American Plastic: A Cultural History

by Jeffrey L. Meikle

Winner of the 1996 Dexter Prize from the Society for the History of Technology and a 1996 Choice Outstanding Academic Book “A splendid history of plastic.  The book is authoritative, thorough, interdisciplinary, and intriguing. . . [Meikle] traces the course of plastics from 19th–century celluloid and the fist wholly synthetic bakelite, in 1907, through the proliferation of compounds (vinyls, acrylics, polystyrene, nylon, etc.) and recent ecological concerns. . . .Interested readers of whatever predisposition will likely enjoy this comprehensive and thoughtful treatise.”— Publishers Weekly “A landmark account. . . . He combines a first–rate technological history with a most impressive cultural analysis of how plastics evolved from a material surrounded by utopian expectations to a material epitomizing inferiority and eventually to a part of everyday life. . . . One of the most significant works ever written in the history of American technology and culture.” — Nature “[A] truly outstanding work . . . here is a work of intellectual strength written with great literary style. . . . This significant work is likely to be widely cited in academic circles, defining the field for a generation of readers. Don’t let it pass you by! An extraordinary contribution, for all levels of readers.”— Choice “This is real interdisciplinary work, roaming in focus, adaptive in method.”— Journal of American History “This scholarly and comprehensive work . . . is nontechnical and emphasizes the social and cultural impact of plastics. . . . Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in understanding contemporary society.”— Library Journal

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Design, The United States Of America, Research, Environment, Social

403 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Saettare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes a quirky yet illuminating section on Thomas Pynchon and his plastic poetics.

[Eva]

Read a bit. Seemed interesting but super long/dense.

[kelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

criminally underrated. thoroughly researched and engaging storytelling of a critical subject matter. how the hell is this book out of print?

gets a bit repetitive in the middle — plastic had a reputation of cheap imitation, but also it was exciting and new, but also it had a reputation of cheap imitation, etc. etc.

[Shelby]

The history of plastic, from explosive pool balls to Polythene Pam and the Bakelite era, is full of twist and turns. This is a dense book, but full of amusing anecdotes and unexpected discoveries. This is a great book for the more science minded students.