There are objects, beverages, spices, and gadgets that we use on a daily basis, but have you ever stopped to wonder just how these things came to be or how they got to you for your everyday use? The following are fascinating non-fiction works on the histories, influences, transformations, and other fun facts, about these objects.
There is a bibliography of all of these books next to the catalog computers, and it will soon be online under the "Book Lists for Adults" section under "Book & More" on the library's website. Happy Reading!!!
Paul Levinson / 303.4833 LEVINSON
Cellphone: The Story of the World’s
Most Mobile Medium and How It Has Transformed Everything!
Not only does Levinson cover how the
cellphone came about, but he also covers the history of mobile things, such as
a cameras, radios, or books, and how having all these things come in one device
has transformed our everyday lives (from issues like transportation to
romance).
Elizabeth Royte / 363.7285 ROYTE
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of
Trash
Royte discusses what happens with our
trash from the time we throw it into the can. There are also discussions on
different groups who recycle or work with disposed of items and how the way we
dispose of our trash impacts how we live.
Katherine Ashenburg / 391.64 ASHENBUR
The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized
History
Throughout history, the concept of
being clean (or personal hygiene) can be very different to different groups of
people. Romans believed you needed to soak for two hours, while French aristocrats
in the 17th century thought it meant just changing your shirt every day.
Ashenburg also discusses how these methods related to things like plagues,
spirituality, and even historical events.
Tom Standage / 394.12 STANDAGE
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
Standage notes that six beverages
have “helped shape human history,” by doing more than just quenching the
thirsts of people everywhere. He discusses history with respect to: beer, wine,
spirits, coffee, tea, and cola, and the ways that these beverages have
influenced cultures, impacted foreign policy, or simply stimulated intellectual
dialogue.
Tom
Standage / 394.1209 STANDAGE
An
Edible History of Humanity
Standage
discusses hunger, and the ways that food has impacted the development of
societies, social status, population, industrialization, and even war.
Simon
Winchester / 423 WINCHEST
The
Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of
the Oxford English Dictionary
The
piecing together of the Oxford English Dictionary took seventy years and
thousands of people submitting entries to complete. One of the contributors had
a very complex history. Dr. William Chester Minor, a surgeon in Connecticut and
in the Civil War, sent thousands of entries to add to the work. However, he
never took up Professor and Editor James Murray’s offer to visit him at Oxford,
only corresponding with him through letters. Curious as to the reason why,
Murray decided to visit the doctor. He found out that Dr. Minor was a patient
in the Broadmoor Asylum. Winchester unfolds their history together.
Charles
Seife / 513 SEIFE
Zero:
The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Seife
looks into the history and meanings of the number zero. Invented by the
Babylonians, the number zero has been both worshipped and banned. Seife also
looks into the research of others to figure out the true meaning of a number
that signifies nothing.
David
Ewing Duncan / 529.3 DUNCAN
Calendar:
Humanity’s Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year
Since
the beginning of “time” as a concept, humans have tried again and again to
perfect a calendar system. Duncan looks at the different systems and cultures
that have helped create the current calendar system that we use. There is also
a “Calendar Index” that allows you to compare the major calendar systems.
Victoria
Finlay / 535.6 FINLAY
Color:
A Natural History of the Palette
Finlay
traces the history of colors: where they were originally created, how they
defined certain aspects of culture, and how certain colors (especially those
important to history) were made. Each chapter is organized by color.
David
Bodanis / 537 BODANIS
Electric
Universe: The Shocking True Story of Electricity
Electricity
has always been around us, in one form or another, but it was not until the
late 1700s that scientists really started to understand what it was and how to
use it. Bodanis writes about the different individuals who worked within the
“electric universe,” their contributions, and even their colorful pasts and
personalities.
Barbara
Freese / 553.2 FREESE
Coal:
A Human History
Freese,
discusses the formation of coal, its historical significance and uses, the
harmful effects that come from its use, and her suggestions on other fuel
sources or methods that do not cause as much damage as coal.
Mark
Kurlansky / 553.63 KURLANSK
Salt:
A World History
Since
salt is so plentiful and used so much in our daily life, it is hard to believe
that it could be a powerful enough substance to have affected history and
influenced cultures. Kurlansky writes about salt’s surprising influence over
things like trade routes, wars, and even the kinds of food eaten throughout
history and now.
Joel
Levy / 609 LEVY
Really
Useful: The Origins of Everyday Things
There
are objects that are used every day, such as Post-It Notes or the refrigerator,
but have you ever wondered what the stories of these “useful” objects are? Levy
looks at the history of these objects, how they came to be household items, and
how they impact our everyday lives.
Diarmuid
Jeffreys / 615.783 JEFFREYS
Aspirin:
The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug
It’s
a difficult concept to grasp that a little pill that millions of people take on
an everyday basis could have made such a huge impact on the world with its
creation. Jeffreys tells us the history of this “wonder” drug, which traces its
roots back to Ancient Egypt, and all of the benefits that have been discovered
that come from taking one.
Sophie
D. Coe / 641.3374 COE
The
True History of Chocolate
Almost
everyone enjoys a good piece of chocolate every now and again, but did you ever
wonder where that piece of chocolate came from or how it got to you? Coe helps
us answer these questions with the history of chocolate, how it has influenced
whole cultures, and even how it’s made.
Sue
Shephard / 641.4 SHEPHARD
Pickled,
Potted, and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the
World
Food
preservation is not something that we tend to think a lot about, but without
it, explorers could not have gone exploring and selections would be a lot more
limited when it comes to meal times. Shephard writes about the major
developments in food preservation, who came up with them, and the many issues
they faced.
Bill
Bryson / 643.1 BRYSON
At
Home: A Short History of Private Life
While
living in a Victorian parsonage in England, Bill Bryson started contemplating
the idea of what the private lives of the families were like that lived in his
home before his own family moved in. So Bryson gives readers a tour of his
home, moving from room to room, discussing the history of the rooms, what
happened within them, and what the objects in them mean.
Bee
Wilson / 643.3 WILSON
Consider
the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat
Where
would we be without our forks or knives, or what would we do if we didn’t have
a spatula to cook with or a pot to boil water in? Wilson discusses the history
of cooking technology and how technological innovations (and cultural customs)
have changed the way we eat.
Neil
MacGregor / 930.1 MACGREGO
A
History of the World in 100 Objects
Neil
MacGregor, the Director of the British Museum, writes about the history of the
world with regards to 100 items. These are items that humans have created
through innovation (from an Olduvai handaxe to the solar-powered lamp), He also
discusses what these items say about the people who created them, and how they
have impacted the everyday lives of people.
