Charlotte Foltz Jones (1945–2007)

This amusing book may be a quick read but it is chock full interesting food tidbits. Among the several food topics, the origins of some foods and how they were named can be found in these pages. Bread and butter pickles were named for providing the woman who created the recipe with money with which to buy bread and butter, among other staples. It was worth reading the book if only to find out that it took seven whole years before some genius decided to improve on the Milky Way bar (1923) and show more came up with adding peanuts, giving birth to the Snickers bar (1930). Yes, this book is likely to make you hungry, so grab a candy bar before you start reading it. Entertaining and enlightening. show less

A fun book filled with summaries of the stories behind the mostly accidental creation of some nifty inventions. Focused on the curiousity of those who witness something unusual and don't toss product. They think about what problem that 'surprise reaction' could fix. Book shows that making mistakes isn't a waste of time.

Good read.

A nice collection of historical anecdotes concerning accidental inventions and discoveries. It was nice to see the bizarre origins of many now-commonplace items. The tone was light, and the chapters, though many, we quite short. There was a nice bit of humor thrown in, too; and pictures and charts helped convey information without being monotonous. A fun book for kids that adults can enjoy, too.

Grades 4-8