
Small Things Considered
Why There Is No Perfect Design
Henry Petroski(Author)
Random House USA Inc (Publisher)
Published on 14. September 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-4000-3293-8 (ISBN)
Description
Why has the durable paper shopping bag been largely replaced by its flimsy plastic counterpart? What circuitous chain of improvements led to such innovations as the automobile cup holder and the swiveling vegetable peeler? With the same relentless curiosity and lucid, witty prose he brought to his earlier books, Henry Petroski looks at some of our most familiar objects and reveals that they are, in fact, works in progress. For there can never be an end to the quest for the perfect design.
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
21 ILLUSTRATIONS
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
382 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4000-3293-8 (9781400032938)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
12/2007
Vintage
€6.49
Available for download
Person
Henry Petroski