Stories Behind Everyday Things

by Reader's Digest Association

Presents 300 articles containing little-known information about "things" that figure in everyday life, such as advertising, shoe polish, ketchup, pajamas, and zippers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, History, Trivia

416 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1980

About the author

The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. is a global media and direct marketing company based in Chappaqua, New York, best known for its flagship publication founded in 1922, Reader's Digest. The company's headquarters are in New York City, where it moved from Pleasantville, New York.

The company was founded by DeWitt and Lila Wallace in 1922 with the first publication of Reader's Digest magazine, but has grown to include a diverse range of magazines, books, music, DVDs and online content.

Reviews

[Mike Cook]

There are many interesting facts in this book. Since it was published in 1980, many of those facts are severely outdated, but it still has the ability to enlighten. Having no plot or characters to pull me along in the reading, I could only stick with it in small doses. It's taken me about two years to finish it by just reading it for a quick grab between other more compelling reads. I've enjoyed it, but I'm very glad to be done with it.

[Carol]

This book is full of fascinating stories behind the most mundane things. I read it through once and still keep it around to scan through. The articles range from a couple of pages to an inset box. This is just right for when you are waiting for company to come. I reccommend to everyone because it is so entertaining.

[Harry]

Before there was Google and Wikipedia, there was "Stories behind Everyday Things." Informative and entertaining, the editors of Reader's Digest provide in-depth background behind common items. Written in 1980, it is, unfortunately, seriously outdated. On example appears on page 256:
"In the not-too-distant future, newspapers and other written material may routinely be transmitted as electronically coded information, by phone lines or radio waves, into our homes where devices hardly more complex than television sets will translate them into words..." But I will still keep this book on hand as a reference.