Uncover the intriguing, entertaining and astonishing stories behind hundreds of things all around us.
Have you ever wondered who first wore spectacles? Or how soap and toothpaste were invented? From matches to stilettos, from cocoa to aeroplanes, this book reveals the remarkable origins of more than 500 everyday things.
When were False teeth first created? As afar back as 700 BC the Etruscans were making dentures carved from bone, ivory or ox tooth, with a skill unsurpassed until the 1800s.
Who invented Coca-Cola? The celebrated fizzy drink was first concocted by a pharmacist, John Pemberton. It was originally marketed as an 'esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage'.
What are the origins of the Frisbee? Pie-maker William Russell Frisbee came up with the idea after watching students throwing his empty saucer-shaped pie containers to each other.