---
product_id: 64730687
title: "The Evolution of Useful Things"
price: "30171CFA"
currency: XOF
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/64730687-the-evolution-of-useful-things
store_origin: SN
region: Senegal
---

# The Evolution of Useful Things

**Price:** 30171CFA
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Evolution of Useful Things
- **How much does it cost?** 30171CFA with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/64730687-the-evolution-of-useful-things)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

How did the table fork acquire a fourth tine? What advantage does the Phillips-head screw have over its single-grooved predecessor? Why does the paper clip look the way it does? What makes Scotch tape Scotch? In this delightful book Henry, Petroski takes a microscopic look at artifacts that most of us count on but rarely contemplate, including such icons of the everyday as pins, Post-its, and fast-food "clamshell" containers. At the same time, he offers a convincing new theory of technological innovation as a response to the perceived failures of existing products&;suggesting that irritation, and not necessity, is the mother of invention.

Review: Perfect gift for nerds - I love this book! It’s perfect for people who are avid readers or people who love odd facts. Each chapter stands alone.
Review: The Evolution of Useful Things - Interesting book- lots of history on various everyday items. Can be read through or just in bits as interest dictates. Fun source book.

## Images

![The Evolution of Useful Things - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Ae8PH1gbL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect gift for nerds
*by M***K on 27 June 2024*

I love this book! It’s perfect for people who are avid readers or people who love odd facts. Each chapter stands alone.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Evolution of Useful Things
*by E***D on 12 July 2009*

Interesting book- lots of history on various everyday items. Can be read through or just in bits as interest dictates. Fun source book.

### ⭐⭐⭐ Interesting facts, not so useful analysis
*by B***D on 15 June 2025*

Some nice case studies and illustrations, but the author is a bit long-winded sometimes, has some silly rhymes, and goes on too much about a weird theory that artifacts only evolve in response to failures of previous versions. I was a Science, Technology, and Society major in college, and this book had some of the same elements that made me roll my eyes at some of our readings.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Evolution of Useful Things: How Everyday Artifacts-From Forks and Pins to Paper Clips and Zippers-Came to be as They are
- To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design
- The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance

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*Product available on Desertcart Senegal*
*Store origin: SN*
*Last updated: 2026-06-07*