{"product_id":"the-book-of-origins-isbn-9780452288324","title":"The Book of Origins","description":"Everything—from the mundane (the pencil) to the catastrophic (the atom bomb)—has an origin, but often it’s not what we expect. A few things you may not have known:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e • Gandhi was married at age thirteen!\u003cbr\u003e • Chinese fortune cookies are an American invention and were not eaten in China until the 1990s when they were advertised as “Genuine American Fortune Cookies.”\u003cbr\u003e • Bayer lost the trademark for aspirin (which they had held since 1897) as part of the reparations Germany was forced to pay after World War I.\u003cbr\u003e • The original idea for the electric chair came from an American dentist. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For aspiring  mindblowers and wanna-be know-it-alls, \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Origins\u003c\/i\u003e is a treasure trove of trivia and fascinating facts guaranteed to entertain and enlighten.“Trivia fans eager for a new resource will welcome Homer's compendium of firsts and originals. The book offers plenty of useful information in short bursts, providing, for instance, a three-page thumbnail history of the theater, and a rundown of the early telegraphing highlights.”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublisher's Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “More than just a source of reference material. It's an engaging journey through time and trivia.”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChicago Sun-Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Rich in surprises.”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eArts \u0026amp; Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The best way to approach this book is to simply open it and read a few random pages. It contains obscure and unknown details at almost every turn, plus a natural sense of when enough detail is enough… a fun book of tidbits and surveys, reflecting what we're interested in as Americans and how that connects to the bigger picture of world history.”—\u003cb\u003eJohn Pate, \u003ci\u003eEl Paso Times (Texas)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Covering everything from clothes, food, medicines and science to exploring, money, religion and sex, this compendium of miscellany is perfect for dipping into.”—\u003cb\u003eHannah Stephenson, \u003ci\u003eEvening Times (Glasgow)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrevor Homer \u003c\/b\u003ewas born and educated in the Black Country and is a former British Amateur Champion golfer. He represented England seventeen times, winning the European Team Championship in 1973, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland eleven times.\u003cp\u003eHe tried professional tournament golf in the USA and Europe for a brief period, but boredom set in trying to do for money, what had previously been played for fun. Trevor has lectured to the governing bodies of golf on the way forward in developing the sport, and currently acts as an expert witness in cases of personal injury on golf courses.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe has founded and developed several businesses and been a director of a number of private and public companies. He also ran a large charity at one point in his career. Married with two sons, he now lives in South Staffordshire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistory and interesting facts have fascinated him since schooldays and he has compiled \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Origins\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plume","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301324902629,"sku":"NP9780452288324","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780452288324.jpg?v=1767738478","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-book-of-origins-isbn-9780452288324","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}