Brief Histories of Everyday Objects

by Andy Warner

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Book cover for Brief Histories of Everyday Objects

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In the tradition of A Cartoon History of the Universe and, most recent, Randall Munroe's What If? comes Brief Histories of Everyday Objects - an intrepid, graphic tour through the unusual stories behind the creation of some of the overlooked items that surround us in our daily lives. Chapters introduce readers to a cast of inventors whose ideas led to the ballpoint pen riots, cowboy wars, and really bad Victorian practical jokes. Structured around the different locations in our home and daily life - the kitchen, the bathroom, the office, and the grocery store. Award-nominated comic artist Andy Warner traces the often surprising and sometimes complex histories behind the items we often take for granted. Readers learn how: Velcro was invented by a Swiss engineer after he took his dog for a walk; the coffee filter was created by a German housewife; the Slinky was devised by a naval engineered while on board ship; and Monopoly was developed by a radical feminist as an anticapitalistic lesson. This is both a book of histories and a book about histories.
It explores how whims beget realities, lies become legends, trade routes Spring up, and empires rise and fall - all from the perspective of your toothbrush or toilet.
  • ISBN10 1250078652
  • ISBN13 9781250078650
  • Publish Date 4 October 2016
  • Publish Status Out of Print
  • Out of Print 8 May 2022
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint St Martin's Press
  • Format Hardcover
  • Pages 224
  • Language English