover. Non-fiction. 168p. 2012. Insight Editions. 9781608870738. $16.99


Personal Response

I really enjoyed reading this book in my spare time. There were a lot of inventions that I didn’t realize were created by accident. The post-it note and Coke were two things that I did know were created by accident. It was really cool to get to see other things that were created simply by accident. So many things in our world have come into it simply by accident or because people were being creative. It really shows the capacity of the human mind and the power of our actions.

[Alexis Coe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Accidental Inventions by Brigit Krols is successful in many respects. Krols is a journalist and magazine editor, and it shows in the layout and well-chosen photographs that capture the essence of an invention, whether in the moment or in the lasting effects on humanity. 60 inventions of varying import are included, from silly putty to dynamite, often with an anecdote.

The genesis of any given invention is granted no more than 12 sentences, which does not allow for much specificity. The lack of citations or bibliography proves slightly irritating when a statement is made that is unclear or dubious. At the same time, the book makes no big claims or poses as an authority, but rather as a compendium of serendipitous moments. Reissued this month, Accidental Inventions would be a welcomed gift for a curious child.

Read the full review here: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitioni...

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like pictures books with a short, interesting blurb, this book is for you. It takes several (maybe 50?) inventions that we use every day, gives you a vintage looking picture, sometimes a modern one worthy of Etsy, and a short paragraph describing the invention.

Really, I thought the book was pretty, but also pretty useless for getting much information. It makes for a unique coffee book table, though, if that's your thing.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this little nugget, and I do mean little. I read this book in about 30 minutes. It chronicles several famous inventions, including Play Doh, Slinky, and many other well known ones. Each entry has very bold, colorful pictures, and some information. This book will be an enjoyable but very quick read.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little fact book.

[Elissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting find from our local library.