{"product_id":"the-evolution-of-useful-things-how-everyday-artifacts-from-forks-and-pins-to-paper-clips-and-zippers-came-to-be-as-they-are-paperback","title":"The Evolution of Useful Things: How Everyday Artifacts-From Forks and Pins to Paper Clips and Zippers-Came to Beas They Are. - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHenry Petroski\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e How did the table fork acquire a fourth tine? What advantage does the Phillips-head screw have over its single-grooved predecessor? Why does the paper clip look the way it does? What makes Scotch tape Scotch? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this delightful book Henry, Petroski takes a microscopic look at artifacts that most of us count on but rarely contemplate, including such icons of the everyday as pins, Post-its, and fast-food \"clamshell\" containers. At the same time, he offers a convincing new theory of technological innovation as a response to the perceived failures of existing products--suggesting that irritation, and not necessity, is the mother of invention.\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePetroski tells fascinating stories about the arduous processes that resulted in paper clips, Post-its, Phillips-head screwdrivers, Scotch tape, and fast-food \"clamshell\" containers. \"Petroski . . . an examines the simplest . . . tools in our lives with an appraising eye.\"--Washington Post Book World. 45 illus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHenry Petroski is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University. The author of more than a dozen previous books, he lives in Durham, North Carolina, and Arrowsic, Maine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.65 x 7.96 x 5.24 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 01, 1994\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42152138113159,"sku":"9780679740391","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/d6f7b5ba357592b4605b2699f008277b.webp?v=1733211916","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/the-evolution-of-useful-things-how-everyday-artifacts-from-forks-and-pins-to-paper-clips-and-zippers-came-to-be-as-they-are-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}