Review
Posted by Ken on October 08, 1997 at 13:45:10:
In response to useful things, and pin and needle money, written by Caroline on October 07, 1997 at 15:56:26
]
] It sounds like this book should be in our biblipography, Ken.Would you care to give us a short review to include with it? (say, about 50 words?)
I couldn't seem to load your bibliography, so I don't have any idea of the form. But I'll give it a shot.
=The Evolution of Useful Things=, Henry Petroski, 1992, Vintage, soft, 288 pp. Petroski asks how and why common artefacts got to be the way they are today, from a sort of humanist/engineering point of view. His thesis: irritation, not necessity, is the mother of invention. Since the 19th century provides antecedents or impetus for change, most of the information is generally interesting, particularly the chapters on the fork!
Ok, 57 words, then. Perhaps someone can trim (-:
YHOS,
Snarkhunter
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