false 56605 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 56605 3 55163 2003 Small Things Considered: Why There Is No Perfect Design total:67|5:2|4:29|3:26|2:7|1:3| 67 221 144 8 10019 3.47 715 120 61193284 1833319 1562035 1400040507 9781400040506 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656m/1562035.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656s/1562035.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1562035.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.83 6 Kirkus Reviews)–author of The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things–now gives us an entertaining and perceptive study of design in everyday life, while revealing the checkered pasts, and some possible futures, of familiar objects.

Chairs, lightbulbs, cup holders, toothbrushes, doorknobs, light switches, potato peelers, paper bags, duct tape–as ubiquitous as these may be, they are still works in progress. The design of such ordinary items demonstrates the simple brilliance of human creativity, while at the same time showing the frustration of getting anything completely right. Nothing’s perfect, and so the quest for perfection continues to continue.

In this engrossing and insightful book, Petroski takes us inside the creative process by which common objects are invented and improved upon in pursuit of the ever-elusive perfect thing. He shows us, for instance, how the disposable paper cup became a popular commercial success only after the public learned that shared water glasses could carry germs; how it took years, an abundance of business panache, and many discarded models–from cups that opened like paper bags to those that came with pleats–for the inventor of the paper cup to arrive at what we now use and toss away without so much as a thought for its fascinating history.

A trenchant, surprising evaluation of why some designs succeed and others don’t, Small Things Considered is also an utterly delightful study of human nature.


Henry Petroski, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, lives in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of ten previous books.]]> 2003 4 0 false Fri Jun 26 10:48:15 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 26 10:48:34 -0700 2009 more...]]> 39531026 1782893 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.25 61
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 07 13:37:58 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 07 13:38:49 -0800 2008
Read at February 2007 by the Book]]> 74280037 2535939 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 4 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Mon Oct 12 10:12:04 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 10:12:04 -0700 2009 12675455 325599 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 3 1 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 16 11:25:54 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 16 11:28:44 -0800 2008 more...]]> 7146166 206882 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 3 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Oct 02 09:38:45 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 02 09:42:32 -0700 2007 8610020 591638 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 3 0 false Sat Nov 03 09:41:32 -0700 2007 Sat Nov 03 09:44:08 -0700 2007 15870795 906319 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Feb 19 22:29:32 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 19 22:30:46 -0800 2008 22684765 908937 1562035 1400040507 9781400040506 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656m/1562035.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656s/1562035.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1562035.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67 Kirkus Reviews)–author of The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things–now gives us an entertaining and perceptive study of design in everyday life, while revealing the checkered pasts, and some possible futures, of familiar objects.

Chairs, lightbulbs, cup holders, toothbrushes, doorknobs, light switches, potato peelers, paper bags, duct tape–as ubiquitous as these may be, they are still works in progress. The design of such ordinary items demonstrates the simple brilliance of human creativity, while at the same time showing the frustration of getting anything completely right. Nothing’s perfect, and so the quest for perfection continues to continue.

In this engrossing and insightful book, Petroski takes us inside the creative process by which common objects are invented and improved upon in pursuit of the ever-elusive perfect thing. He shows us, for instance, how the disposable paper cup became a popular commercial success only after the public learned that shared water glasses could carry germs; how it took years, an abundance of business panache, and many discarded models–from cups that opened like paper bags to those that came with pleats–for the inventor of the paper cup to arrive at what we now use and toss away without so much as a thought for its fascinating history.

A trenchant, surprising evaluation of why some designs succeed and others don’t, Small Things Considered is also an utterly delightful study of human nature.


Henry Petroski, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, lives in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of ten previous books.]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed May 21 09:32:52 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 05 07:21:03 -0700 2008 82245524 1711431 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Sun Dec 27 20:11:10 -0800 2009 Sun Dec 27 20:11:10 -0800 2009 81215026 3049148 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 4 0 false Wed Dec 16 13:03:20 -0800 2009 Wed Dec 16 13:03:20 -0800 2009 78741722 1295210 1562035 1400040507 9781400040506 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656m/1562035.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656s/1562035.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1562035.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67 Kirkus Reviews)–author of The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things–now gives us an entertaining and perceptive study of design in everyday life, while revealing the checkered pasts, and some possible futures, of familiar objects.

Chairs, lightbulbs, cup holders, toothbrushes, doorknobs, light switches, potato peelers, paper bags, duct tape–as ubiquitous as these may be, they are still works in progress. The design of such ordinary items demonstrates the simple brilliance of human creativity, while at the same time showing the frustration of getting anything completely right. Nothing’s perfect, and so the quest for perfection continues to continue.

In this engrossing and insightful book, Petroski takes us inside the creative process by which common objects are invented and improved upon in pursuit of the ever-elusive perfect thing. He shows us, for instance, how the disposable paper cup became a popular commercial success only after the public learned that shared water glasses could carry germs; how it took years, an abundance of business panache, and many discarded models–from cups that opened like paper bags to those that came with pleats–for the inventor of the paper cup to arrive at what we now use and toss away without so much as a thought for its fascinating history.

A trenchant, surprising evaluation of why some designs succeed and others don’t, Small Things Considered is also an utterly delightful study of human nature.


Henry Petroski, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, lives in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of ten previous books.]]> 2003 3 0 false Mon Nov 23 09:20:45 -0800 2009 Sat Dec 05 10:53:08 -0800 2009 78679966 2964135 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 3 0 false Sun Nov 22 17:35:53 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 22 17:35:53 -0800 2009 78199398 2954486 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 3 0 false Wed Nov 18 09:42:39 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 09:42:39 -0800 2009 77296384 1710685 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Nov 10 01:34:14 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 01:34:14 -0800 2009 76724533 2872189 1562035 1400040507 9781400040506 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656m/1562035.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185246656s/1562035.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1562035.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67 Kirkus Reviews)–author of The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things–now gives us an entertaining and perceptive study of design in everyday life, while revealing the checkered pasts, and some possible futures, of familiar objects.

Chairs, lightbulbs, cup holders, toothbrushes, doorknobs, light switches, potato peelers, paper bags, duct tape–as ubiquitous as these may be, they are still works in progress. The design of such ordinary items demonstrates the simple brilliance of human creativity, while at the same time showing the frustration of getting anything completely right. Nothing’s perfect, and so the quest for perfection continues to continue.

In this engrossing and insightful book, Petroski takes us inside the creative process by which common objects are invented and improved upon in pursuit of the ever-elusive perfect thing. He shows us, for instance, how the disposable paper cup became a popular commercial success only after the public learned that shared water glasses could carry germs; how it took years, an abundance of business panache, and many discarded models–from cups that opened like paper bags to those that came with pleats–for the inventor of the paper cup to arrive at what we now use and toss away without so much as a thought for its fascinating history.

A trenchant, surprising evaluation of why some designs succeed and others don’t, Small Things Considered is also an utterly delightful study of human nature.


Henry Petroski, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, lives in Durham, North Carolina. He is the author of ten previous books.]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Nov 04 13:23:55 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 04 13:23:55 -0800 2009 75207952 2814252 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Oct 20 21:53:29 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 21:53:29 -0700 2009 73190570 2798344 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Fri Oct 02 06:32:04 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 06:32:04 -0700 2009 70437026 2695910 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 4 0 false Mon Sep 07 22:21:06 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 07 22:21:06 -0700 2009 70246143 2649576 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 0 0 false Sun Sep 06 08:46:42 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 08:46:42 -0700 2009 69496748 1277213 56605 1400032938 9781400032938 6 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153m/56605.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170459153s/56605.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56605.Small_Things_Considered_Why_There_Is_No_Perfect_Design 3.30 67
To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well.]]> 2003 3 0 false Wed Sep 09 20:02:24 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 18:09:39 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 20:02:24 -0700 2009 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=56605