The Evolution of Useful Things

Praise

“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