101 Inventions That Shaped The World

Recounts the history of 100 of the most significant 20th century inventions Imagine your average day without zippers, airplanes or vacuum cleaners, without your clock radio or your personal stereo, without photocopiers. All of these devices were invented within the last hundred years and have since transformed our daily landscape. Drawing on The British Library's vast and comprehensive collection of patents, this handsomely illustrated book recounts the history of 100 of the most significant inventions of the century, decade by decade. From the photocopier to the Slinky, from genetic fingerprinting to the Lava Lamp, from the ballpoint pen to the fuel cell, Inventing the Twentieth Century is an informative, illuminating window onto the technology of the twentieth century. It's the perfect gift book for every inventor and tinkerer in your life!

We take thousands of inventions for granted, using them daily and enjoying their benefits. But how much do we really know about their origins and development? This absorbing new book tells the stories behind the inventions that have changed the world.

Fascinating stories behind 100 of the most important inventions in history, for kids 8 and up This fast-paced journey through the most vital developments and inventions of all time features: 100 easy-to-read stories: Find out how each invention came to be! Illustrations: Each entry includes an illustrated image of the invention to help bring history to life! A timeline, trivia questions, project ideas and more: Boost your learning and test your knowledge with fun activities and resources! From the compass to the printing press, television to virtual reality, readers will learn about 100 of the most important inventions, advancements, and discoveries that have changed the course of human history. Organized chronologically, this fast-paced journey through the history of technology will help kids understand how their favorite modern conveniences came to be.

Writer and cartoonist Anthony Rubino, Jr. hilariously shares 101 inventions that bizarrely changed the world. Why Didn't I Think of That? proves not all successful inventions are the greatest thing since sliced bread (not even sliced bread, which is literally just a precut loaf for lazy loafs). This humorous guide to “mind-blowing” inventions deconstructs just how complex these can't-live-without necessities really are, while providing some insightful(ly funny) lessons to future inventors, such as: Yo-yos: Deadly weapons do make great kids' toys. Soccer: Boredom is the stepmother of invention. Bottled water: There is no such thing as a stupid idea. Complete with useful trivia--like the fact that 100 trillion paperclips have been sold--readers will be able to impress their friends by hardly trying.

Inventors have been inventing since time began, but which inventions do we value the most? A recent poll put the bicycle at number one on the basis that it is a simple, ecologically sound means of transport, and universally useful. It was seen as the best thing since sliced bread – except that sliced bread is a much more recent innovation than the bicycle; it was invented in 1927 by Otto Rohwedder. Tracing the origins of more than 230 inventions in chronological order, this book captures the essence of invention from 500,000 BC to the modern day, showing the historical significance of each and how ultimately their creation changed the world.