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Accidents May Happen: 50 Inventions Discovered By Mistake
From Wheaties to telephones, microwave ovens to yo-yos, here are the inspiring and often funny stories of 50 mistakes and misunderstandings that helped bring about life as we know it. With hilarious cartoons and wacky facts, this fascinating compendium illustrates the adage "If you don't learn from your mistakes, there's no sense making them."
96 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 5, 2016
Foltz described the accidents that resulted in the new inventions in a humorous manner that would appeal to children. Children will enjoy reading the different fun facts and discovering the background behind popular inventions.
March 28, 2024
A fun read for lovers of facts and for those of us who often wonder “how did someone discover this?” While it certainly isn’t the most up-to-date on discoveries, it’s fascinating to see how some of the most popular items and symbols of our world were discovered, often by accident! Could easily be read in one quick sitting, I just took my time with it between a busy schedule!
September 4, 2021
This is a fun book with easy-to-understand explanations of how some inventions came to be. Cute illustrations add to the text. Some of the information is a little out of date, but overall this was an enjoyable and interesting read.
September 30, 2017
Very informative. I can use this in Etymology.
March 22, 2018
A fun book about how discoveries were made by accident.
November 1, 2020
The kids were super interested in this. So many inventions that were invented by accident!
June 26, 2024
Interesting.
February 2, 2021
Another enjoyable by this author that offers the stories- sometimes the legends -behind those familiar creations. The delight for me is discovering the roots of these commonplace parts of daily life.
March 11, 2017
awsome yayayayayayayayay
June 17, 2015
In Accidents May Happen, Charlotte Foltz Jones discusses the origins behind fifty inventions, from the familiar (e.g. bread and matches) to the more exotic (e.g. dynamite and arc welding) The theme that unites the inventions is that they were all developed accidentally. The book is organized by subtopic, with a chapter for each of the following: food items, toys and games, the patriotic, medicines, household items, writing and print, trade-specific inventions, and explosives. While the majority of items discussed in the book were actually invented accidentally, others are twisted somewhat unnaturally to fit the theme. For example, most people would not consider the natural force of gravity to be an invention, even if Newton did "discover" it due to the "accident" of a falling apple. Likewise, some of the inventions were actually developed on purpose. In the case of liquid paper, for example, the "accident" is the mistake that needed to be whited out, not the liquid paper. Regardless, it is clear that a great deal of research went into producing this book. A bibliography and index are included.
The book is well-organized and is ideally suited for browsing. Each chapter begins with a quote about invention, and is followed by a discussion of each of the inventions in the subject category. Each item is set off by a centered heading, which allows the reader to skip around and read about items of interest. Following most of the items is a section of "flabbergasting facts" which includes trivia related to the item. Much of the text reads like a narrative. A story is given for each item’s origins: who discovered it and what happened. For instance, bread was invented when an Egyptian slave fell asleep while making flour cakes for his master. The dough fermented and rose during the night, and when the slave awoke the mixture was puffed up. Scared, he baked it anyway, and thus, bread was invented. After telling the story of the invention, Foltz Jones describes the scientific or physical principles responsible for the phenomena. In the case of the bread, the dough had likely been exposed to yeast, and the extended exposure to the kitchen’s heat likely caused the dough to rise. To make the stories more interesting, the author includes other fascinating details, such as the superstition that led to crosses being cut on the tops of bread loaves. The trivia in the "flabbergasting facts" section also helps to sustain interest.
John O’Brien’s illustrations add humor and visual appeal to the book. The ink drawings are simple and have a cartoon-like feel. They are done in black and white, and areas of shading and shadow are created through the use of innumerable small lines. They often play on a concept discussed in the text, infusing the situation with humor. The text on raisins, for example, describes how sunlight dries grapes. In the drawing, we see a woman in a bathing suit inside of a tanning bed with bunches of grapes surrounding her. In the section on ether and nitrous oxide, we see a man standing on a ladder. A canister of ether is tied to his tooth, and he drops it, evidently hoping it will pull out his tooth without pain. Clearly he is in for a nasty surprise!
This book is a fun and informative look at many items that we take for granted. Children will likely enjoy having "secret" knowledge about familiar objects and will be able to impress and entertain others with what they have learned.
The book is well-organized and is ideally suited for browsing. Each chapter begins with a quote about invention, and is followed by a discussion of each of the inventions in the subject category. Each item is set off by a centered heading, which allows the reader to skip around and read about items of interest. Following most of the items is a section of "flabbergasting facts" which includes trivia related to the item. Much of the text reads like a narrative. A story is given for each item’s origins: who discovered it and what happened. For instance, bread was invented when an Egyptian slave fell asleep while making flour cakes for his master. The dough fermented and rose during the night, and when the slave awoke the mixture was puffed up. Scared, he baked it anyway, and thus, bread was invented. After telling the story of the invention, Foltz Jones describes the scientific or physical principles responsible for the phenomena. In the case of the bread, the dough had likely been exposed to yeast, and the extended exposure to the kitchen’s heat likely caused the dough to rise. To make the stories more interesting, the author includes other fascinating details, such as the superstition that led to crosses being cut on the tops of bread loaves. The trivia in the "flabbergasting facts" section also helps to sustain interest.
John O’Brien’s illustrations add humor and visual appeal to the book. The ink drawings are simple and have a cartoon-like feel. They are done in black and white, and areas of shading and shadow are created through the use of innumerable small lines. They often play on a concept discussed in the text, infusing the situation with humor. The text on raisins, for example, describes how sunlight dries grapes. In the drawing, we see a woman in a bathing suit inside of a tanning bed with bunches of grapes surrounding her. In the section on ether and nitrous oxide, we see a man standing on a ladder. A canister of ether is tied to his tooth, and he drops it, evidently hoping it will pull out his tooth without pain. Clearly he is in for a nasty surprise!
This book is a fun and informative look at many items that we take for granted. Children will likely enjoy having "secret" knowledge about familiar objects and will be able to impress and entertain others with what they have learned.
June 2, 2016
From Bread making to Buttons on Jacket Sleeves to Modern Paper to Coffee, Charlotte Foltz Jones explores 50 inventions that were discovered by mistake! Complete with short descriptions and quirky cartoons this book has something for everyone. It can be used as a read aloud in K-3rd grade or for independent book for 4th to 6th graders.
Teacher Tip: This book could lead to a nice discussion about learning from our mistakes and that sometimes good things can happen when we mess up.
Teacher Tip: This book could lead to a nice discussion about learning from our mistakes and that sometimes good things can happen when we mess up.
November 9, 2012
Published in 1996, this book is showing its age. Some of the inventions it discusses have come and gone, including Bakelite and Liquid Paper. Some of the descriptions are also a little complicated, using the names of chemicals that are probably unfamiliar to students.
January 24, 2017
A delightful little book, surely an interesting read for kids but an equally good read for grown-ups as well. While people might know several of the accidental inventions, this book might help add more to your list :)
February 3, 2008
i learned so much from this book every page was filled with infomation. in fact there was so much i had to read it a second time. but it was really good
May 27, 2008
This is a good book to put on your coffee table.
November 12, 2012
A fascinating and quick read.
November 29, 2013
Not much to say here. Turned out to be a kids book. Read it anyway to fill the ride home from work.
January 17, 2015
Really more of a 4.5, but very entertaining snippets. Nothing is lengthy or overly wordy. This gives the background to many accidental inventions and discoveries. It shows its age only a bit.
September 16, 2016
Interesting to see discoveries made due to mistakes
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews