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Born in the USA: The American Book of Origins
From Bubble Wrap to Bubblegum, from Men-on-the-Moon to Monopoly, from Kidney Transplants to Kool-Aid, to microwave ovens to M & M’s, America has been at the forefront of the main advances of the human race for the last two centuries. America has given birth to more new products, devices, medicines, leisure pursuits, sports, religions, music and vehicles than any other country, ancient or modern. Born in the USA celebrates that great pioneering drive which is the pulsing heart of America, with some surprising inventors such as George Washington, Jamie Lee Curtis, Abraham Lincoln, Lee Trevino, Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen. (Zeppo Marx, last of the Marx Brothers, developed the first heart pulse-rate monitor.) Americans have also created some of the most bizarre and comic inventions ever dreamed up. The same country that gave the world the heart pacemaker and email, also gave us the “Denver Boot” (wheel clamps) and Chinese fortune cookies.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 19, 2024
Born in the U.S.A.: The Book of American Origins. The book has an eye-catching cover. It looks almost patriotic. There are many items discussed here. However, there’s not a single photo or illustration to be seen. That’s why my rating is so low. We need visuals of everything in here, especially things that are nonexistent today.
October 21, 2019
This is an interesting book about the origins of many everyday items we use . I had never really thought much about life without these invention. Thank goodness for them. This is a very engaging book.
May 18, 2009
This is a fascinating look at the American origins of lots of things including everyday items, food, drink, clothing, science and technology, space and space travel, sports, money, religions, people, health, crime and criminals and much much more!
Some of the more interesting items and people:
safety pin, corn dog, hamburger, potato chip, sliced bread, jeans, nylon stockings, zipper, computer mouse, Internet (and no, it was not started by Al Gore), Americans who changed their sports, Heinz (as a business), Google, Dupont, Microsoft, GE, Exxon, Procter and Gamble (its brands include: Ariel washing powder, Gillette razors, Pantene hair treatment, Oral toothbrushes, Crest toothpaste, Head & Shoulders shampoo, Iams pet food, Tide laundry detergent, and Pringles snacks), religions such as the nation of islam, mormonism and more. I was also interested in learning more about the origins of dances such as the Okey Cokey, Charleston and others. The people were very interesting and entertaining. There is a [very:] interesting section on "President Inventors". Finally, the sections on health, crime and criminals was fascinating.
There are also some other interesting tidbits scattered throughout. They are under the banner "And another thing . . . " Some of these are:
During WWII a special edition of Monopoly was produced and shipped to prisoners of war in Germany. Some of the games contained real money, maps, and other items that would be useful if prisoners managed to escape. The International Red Cross distributed the games.
The worldwide phenomenon of the "soap opera" was invented by Procter and Gamble. They conceived the idea of permanently sponsoring a long-running daytime radio and television series and the term soap opera reflected the type of business of the sponsors. The "cliffhanger" at the end of each episode was ideal for sponsors as it brought their cord audience back time and again, to incidentally receive the sponsor's message.
As Leonard Bernstein's funeral (1990) wound its way through the streets of Manhattan, construction workers who were working on buildings along the route removed their hard hats, and, in a moving tribute to the man who helped to popularize classical music shouted, "Good-bye, Lenny."
The Beatles are said to have adopted their name in reference to Buddy Holly's group, The Crickets.
"Persons attempting to find a narrative in this story will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot." -- Mark Twain, commenting on The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn
In 1951, Dashiel Hammett refused to reveal the names of his left-wing friends to the McCarthy-era House Un-American Activities Committee. Despite being a WWI veteran and having volunteered and served in the U.S. Army in WWII, he was sentenced to six months in jail.
"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." -- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Some of the more interesting items and people:
safety pin, corn dog, hamburger, potato chip, sliced bread, jeans, nylon stockings, zipper, computer mouse, Internet (and no, it was not started by Al Gore), Americans who changed their sports, Heinz (as a business), Google, Dupont, Microsoft, GE, Exxon, Procter and Gamble (its brands include: Ariel washing powder, Gillette razors, Pantene hair treatment, Oral toothbrushes, Crest toothpaste, Head & Shoulders shampoo, Iams pet food, Tide laundry detergent, and Pringles snacks), religions such as the nation of islam, mormonism and more. I was also interested in learning more about the origins of dances such as the Okey Cokey, Charleston and others. The people were very interesting and entertaining. There is a [very:] interesting section on "President Inventors". Finally, the sections on health, crime and criminals was fascinating.
There are also some other interesting tidbits scattered throughout. They are under the banner "And another thing . . . " Some of these are:
During WWII a special edition of Monopoly was produced and shipped to prisoners of war in Germany. Some of the games contained real money, maps, and other items that would be useful if prisoners managed to escape. The International Red Cross distributed the games.
The worldwide phenomenon of the "soap opera" was invented by Procter and Gamble. They conceived the idea of permanently sponsoring a long-running daytime radio and television series and the term soap opera reflected the type of business of the sponsors. The "cliffhanger" at the end of each episode was ideal for sponsors as it brought their cord audience back time and again, to incidentally receive the sponsor's message.
As Leonard Bernstein's funeral (1990) wound its way through the streets of Manhattan, construction workers who were working on buildings along the route removed their hard hats, and, in a moving tribute to the man who helped to popularize classical music shouted, "Good-bye, Lenny."
The Beatles are said to have adopted their name in reference to Buddy Holly's group, The Crickets.
"Persons attempting to find a narrative in this story will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot." -- Mark Twain, commenting on The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn
In 1951, Dashiel Hammett refused to reveal the names of his left-wing friends to the McCarthy-era House Un-American Activities Committee. Despite being a WWI veteran and having volunteered and served in the U.S. Army in WWII, he was sentenced to six months in jail.
"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." -- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews