The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Inventions

The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Inventions uncovers the fascinating, humorous, and often unbelievable origins behind the world’s most overlooked innovations!

Nobody knows the backstories behind our most taken-for-granted inventions, like credit cards, egg cartons, windshield wipers, and breakfast sandwiches! But the strange and wonderful origins of these inventions are far from ordinary: They are rooted in forgotten history. Inside this hardcover book, discover the extraordinary true stories of:

- The TOASTER — actually the best thing before sliced bread
- The PASSPORT — the original Facebook
- The TOOTHBRUSH — so much more than bamboo + hog bristles
- The PIZZA SAVER — no pie left behind since 1985
- SLICED BREAD — at first, no one wanted it
- And MANY, MANY MORE of history’s most influential discoveries!

Organized chronologically from 75,000 B.C. to today and illustrated with more than 200 pieces of original artwork, The Illustrated Histories of Everyday Inventions is as beautiful as it is entertaining and informative. Discover who invented BATHING, why some of the first-ever BEDS were naturally mosquito-repellant, how president Theodore Roosevelt’s encounter with a black bear inspired the TEDDY BEAR, and why SELFIE STICKS might be older than you think!

Laura Hetherington is a writer, actress, and comedian in New York City—originally, a nice town in Maryland that you’ve never heard of. She received a BA in English from Fordham University and has a love for The X-Files, a good hike, and staring deeply into the eyes of her roommate, Charles the Yorkie. Follow her at @_lauragolightly on Instagram.  

Rebecca Pry is an Illustrator and Designer living in Warwick, New York. She received a BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design in 2013. Rebecca’s art adds a humorous twist to everyday items and scenes, and she has created patterns and graphics for home goods, books, accessories, apparel, and regularly shows her work in local galleries in the Hudson Valley. When she is not drawing, she is outside in a brightly colored sweater. See more at rebeccapry.com.