An Uncommon History of Common Things

Patrick, Bethanne; Thompson, John; Petroski, Henry [Foreword]

ISBN 10: 1435137140 / ISBN 13: 9781435137141

Published by FALL, 2009

Seller Inventory # 1435137140-3-25061638

Synopsis:

Sometime about 30,000 years ago, somebody stuck a sharp rock into a split stickand presto! The axe was born. Our inquisitive species just loves tinkering, testing, and pushing the limits, and this delightfully different book is a freewheeling reference to hundreds of customs, notions, and inventions that reflect human ingenuity throughout history. From hand tools to holidays to weapons to washing machines, An Uncommon History of Common Things features hundreds of colorful illustrations, timelines, sidebars, and more as it explores just about every subject under the sun. Who knew that indoor plumbing has been around for 4,600 years, but punctuation, capital letters, and the handy spaces between written words only date back to the Dark Ages Or that ancient soldiers baked a kind of pizza on their shieldswhen they werent busy flying kites to frighten their foes Every page of this quirky compendium catalogs something fascinating, surprising, or serendipitous. A lively, incompar

About the Author: Bethanne Patrick is a writer and book critic. Her features, profiles, and reviews have appeared in the "Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, People" magazine, and other publications. John Thompson is the author and co-author of more than a dozen books including "Dakotas, America s Historic Trails, " and "National Geographic Almanac of American History.""

Bibliographic Details

Title: An Uncommon History of Common Things
Publisher: FALL
Publication Date: 2009
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Good