Toilets, Toasters, and Telephones: The How and Why of Everyday Objects Book

Who invented the toilet? How did the telephone get its shape? Can a refrigerator or a toaster be art? And what does a chocolate bar melting in the lab coat of a scientist have to do with the invention of the microwave? In this fascinating history of everyday objects, Susan Goldman Rubin helps us appreciate anew the things we see all around us. She also introduces the inspired geniuses who are responsible for the way these universal objects look. Filled with entertaining anecdotes and remarkable facts in a user-friendly format, this informative book includes thirteen black-and-white paintings, thirty vintage photographs, and an extensive bibliography and index. Readers will never again look at a bathtub in quite the same way.

Discusses the evolution of industrial design and the invention of a variety of household appliances.