The Toothpick by Henry Petroski - ISBN: 9780307279439
Paperback
The surprising history of the toothpick: culture, technology, and hidden depths.

The Toothpick

Technology and Culture

$47.99

  • Paperback

    464 pages

  • Release Date

    4 November 2008

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Summary

A celebration of culture and technology, as seen through the history of the humble yet ubiquitous toothpick, from the best-selling author of The Pencil.

From ancient Rome, where emperor Nero made his entrance into a banquet hall with a silver toothpick in his mouth, to nineteenth-century Boston, where Charles Forster, the father of the American wooden toothpick industry, ensured toothpicks appeared in every restaurant, the toothpick has been an omnipresent, yet often overlook…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9780307279439
ISBN-10:030727943X
Author:Henry Petroski
Publisher:Random House USA Inc
Imprint:Random House Inc
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:464
Release Date:4 November 2008
Weight:406g
Dimensions:206mm x 132mm x 25mm
Series:Vintage
What They're Saying

Critics Review

“Offers rare insights into principles of engineering and design.“—The Washington Post Book World“Delightful … Mr. Petroski combines historical narrative with technical expertise to compelling affect.” —New York Sun“I’ll never look at a toothpick in the same way.” —Jeri Krentz, The Charlotte Observer“Petroski writes … with the observant eye of an engineer and the imaginative heart of a novelist.” —Los Angeles Times

About The Author

Henry Petroski

Henry Petroski is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University. The author of a dozen previous books, he lives in Durham, North Carolina.

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