Description
Book SynopsisInsightful, detailed, and always quirky, Why Didn't I Think of That chronicles the odd origins of famous products, explores how these inventions changed our lives, and reveals the business side of their production and distribution.
Table of ContentsIntroduction ix
1 Grounds For Success 1
Melitta, Inc
2 World on a String 5
Duncan Yo-Yo
3 Party Time! 10
Tupperware
4 Nature’s Purifier 16
Ex-Lax
5 Male-Bonding 20
Elmer’s All-Purpose Glue
6 $afe $ex 25
Trojan Condoms
7 Big Red 31
Heinz Ketchup
8 Make No Mistake 36
Liquid Paper
9 Tabby Toilet 41
Kitty Litter
10 A Peaceful Period 46
Tampax
11 The Wright Stuff 51
Silly Putty
12 Medical Coverage 56
Band-Aid
13 In the Cards 60
Hallmark, Inc.
14 Indoor Ski Sensation 65
Nordictrack
15 Thou Shalt Not Steal 70
The Club
16 The Cutting Edge 74
Cuisinart, Inc.
17 Wonder Jelly 78
Vaseline
18 Silence Is Golden 83
Midas
19 Mini Master Builders 87
Lego
20 Let the Games Begin 91
Trivial Pursuit
21 In-Jean-ious 95
Levi Strauss & Company
22 Get a Grip 99
Velcro
23 Wheels of Fortune 104
Rollerblades, Inc.
24 Clean Sweep 109
The Dirt Devil
25 Billion Dollar Dolly 113
Barbie
26 Lovin’ Spoonful 117
Jell-O
27 Pen Pal 122
Bic
28 The Color of Money 126
Clairol
29 Some Like it Hot 131
Tabasco Sauce
30 Spring Fever 136
Slinky
31 Running Hot and Cold 141
Thermos
32 Little Vittles 146
Gerber
33 Stock Stuffer 151
L’Eggs
34 In the Chips 156
Frito Lay
35 Bottoms Up 162
Pampers
36 Easy Listening 167
Beltone
37 Pads of Glory 172
S.O.S.
38 The Yellow Pages 176
Post-It-Notes
39 Little Dipper 180
Dixie Cups
40 House of Wax 185
Crayola
41 The Candy Man 190
Tootsie Roll
42 A Stitch in Time 194
Singer Sewing Machine
43 Home Cooking 199
Boston Market
44 Current Success 203
Jacuzzi
45 The Chairmen 207
La-Z-Boy
46 Morning Star 211
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
47 Slice of Life 216
Swiss Army Knife
48 Hill of Beans 220
Starbucks
49 The Bill Chill 225
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
50 Pocket Book 231
Filofax
Acknowledgments 235
Bibliography 237
Index 239
