Overview

Everything—from the mundane (the pencil) to the catastrophic (the atom bomb)—has an origin, but often it’s not what we expect. A few things you may not have known: • Gandhi was married at age thirteen! • Chinese fortune cookies are an American invention and were not eaten in China until the 1990s when they were advertised as “Genuine American Fortune Cookies.” • Bayer lost the trademark for aspirin (which they had held since 1897) as part of the reparations Germany was forced to pay after World War I. • The original idea for the electric chair came from an American dentist. For aspiring mindblowers and wanna-be know-it-alls, The Book of Origins is a treasure trove of trivia and fascinating facts guaranteed to entertain and enlighten.

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9780452288324

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Reviews

“Trivia fans eager for a new resource will welcome Homer's compendium of firsts and originals. The book offers plenty of useful information in short bursts, providing, for instance, a three-page thumbnail history of the theater, and a rundown of the early telegraphing highlights.”—Publisher's Weekly “More than just a source of reference material. It's an engaging journey through time and trivia.”—Chicago Sun-Times “Rich in surprises.”—Arts & Book Review “The best way to approach this book is to simply open it and read a few random pages. It contains obscure and unknown details at almost every turn, plus a natural sense of when enough detail is enough… a fun book of tidbits and surveys, reflecting what we're interested in as Americans and how that connects to the bigger picture of world history.”—John Pate, El Paso Times (Texas) “Covering everything from clothes, food, medicines and science to exploring, money, religion and sex, this compendium of miscellany is perfect for dipping into.”—Hannah Stephenson, Evening Times (Glasgow)

Trivia fans eager for a new resource will welcome Homer's compendium of firsts and originals. The book offers plenty of useful information in short bursts, providing, for instance, a three-page thumbnail history of the theater, and a rundown of the early telegraphing highlights. --Publisher's Weekly <p/> More than just a source of reference material. It's an engaging journey through time and trivia. --Chicago Sun-Times <p/> Rich in surprises. --Arts & Book Review <p/> The best way to approach this book is to simply open it and read a few random pages. It contains obscure and unknown details at almost every turn, plus a natural sense of when enough detail is enough... a fun book of tidbits and surveys, reflecting what we're interested in as Americans and how that connects to the bigger picture of world history. --John Pate, El Paso Times (Texas) <p/> Covering everything from clothes, food, medicines and science to exploring, money, religion and sex, this compendium of miscellany is perfect for dipping into. --Hannah Stephenson, Evening Times (Glasgow)

Author Information

Trevor Homer was born and educated in the Black Country and is a former British Amateur Champion golfer. He represented England seventeen times, winning the European Team Championship in 1973, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland eleven times.He tried professional tournament golf in the USA and Europe for a brief period, but boredom set in trying to do for money, what had previously been played for fun. Trevor has lectured to the governing bodies of golf on the way forward in developing the sport, and currently acts as an expert witness in cases of personal injury on golf courses. He has founded and developed several businesses and been a director of a number of private and public companies. He also ran a large charity at one point in his career. Married with two sons, he now lives in South Staffordshire. History and interesting facts have fascinated him since schooldays and he has compiled The Book of Origins.

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