At Home: A Short History of Private Life

by Bill Bryson

What I found, to my great surprise, is that whatever happens in the world—whatever is discovered or created or bitterly fought over—eventually ends up, in one way or another, in your house.

Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.

We are so used to having a lot of comfort in our lives—to being clean, warm, and well fed—that we forget how recent most of that is.

The dining table was a plain board called by that name. It was hung on the wall when not in use, and was perched on the diners’ knees when food was served. Over time, the word board came to signify not just the dining surface but the meal itself, which is where the board comes from in room and board. It also explains why lodgers are called boarders and why an honest person—someone who keeps his hands visible at all times—is said to be aboveboard.