Dimensions
153 x 223 x 21mm
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 engineerer while on board ship; and Monopoly was developed by a radical feminist as an anticapitalist 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.
• For readers of A Cartoon History of the Universe and Randall Munroe's What If?
