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Bubble Gum and Hula Hoops: The Origins of Objects in Our Everyday Lives
The fascinating and funny origins of everyday objects-bliss for history hounds, language lovers and trivia buffs.
In this delightful volume, Harry Oliver reveals the most unusual and unexpected stories behind the household necessities, toys, common objects, technological advances, and everyday items we all take for granted. Who hasn't wondered:
? Whether Thomas Crapper really invented the toilet
? What accident led to the invention of the microwave
? Why it took nearly twenty years for someone to finally decide to slice bread
? How laziness resulted in the invention of the dishwasher
? Which discovery made the milkshake possible
? Which king's fancy for his mistress inspired the first elevator
In this delightful volume, Harry Oliver reveals the most unusual and unexpected stories behind the household necessities, toys, common objects, technological advances, and everyday items we all take for granted. Who hasn't wondered:
? Whether Thomas Crapper really invented the toilet
? What accident led to the invention of the microwave
? Why it took nearly twenty years for someone to finally decide to slice bread
? How laziness resulted in the invention of the dishwasher
? Which discovery made the milkshake possible
? Which king's fancy for his mistress inspired the first elevator
- GenresNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2009
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54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 22, 2022
This was a nice time killer to read while waiting in line or between other tasks. The author gives a very brief history of a number of common items. I would have like it better if some of the histories were more in-depth. I guess it would have made for a much longer read! I learned a few things, but not as much as I was hoping.
June 21, 2022
This was a fun read about every day inventions, but finding out some of them have been invented thousands of years ago!
April 23, 2014
This was a pretty interesting read. There are little short informational descriptions about the origins of everyday objects. I picked up this book because I often find myself curious about how certain things were discovered or created. The author does a great job of organizing the information. His categories include money, indoor/outdoor, Travel and Transportation, etc..
I think the author has a good sense of who his audience is. The title and the cover are both very playful, so the kind of reader that would be attracted to this book would be one that is looking for short, quirky, and interesting facts. The author doesn't bore the reader with long over detailed historical descriptions about each fact because he knows that's not what his reader is looking for. He interjects a little bit of humor in between each chapter through comics that poke fun at some of the inventions and how they're improperly used. I thought he did a great job of including bizarre facts like how a woman's pregnancy status used to be determined by injecting frogs with her urine. I think the weird facts keep the readers interested.
I think the author has a good sense of who his audience is. The title and the cover are both very playful, so the kind of reader that would be attracted to this book would be one that is looking for short, quirky, and interesting facts. The author doesn't bore the reader with long over detailed historical descriptions about each fact because he knows that's not what his reader is looking for. He interjects a little bit of humor in between each chapter through comics that poke fun at some of the inventions and how they're improperly used. I thought he did a great job of including bizarre facts like how a woman's pregnancy status used to be determined by injecting frogs with her urine. I think the weird facts keep the readers interested.
January 16, 2013
I just love this book. I don't know why, but I'm a sucker for books about inventions, and this book has plenty of it. Even though this is a non-fiction book, it is still enjoyable. When I first read it, it made me laugh, and still educated me. With every new section, there is an amusing comic, and interesting information on equally interesting inventions.
The detailed stories on the inventions were particularly eye catching for me. For example, the invention of the microwave. When they first creating it, they were seeing if they could use it as a death ray. But when, one of the scientists discovered that his chocolate bar melted, the potential of the microwave was discovered. It's amazing how back then, new discoveries fascinated people, when today they are objects of everyday life.
The title really fits the book, as it educates people without boring them, on the origins of objects we see everyday in our lives.
The detailed stories on the inventions were particularly eye catching for me. For example, the invention of the microwave. When they first creating it, they were seeing if they could use it as a death ray. But when, one of the scientists discovered that his chocolate bar melted, the potential of the microwave was discovered. It's amazing how back then, new discoveries fascinated people, when today they are objects of everyday life.
The title really fits the book, as it educates people without boring them, on the origins of objects we see everyday in our lives.
January 25, 2016
Good book to have in the car or purse to read when you are stuck somewhere and need something to read for a couple minutes. It has short snippets about how tons of things were invented.
June 20, 2013
Love all of the interesting facts in this book. Makes a nice gift for someone who has everything.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews