Review by Booklist Review
Even the most commonplace items can have a fascinating backstory that belies their mundane familiarity. Comics journalist Warner has expanded his webcomic series into a book-length collection that humorously recounts the creation of dozens of products found around the house. The book is chock-full of the sort of revelations that will reward readers at trivia nights and in barroom betting. The first sports bra was made from two jockstraps sewn together. Paper clips, a Norwegian invention, became a sign of resistance during the Nazi occupation. In 1945, the newly invented ballpoint pen drew a mob of 5,000 to Gimbel's, which sold its entire stock of 10,000 pens at $12.50 a pop. Perhaps the most significant takeaway from Warner's research is the unheralded contributions of African Americans and women; for instance, a black inventor patented the three-position traffic signal, and coffee filters and paper bags were devised by women. Warner's brashly humorous drawings and admittedly invented dialogue make this the most delightfully irreverent illustrated history lesson since Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe (1990).--Flagg, Gordon Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this history lesson about the mundane, Warner's fascination is with the daily objects that clutter your bathroom, bedroom, office, bar, and all the places you frequent without even noticing you're there. Each strip in this webcomic collection is a breezy romp as Warner recounts the histories of objects such as toothbrushes, toilets, and billiard balls with a tongue-in-cheek wit and glee for some of the more disgusting elements in their origins. Warner reveals in his illustration of an early toothbrush, for instance, a bone with animal hair as bristles. He's equally interested in the chaos that often follows entrepreneurial initiatives, and each strip, though brief, has the power of a parable, outlining how some inventors were cheated, fell into greed, or used their wealth to attempt to fund new, even quirkier endeavors-like flying off to Bolivia to become a missionary or attempting to build a utopia. Warner is a deft cartoonist, able to convey a lot of information, humor, and emotion within a single panel. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Learning about the past can be fun, and if writer/illustrator Warner (andywarnercomics.com) is the one teaching, it can also be very funny. Organized into nine categories: "The Bathroom," "The Bedroom Closet," "The Living Room," "The Kitchen," "The Coffee Shop," "The Office," "The Grocery Store," "The Bar," and "The Great Outdoors," these short histories highlight items including toothbrushes, Tupperware, and ice cream cones. Brief sets of two- to six-page black-and-white panels display the background of a particular object, interspersed with Warner's sarcastic and entertaining invented dialog. Reading the summaries should be done in the order provided, as some lines become running jokes, and people from earlier threads pop up later unexpectedly. Among the answers to queries readers are likely to encounter: What led to the invention of the Slinky? How did a melted chocolate bar lead to the invention of the microwave oven? Why did ancient people think Arab traders of cinnamon were extremely brave? Hint: think large, angry birds. And how are the inventions of dice and dominoes related? Verdict Fans of Randall Munroe's What If? and Thing Explainer will find Warner's read both informative and hilarious.-Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
