EVOLUTION OF USEFUL THINGS - Couverture souple

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1857932951 ISBN 13 : 9781857932959

Editeur : Pavilion, 1994

Synopsis

An examination of the commonplace things of everyday life which reveals them to be the marvellous feats of engineering they actually are. It ponders a host of techno-trivia questions - how the fork got its times, how the paper clip evolved, how the Post-It note came to be - and provides us with the answers that both astonish and challenge the imagination. In addition, the author explains how the interplay of social and technical factors affects the development and use of such everyday things. Throughout the book familiar items serve to illustrate the general principles behind the evolution of invention and engineering.

A propos du livre

Revue de presse

"A celebration of inventiveness...By cataloging the clutter of our desks, closets, and workbenches, and giving them a human history, Petroski makes us feel more at home in our homes."- Newsweek

"Petroski is a valuable resource—an engineer who examines the simplest, most ubiquitous tools in our live with an appraising eye."- Washington Post Book World

"Mr. Petroski's case histories delightfully illustrate his thesis... You never know when you will turn a page and find some tiny corner of your mind enlightened."- The New York Times

"Petroski has an eye for the mundane that distracts and delights... [His] wealth of literary and cultural references runs from Aristotle... to Russell Baker... The book has substance."- Newsday

Présentation de l'éditeur

   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?

   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.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Pavilion
• Date d'édition: 1994
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1857932951
• ISBN 13: 9781857932959
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 304
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible