The Evolution of Useful Things
By - Henry Petroski
Floor
-
Floor 2
Published
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Knopf, New York, 1992
ISBN 10 - 0679740392
ISBN 13 - 9780679740391
Book Status
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3 Qnty Available with us.
Subject
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Patents
Shelf No
-
6
Call Number
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609 PET
Physical Description
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xi, 288 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Notes
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Includes Index
Call no: 609 PET
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.