For no particularly good reason, I have avoided so-called graphic novels ever since they were 10 cents at the local news stand and chronicled the exploits of various superheroes. Perhaps I’ve been seeking something a bit more profound than saving Gotham City, and that may explain why Andy Warner’s Brief Histories of Everyday Objects caught my interest. If you’ve ever wondered how people in 17th century England brushed their teeth, or if you are just looking for an entertaining beach read loaded with fun factoids to share, this book is for you.
Beginning with the Contents section, a facing-page graphic panel covering everything from the bathroom to the bar, the style is set for what follows and notice is served that Warner will be covering a lot of ground. Sure, one could expect Post-It Notes and Velcro to have interesting backstories, but who would have thought that coffee beans were at the center of a religious controversy, or that the British tea trade was saved by opium.
If you are put off by the prospect of a science/history book with dry details of product development cycles, fear not. As the cover art alludes, “Brief Histories” looks at the world with a sense of curiosity and wonder while finding humor in the dealings that led to the objects of our everyday lives.
Author/Illustrator Warner probably realized that the long list of items he covers could become tedious for some readers. So, he breaks things up by occasionally inserting himself into the panels and narrative, adding a storyteller touch along with a bit of humor.
I was surprised to find just how much humor there actually is in the invention stories. For example, why would people have used “soot rags” to clean their teeth, and why did it take so long to invent the first toothbrush? The driving force behind some inventions is often just to get rid of the weirdness. Others were adaptions of existing ideas, like shampoo, that only needed a little marketing boost.
Most of the Brief Histories end with a few Briefer Histories, and this is where you’ll find a lot of those little details that we all like to chuckle over with our friends. It really doesn’t matter that a BIC ballpoint pen has enough ink to write a 2-mile-long line, or that 66 beverage cans are produced for every human on earth each year, or even that the invention of kitty litter (a $72B/year business) was the driving force behind a huge increase in the popularity of house cats. Yet somehow we are drawn to information like this, and can’t wait to tweet it to our peers.
It’s worthwhile noting that not everything in Brief Histories of Everyday Objects is this frivolous. It may surprise you to read that prior to 1600, coffee was believed to be a trap set by Satan to ensnare Christian souls, and it was only because he loved it so much himself that Pope Clement concluded it couldn’t possibly be evil. Teachers resisted the introduction of erasers, feeling certain that students would take less care with their work and wouldn’t learn as much. You probably knew that the Chinese invented paper for writing, but more importantly, they also invented toilet paper which is certain to endure in the ever-looming paperless society.
I may be a bit of a science and history nerd, but I’m sure others will find Andy Warner’s narrative and humor entertaining. Although this book would make a perfect beach or pool-side summer read, there is one caveat. It is far too tempting to keep quoting facts, and if you see people around you moving away, you will know you’ve crossed a line.