[.ca] They All Laughed...: From Light Bulbs to Lasers, the ... (ISBN 0613130979)

Racy motivational stories from science.:
The stories are motivating for those who want to know more about science. Recommended reading for students (15-60 age). The book is well written, easy to follow and hard to keep down. My mother read the book at my home, and loved it too. - Mosh http://www.cs.albany.edu/~mosh

Light Science with Humor:
Although I bought this book for a different intention, I still found the book valuable, in that is went over some inventions from the past that is in everyday use where at the time of its inception, it was deemed ludicrous. Light bulbs, fax machines, teflon, nylon, silly putty, television, computers, video games and many more things that we today are so at home with. Easily written for the young adult with a style that is likeable.

Interesting trivia:
I found this book while browsing the shelves of Half-Price Books in Bellevue. What I was looking for was some light, entertaining non-fiction--something I could read a chapter or essay of and then put down. I had been having trouble maintaining my concentration on a single book for very long, possibly because my work life had been so erratic recently that I was having trouble slowing my mind down to focus on any one thing. This book filled the bill perfectly. Basically a series of essays by Flatow, host of Talk of the Nation: Science Fridays and former NPR correspondent, in which he examines basic inventions that weíve grown to accept as necessities from light bulbs to lasers. Oftentimes what weíve come to know as "the story" of the invention, like Benjamin Franklinís kite experiment, is but a brief moment in the chain of events that led to the mass production or use of the object or phenomena. Flatow makes a wonderful argument that more than the common wisdom "inventor" should be credited with the discovery, while never belittling the genius of creation. The tone is never dry, and the subjects--blenders, televisions, telephones, Velcro, Teflon, nylon, etc.--are stuff from everyday life. At the least, the book provides some interesting trivia on applied science.

Few laughs, fascintating not:
I read this one after finding it mentioned in Bill Bryson's Made in America. Since the former isn't very interesting, it's no surprise that this one isn't either. If you want chatty anecdotes about the inventors and their madness, this is for you. If you want to see how inventors have really made an impact on the twentieth century and living standards, then you'll have to dig a bit harder.

A science book for the average Joe:
I've been a fan of Ira Flatow's for many years. I first heard him doing stories on NPR's "All Things Considered", reporting on any news of the day that had even a hint of science in it. I lost track of him for a few years when he became the science correspondent for "Talk of the Nation" - that program was on in the middle of my work day and I couldn't listen to it. But I did manage to catch his stint on PBS's "Newton's Apple", and my only complaint was that the show didn't last longer. It's a real pleasure to discover that Flatow has written a book that is just as easy for the average person to understand as his reports on NPR and his demonstrations on "Newton's Apple". "They All Laughed" tells the stories behind several inventions that we all take for granted. And you can figure out the theme of each of these stories by the title of the book - when each of these items, gadgets, etc. first came out, the general reaction was basically, "WHY?" Along the way, Flatow gives us some information that we might not be aware of. I for one did not know that the story of Ben Franklin and the kite was just that - a story. It's true that Franklin flew the kite, but it's not true that the kite was struck by lightning. My personal favorite among all of Flatow's stories is the one about the invention of Silly Putty. I remember playing with the stuff as a kid and marveling that I could press it onto a comic strip, lift it up, and VOILA! A reverse image of the comic. I never asked who invented Silly Putty, but now I wish I had. If there is an audio version of this book I hope it's Flatow who's doing the narration. I'd buy it in a New York minute.