Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-17 06:58:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Charlotte Foltz Jones
- ISBN：0385320434
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
The greatest discoveries are made outside the classroom！ Learn all about mistakes that changed the world with this collection of the strange stories behind everyday inventions！ It's no accident that you'll love this book！
SANDWICHES came about when an English earl was too busy gambling to eat his meal and needed to keep one hand free。 POTATO CHIPS were first cooked by a chef who was furious when a customer complained that his fried potatoes weren't thin enough。 Coca-Cola， Silly Putty， and X rays have fascinating stories behind them too！ Their unusual tales， and many more， along with hilarious cartoons and weird， amazing facts， make up this fun-filled book about everyday items that had surprisingly haphazard beginnings。
And don't miss Eat Your Words about the fascinating language of food！
"A splendid book that is as informative as it is entertaining 。 。 。 a gem。" --Booklist， Starred Review
SANDWICHES came about when an English earl was too busy gambling to eat his meal and needed to keep one hand free。 POTATO CHIPS were first cooked by a chef who was furious when a customer complained that his fried potatoes weren't thin enough。 Coca-Cola， Silly Putty， and X rays have fascinating stories behind them too！ Their unusual tales， and many more， along with hilarious cartoons and weird， amazing facts， make up this fun-filled book about everyday items that had surprisingly haphazard beginnings。
And don't miss Eat Your Words about the fascinating language of food！
"A splendid book that is as informative as it is entertaining 。 。 。 a gem。" --Booklist， Starred Review
Reviews
Hugh
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The chapter I liked the most is the doughnut mistake。 It began by the main character being the captain of the ship。 He was eating fried cake in the ship and a storm came。 The main character cut out the middle part of the cake since he needed to see where the ship was headed in the storm。 He controlled the ship with the wheel while holding the doughnut and looked through it。 The main character thought the middle part of the cake was unpleasantly soggy。 I like this chapter because it is very fun a The chapter I liked the most is the doughnut mistake。 It began by the main character being the captain of the ship。 He was eating fried cake in the ship and a storm came。 The main character cut out the middle part of the cake since he needed to see where the ship was headed in the storm。 He controlled the ship with the wheel while holding the doughnut and looked through it。 The main character thought the middle part of the cake was unpleasantly soggy。 I like this chapter because it is very fun and coincidental。 。。。more
Michelle
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Humorously written and engaging， “Mistakes that Worked” by Charlotte Foltz Jones talks about accidents and mistakes people have made that actually turned out to be successful inventions that have enriched people’s lives。 From yummy items， like potato chips and chocolate chip cookies， to more useful items， like Velcro and Penicillin， Jones go into the history and science behind how these items came to be。 This book is fun and engaging for adults and children alike， and shows just how important mi Humorously written and engaging， “Mistakes that Worked” by Charlotte Foltz Jones talks about accidents and mistakes people have made that actually turned out to be successful inventions that have enriched people’s lives。 From yummy items， like potato chips and chocolate chip cookies， to more useful items， like Velcro and Penicillin， Jones go into the history and science behind how these items came to be。 This book is fun and engaging for adults and children alike， and shows just how important mistakes and risk-taking can be in day-to-day life。 There’s a quote in this book that perfectly sums up this idea: “Intelligence is not to make no mistakes。 But quickly to see how to make them good。” This is a quick read that I highly recommend to learn a thing or two about the things we use and eat every day。 。。。more
Shilo Quetchenbach
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I was really surprised to find this with a Kiwi Co branding on the front。 I generally think of their things as good quality and this one had some surprising choices。 For one thing， some stories are filled with names and dates and others are just like "there is a story that" and both are presented as equally valid。 I really think some distinction should have been made there。 There were also some surprising choices in the content of the entries。The first thing that struck me as 'off' was one of th I was really surprised to find this with a Kiwi Co branding on the front。 I generally think of their things as good quality and this one had some surprising choices。 For one thing， some stories are filled with names and dates and others are just like "there is a story that" and both are presented as equally valid。 I really think some distinction should have been made there。 There were also some surprising choices in the content of the entries。The first thing that struck me as 'off' was one of the very first entries: maple syrup。 It tells a story of a 'chief' who throws his 'tomahawk' at a tree and his 'squaw' （really unfortunate choice there？？） discovers that the sap is sweet。The next thing I really noticed was that the thinnest glass in the world is made in "West Germany。" （Like。 If you're giving a statistic like that it should be current which obviously that is not。）There is another odd choice involving Native Americans in the story about the state line that is off。 It is presented as if it were perfectly natural to be afraid of them after Custer's defeat。 While that is perhaps lacking some nuance， it was the image that really threw me。 It shows a scrawny white surveyor drawing a line that curves around a large， imposing Native American chief with weapons rasied。 This image and story， when combined with the first （and only other） story involving Native Americans gives the whole a racist undertone that is disappointing。 Overall the kiddo enjoyed parts of it but it really could have used some updating and a sensitivity read。 。。。more
Andrea Cox
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What a delightful， interesting collection of true and legendary stories about inventors and their accidental inventions。Content: gambling， mythology mentioned， alcohol
Kelsie Christensen
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This was a cute little book I borrowed from the elementary school I work at。 I enjoyed reading about all the things people accidentally created。 This was geared towards kids so it was a little cheesy， but I liked it。
C。 （Never msg。 Just comment！ Email if private。）
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When “Schitt’s Creek” won all the 2020 comedy Emmy awards， Jimmy Kimmel introduced the stars like this: “Not since the maple syrup wars of the 1800s has our nation been so thoroughly dominated by our neighbours to the north”。 Syrup is one of the top souvenirs bought by our visitors。 Associating it with us ranks with snow。“Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions And How They Came To Be” is from friends， which I perceived as humour oriented。 John O’Brien’s drawings are quirky comics that add When “Schitt’s Creek” won all the 2020 comedy Emmy awards， Jimmy Kimmel introduced the stars like this: “Not since the maple syrup wars of the 1800s has our nation been so thoroughly dominated by our neighbours to the north”。 Syrup is one of the top souvenirs bought by our visitors。 Associating it with us ranks with snow。“Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions And How They Came To Be” is from friends， which I perceived as humour oriented。 John O’Brien’s drawings are quirky comics that add visual and tonal colour。 They are the highlights。 This book is not as hilarious or interesting as I anticipated。 It took 3 weeks to browse because nothing seized my attention。 It is not the worldwide sampling implied by the Tower Of Pisa on the cover。 Few items are international and Pisa is the only place outside the United States， in a chapter designated “Where In The World？”。 Charlotte Foltz Jones naturally features her country but those goods lack variety。 Starting with food was laborious， a chapter of 13 items。 It felt like slogging through a cookbook， instead of a dynamic travel extravaganza。 I love the origins of basic things but statistics of their use around the world would enliven the scope。I tolerated the pandering but drew the line at misinformation， or shoddy research。 We all consulted books in 1991， before the advent of the internet。 When tapping trees for syrup was attributed to Americans， I hit the roof！ Charlotte listed the top 5 syrup making states。 Canada received this conciliatory acknowledgement: “also a major producer”。 You think？“Made In Canada: 101 Amazing Achievements” discusses something major pertaining to soda but I will grant Charlotte’s Coca-Cola history a pass。 This book would work better entirely compiled for Americans， or properly balanced to be international。 。。。more
Lisa
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I enjoyed learning lots of interesting things。 I had no idea how some of the things came about and really like the idea of making something from mistakes， learning from them， not dismissing them because they didn't turn out as expected。 I enjoyed the interspersed illustrations too。 I enjoyed learning lots of interesting things。 I had no idea how some of the things came about and really like the idea of making something from mistakes， learning from them， not dismissing them because they didn't turn out as expected。 I enjoyed the interspersed illustrations too。 。。。more
Amanda
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This was a very fun book with lots of interesting facts about the inventions they catalogued。
Beverly
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This book included the history of an interesting collection of inventions。 Although I have no young children or grandchildren， I decided it might be fun to read some children's books since I am having trouble concentrating during these trying times。 Recommended This book included the history of an interesting collection of inventions。 Although I have no young children or grandchildren， I decided it might be fun to read some children's books since I am having trouble concentrating during these trying times。 Recommended 。。。more
Min
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Another book listed as a children's book， yet， this is so filled with fun facts about inventions we all know， it is perfect studying to win a trivia night。 The chapters are divided into food， medicine， toys， and other familiar items。 Sprinkled through the chapters are lists of Fun Facts that can include words for an item in different languages， record-breakers， or special days for the calendar， to name a few。 In the food section， there is a collection of recipes to try。 The selected bibliograph Another book listed as a children's book， yet， this is so filled with fun facts about inventions we all know， it is perfect studying to win a trivia night。 The chapters are divided into food， medicine， toys， and other familiar items。 Sprinkled through the chapters are lists of Fun Facts that can include words for an item in different languages， record-breakers， or special days for the calendar， to name a few。 In the food section， there is a collection of recipes to try。 The selected bibliography offers informative sources to continue learning，。 The index allows for fast finding of these interesting tales。 。。。more
Heidi Krautkramer
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Happy AccidentsThis book has a lot of interesting facts about accidents that happened and became new inventions。 It was a little short。 The stories could have included more detail。 But it was a fun read for 8-12 year old。
Trevor Bouma
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This book was fun to read。 It was filled with stories about things that were invented by mistake。 My favorites were chocolate chip cookies， Coca Cola and Silly Putty， but there are lots more good ones。
Ashton
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I liked this book
Emmy
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This is a great collection of interesting scientific discoveries for children。 Each segment is clear and concise， interesting， and not too short or too long。 Young readers will learn a lot。 Plus， the artwork is done by one of my favorite illustrators: John O'Brien。 This is a great collection of interesting scientific discoveries for children。 Each segment is clear and concise， interesting， and not too short or too long。 Young readers will learn a lot。 Plus， the artwork is done by one of my favorite illustrators: John O'Brien。 。。。more
C。G。Koens
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I'd give it 3。5 stars， but I can't do that on this rating system， so three stars it is。 I loved the idea of this book。。。I just didn't realize how dated it was when I bought it， so East/West Germany is talked about in present tense！ The kids enjoyed it， though， and it was a fun surprise when we discovered that there was a brick museum in a nearby town that we didn't know about。 Maybe one of these days， when COVID goes away， we'll take a field trip to learn about these ancient "mistakes。" I'd give it 3。5 stars， but I can't do that on this rating system， so three stars it is。 I loved the idea of this book。。。I just didn't realize how dated it was when I bought it， so East/West Germany is talked about in present tense！ The kids enjoyed it， though， and it was a fun surprise when we discovered that there was a brick museum in a nearby town that we didn't know about。 Maybe one of these days， when COVID goes away， we'll take a field trip to learn about these ancient "mistakes。" 。。。more
Amadee Scheele
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Great book to read with the kids！ Especially when you are teaching that ol' life lesson that EVERYone makes mistakes， and we learn from them。 And sometimes they turn out to be the Best。 Mistakes。 Ever。 Great book to read with the kids！ Especially when you are teaching that ol' life lesson that EVERYone makes mistakes， and we learn from them。 And sometimes they turn out to be the Best。 Mistakes。 Ever。 。。。more
Brenda
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My kids and I really enjoyed it
Elizabeth Goldstein
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This is one of my favorite books to share with my students who are afraid to try something because they don't want to "mess up"。 My go-to mistake is the chocolate chip cookie because that is what they can relate to the most。 The "stories" about the mistakes are short so it is easy to share， even with friends with short attention spans。A great book to have in your arsenal。 This is one of my favorite books to share with my students who are afraid to try something because they don't want to "mess up"。 My go-to mistake is the chocolate chip cookie because that is what they can relate to the most。 The "stories" about the mistakes are short so it is easy to share， even with friends with short attention spans。A great book to have in your arsenal。 。。。more
Melissa Winkler
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Very interesting
Emily
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Entertaining and interesting！
Lisa
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Fun book to read to kids。
Stephen
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InterestingREAD JULY 2019This is a nice collection of interesting inventions derived from mistakes。 Many American， but others included as well。
Mindy
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A bit disorganized。 While I enjoyed the different stories， it fell like an odd collection。 Some stories were so vague without a specific name or person ， while some told a specific story。 Others didn’t quite feel like inventions。 A mistranslation caused Cinderella’s slipper to be glass instead of fur。 Cool story， but it felt like it was in the wrong book。
Dorian。T
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I enjoyed this book because in chapter 5 the chef George Crum is determined when the customer keeps on returning his fries because he is unsatisfied with how thick they are。 George is determined because he keep of making new batches of fries until the customer is satisfied。 Another reason I enjoyed this book is because in chapter 5 George Crum is bold when the picky customer kept complaining about the fries， George made them extra thick to teach the customer a lesson。 One flaw about this book is I enjoyed this book because in chapter 5 the chef George Crum is determined when the customer keeps on returning his fries because he is unsatisfied with how thick they are。 George is determined because he keep of making new batches of fries until the customer is satisfied。 Another reason I enjoyed this book is because in chapter 5 George Crum is bold when the picky customer kept complaining about the fries， George made them extra thick to teach the customer a lesson。 One flaw about this book is that the tone in chapter 5 is provoking because both the customer and George are complaining and disagreeing about the fries。 。。。more
Diana Pettis
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Fun way to present information。
Elizabeth
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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。
Anson
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Good book if you're interested in learning about accidental inventions。 Good book if you're interested in learning about accidental inventions。 。。。more
Mayda
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Mistakes and accidents happen in everyone’s life， but these mistakes and accidents have actually enriched people’s lives。 Some were just fun， like Silly Putty， some were tasty， like potato chips and chocolate chip cookies， and some were helpful， like Velcro and Vulcanized rubber。 It’s all here， in this entertaining book intended for kids， but adults might learn a thing or two， too。
Anne Marie
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This is a great book for children and adults who are interested in how certain things came about。。。some quite by accident！ Aspirin， trouser cuffs， and leotards were my favorite。 Ivory soap， names of places like Bangor， Maine and piggy banks were interesting too！
Lisa
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