The Evolution of Useful Things

How did the table fork acquire a fourth tine. What advantage does the Phillips-head screw have over its single-grooved predecessor. Why does the paper clip look the way it does. What makes Scotch tape Scotch. In this delightful book Henry, Petroski takes a microscopic look at artifacts that most of us count on but rarely contemplate, including such icons of the everyday as pins, Post-its, and fast-food "clamshell" containers. At the same time, he offers a convincing new theory of technological innovation as a response to the perceived failures of existing products-suggesting that irritation, and not necessity, is the mother of invention.