What's in a Name? From Joseph P. Frisbie to Roy Jacuzzi, How Everyday Items Were Named for Extraordinary People

by Dodd, Philip

• ISBN13: 9781592404322
• ISBN10: 1592404324
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-30
• Publisher: Gotham

Summary

A brilliant and personal literary journey, in which Philip Dodd tells the curious tales of people whose names—deliberately or by chance—became household words What’s in a name? For Philip Dodd, this question led to an international tour, sleuthing the history of some of our most intriguing eponyms. The result is a collection of surprising, stranger-than-fiction stories from history, the arts, the halls of science, and sometimes simply the realm of serendipity. This armchair traveler’s delight contains little-known tales of such immortal figures as: · Roy Jacuzzi, alive and well and still bubbling with ideas in Happy Valley, California · Joseph P. Frisbie, the baker whose pie tins inspired Wham-O’s ubiquitous flying disc · Ernst Gräfenberg, for whom the G-spot was named • Samuel Maverick, the Texas pioneer who refused to brand his calves · And many other colorful figures From Belgium to Buenos Aires, from Orlando to Los Angeles, Dodd’s readers go along for the ride. What’s In a Name?is a marvelous tribute to people who changed our language—whether through hard work, creativity, or the luck of the draw.

Author Biography

Philip Dodd is a graduate of Jesus College, Oxford, and has worked for several UK publishers, including Longman and Virgin Books. He is also a travel writer and rock biographer.