House of Invention: The Secret Life of Everyday Objects

by Dave Lindsay

David Lindsay tours the typical American home to examine the most taken-for-granted objects, and finds incredible stories behind everyday items.

From the intercom, the mailbox, the microwave oven, pencils, ballpoint pens, Scotch tape, and Post-its to the screw thread, the yo-yo, blue jeans, zippers, and even condoms, here are the fascinating stories of the quotidian objects whose history is little known. (5 x 7 1/4, 192 pages, illustrations)

David Lindsay is the author of Madness in the Making and The Patent Files: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Inventio. He lives in New York City.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Trivia, Science, History

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up as a possible how-this-was-invented/created/engineered for my offspring, but it's too adult for them. Dwells more on the personal lives of the inventors, in a kind of gossipy way, then on the actual inventions or how they were created or what their impact has been on society.

Worth dabbling into if you're particularly interested in one thing, though Wikipedia could probably offer as much.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. I've read much of this before. He organizes his target inventions in various rooms of the house: Bathroom (disposable razor, Vaseline, hair straightener); Kitchen (frozen food, blender, breakfast cereal); Foyer (intercom, bank notes, locks & keys); Office (Muzak, pencil, electrical outlet); Garage (intermittent windshield wiper, standard screw thread, flat-bottomed paper bag); Family Room (television, exercise machine, solitaire); Bedroom (brassiere, shatterproof glasses, condom).
He spends too much time on gossip and business shenanigans and not enough on the inventions and their part in our lives. He talks little about the shatterproof glasses and too much on the genius sperm bank somebody founded. His electrical outlet discussion is mostly about the contest between AC and DC and which is safer. He focuses too much on how many inventors don't benefit from their inventions, but business partners or rivals do. Little on how the intermittent windshield wiper helps in drippy rain. Little on the exercise machine and whether it helps people or just ends up gathering dust.
Other books are better written and cover more.

[Frank Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

House of Invention, by Dave Lindsay is a book explains normal household items of how they were invented and a short over view of the inventors them self. I really liked this book because it had very interesting details that I learned about various objects. Like I learned where Vaseline comes from, how it got it's name and who made up the idea to put it in to a gel. If you enjoy learning about history that is very fun to know I wold recommend this book immediately to you. House of Invention is a great book to just rest and take time out of your busy schedule.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history of many modern inventions is covered here.

An interesting compilations on the inventions we often take for granted as well as. look into the lives of the inventors. Too small for the money in my book.

[Bobo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Many Michigan connections. Very light and quick. I'm glad I read it now to read his (Lindsay) sources!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seems to be an underdeveloped product from a talented writer. That makes it all the more disappointing. The stories are unfocused--some parts feel rushed, others feel stretched.