Henry Petroski

A look at the origin of everyday household items examines the Phillips-head screwdriver, paper clips, Post-its, fast-food "clamshell" containers, and other items. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

The Evolution of Useful Things

Lara Engle

The author's central argument is that failure breeds improvement rather than form following function. This seems like quite a narrow distinction to me, but perhaps that is an odd complaint from someone reading a book that details the development of the fourth tine on a fork and analyzes the comparative benefits of different rope-tying methods on now-antique bedsteads. The information in the book is interesting, however, and I have gained many more points of minutiae with which to astound my high school students.

The Evolution of Useful Things

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