Inventions: That Could Have Changed the World...But Didn't!

by Joe Rhatigan

The fascinating stories of inventions that could have changed the world, should have made a difference, or would have astounded us all, but for one reason or another, didn’t. Some inventions were too wacky, weird, or unwieldy. Other simply didn’t work. And still others may be the next big thing . . . some day. Learn about the inventors, what they thought they would accomplish, and what--if anything--they did accomplish. Zany illustrations of the contraptions in use throughout.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Childrens, Middle Grade, Humor

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2014

About the author

Joe Rhatigan has authored more than fifteen books for children and adults, including Don't Unravel When You Travel and Out-of-This-World Astronomy. He has also produced several best-selling books and series, including 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!, The Boo Boo Book, and the My Very Favorite Art Book series. Joe has been a poet, a teacher, a marketing manager, and a newspaper boy. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and three children

Reviews

[Amy A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my 6th grade science classes. They enjoyed it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and clever book! I especially appreciated the use of actual patent drawings to illustrate some of the inventions. I was also impressed with the accuracy and thoroughness of the explanation of the requirements for getting a US patent. While the book is aimed at middle school students, anyone who enjoys tinkering or fixing problems will enjoy this look at some of the wacky patents out there!

[Cheryl]

Just another catalog of random stuff found by someone browsing the patent office. ... Or maybe browsing previous books that also seemed more interesting by the blurb than they were revealed to be as I tried to read them. This only rarely discusses what is wrong with the invention, why it failed, and then does so too briefly.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly interesting and laugh out loud funny. The illustrations were great, the inventions were wild, it was all delightful.

[Vilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty fun description of some wild inventions that have been made over the years. My 8 year old grandson could not put it down.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the appeal of this book must surely relate to how universal is the desire to invent something that will change the world. Most of us have probably had a glimmer or two of how we might make that happen but never set our ideas down on paper. Well, the folks whose inventions are highlighted in this book did just that. In some cases, the ideas never went further than paper while in others, the inventor created the product, but it never went anywhere. Thus, there are examples of screeching doll, a house made from concrete, devices that can enable babies to mop the floor as they crawl, and my personal favorite--a bed attached to an alarm clock that would thrust its inhabitant onto the floor if he/she remains in bed once the alarm sounds. The illustration-filled book even highlights many of the failed inventions of Thomas Edison, much better known for his successes. Not only is there a subject index but also an index of inventors for quick reference. Who knows when one of these seemingly wacky ideas might become popular and change the way we live? The odd examples in this well-written book serve as starting points that just might inspire future inventors to come up with their own ideas.

[Emily Andrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This idea behind this book truly is entertaining; there's some pretty wacky inventions out there. But was the book itself all that great? Not so much. The author needs some editing (his writing is pretty tedious for grade-schoolers) and the format should be cleaned up a bit (it felt pretty busy on each page). The illustrations were cute, but sporadic between the actual illustrations filed with US patents. So I don't know that they were totally necessary.

So I don't love it, but I do love the idea and the message behind it. I do love the little extras it has. It can be funny and enjoyable to look at, and it also encourages kids or aspiring engineers to get ideas and go for it. Give it a try.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and browseable read about wacky inventions that were patented but did not catch on (or were never made). The intro talks about failed inventions, some inventions that just came at the wrong time and took awhile to catch on, and folks that are credited with inventions that they didn't invent but maybe improved on. The bulk of the text is made up of brief blurbs about various weird inventions that seem arbitrarily chosen and somewhat arbitrarily arranged, but are nonetheless amusing. Books that are a collection of brief accounts like this do not tend to circ well at my library but I think I could sell this to kids who are interested in weird facts.

[Krista K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of inventions that didn't quite get off the ground including a parachute coat, a catapulting bed, motorized pogo sticks and more! Featuring black and white illustrations of actual patent applications and color cartoons from Owsley. Rhatigan encourages readers to try their hand at inventing despite all the failures.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, unique look at inventions. Great addition to a class library for kids learning about inventions. Or for kids who want to try to make something themselves!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. Easy to booktalk, at least to 5th graders, and the kids were super excited about it. I'll try booktalking to 3rd grade, as well.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book of unpopular inventions!

[Louise Bendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many cool inventions - what ever happened to the jet pack? Read about Corn on the Hog - yes corn meets motorcycle!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read-aloud with 10 & 12 year old. 6/16 A little silly.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

unforgettable inventions: frameless bike, zaky infant pillow, motorcycle corn-on-the-cob handles

[Nya Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a hit for students that are interested in engineering and enjoy having entertaining pictures. It is quite comical and discusses a variety of inventions that never caught on. It begins the book by defining what a patent is and the origins of obtaining a patent. This book is then categorized by inventions such as new types of games and transportation devices. The language was informative while being witty and attention grabbing. Some of the most interesting inventions were the failures of extremely successful inventors such as Thomas Edison. Depicting that someone that finds success, isn’t always successful. This is a valuable lesson for students to be aware that success doesn't always come when you put in hard work, but with resilience hard work will pay off.