Gadgets, Games and Gizmos: 122 Inventions that Changed the World

by Jean-Marie Donat

This book contains the original drawings submitted to the patent office for such indispensable items as the paperclip, the ball-point pen, and the umbrella, as well as technological marvels like the space suit, the floppy disk, and the Polaroid camera—and not forgetting fun and frivolous things like the Barbie doll, the skateboard, and the Game Boy. Expand your knowledge and inspire your inner inventor with this fully illustrated guide to the everyday gadgets, games, and gizmos that changed the world!

144 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2018

Reviews

[Mansour S منصور السدحان · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

What I liked: lots and lots of patent drawings of familiar objects of all sorts.
Interesting accompanying text.

What I didn’t like: most of the featured drawings are of later inventions improving on the one being talked about, the first of its kind sort of thing.
I’ve come across incorrect info, example: (talking about the audio cassette) “the product met with huge success, then sales declined in the 1980s due to the birth of the CD” ! As far as I know the 80s was the heyday of the audio cassette and it went on to be successful through the 90s. Such inaccuracy leads me to suspect that there might be more which I might not be familiar with.

Still an enjoyable light read.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many books I read for a purpose. I had no true purpose in reading this book. The only thing I expected was some information on different inventions. This book gave me that. All over, make sure you understand that this is more a coffee table book than a reading book. There are many pictures from patents to look at and that the descriptions of the inventions are very brief. Understand all of this and this book is a pleasant book to read or just look at.