Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things (Charles Panati)

For lovers of facts, students of popular culture, history buffs, and science enthusiasts, the foremost specialist on everything tells how and why hundreds of the everyday items, expressions, and customs we take for granted came into existence.
 
Learn the fascinating discovery stories behind over 500 phenomena, including:
How chewing gum and Silly Putty began as substitutes for rubber.
How the potato chip emerged from an act of pique on the part of an Indian named Crum.
How a socialite invented the dishwasher because servants too frequently broke her expensive china.
Why April Fool's Day started out as New Year's Eve, a joke in itself.
How the song 'Happy Birthday to You' began as a kindergarten jingle titled 'Good Morning to All.'
How the zipper was one man's attempt to make obsolete not buttons... but shoelaces.
How the newlywed husband came to the aid of his accident-prone bride with the invention of the Band-Aid.
How the hot dog began as an outlawed Roman sausage and received its name.
 
Charles Panati is a physicist, and for many years was the science editor of Newsweek.