Why Didn't I Think of That? Bizarre Origins of Ingenious Inventions We Couldn't Live Without

by Freeman, Allyn; Golden, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780471165118
• ISBN10: 0471165115
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-09-25
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Ben & Jerry originally wanted to start a bagel business, but they couldn't afford the bagel-making machine? * The Slinky(r) toy was born aboard a World War II battleship? * Band-Aids(r) were invented by a husband to help his accident-prone wife dress her own cuts and bruises at home? * The idea for Velcro(r) came from cockleburs that got stuck on an engineer's wool trousers and in his dog's fur? Ever wonder how anyone came up with the idea for a product you couldn't imagine living without? Familiar products like Velcro(r) ,disposable diapers, Post-It Notes(r) ,and coffee filters. Read this book and you'll discover - once more - that truth is indeed often stranger than fiction. You'll also see that coming up with a million-dollar idea isn't as difficult as you think. This collection of entrepreneurs ranges from housewives to PhDs. Filled with wacky and fascinating facts, awe-inspiring success statistics, and rags-to-riches stories, Why Didn't I Think of That? chronicles the odd origins behind 50 famous inventions and reveals the business side of each product's actual production, marketing, and distribution. You'll discover how inventors from all walks of life struck it rich with unlikely contraptions that range from the practical (like Tampax(r) and Tupperware(r) ) to the curiously inane (like the Barbie(r) doll and Silly Putty(r) ). Inspirational, detailed, and always quirky, this delightful book captures all of the drama and colorful history of products like Heinz(r) ketchup, The Club(r) , Jell-O(r) ,Hallmark(r) cards, Trojan(r) condoms, Vaseline(r) , Rollerblades(r) , Kitty Litter(r) , the Swiss Army(r) Knife, Bic(r) pens, Dirt Devil(r) , Pampers(r) , S.O.S(r) pads, and many more.

Author Biography

ALLYN FREEMAN is a writer and business consultant whose television credits include M*A*S*H and Hart to Hart. He has also written numerous articles for leading business journals. He holds an MBA from Columbia University Business School. BOB GOLDEN is a writer and composer whose musical credits include Sesame Street, TV Nation, and Comedy Central. He is the coauthor of the Jerky Boys Book, and, with Freeman, has written material for America Online.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	ix
1 GROUNDS FOR SUCCESS MELITTA, INC.	1	(4)
2 WORLD ON A STRING DUNCAN YO-YO	5	(5)
3 PARTY TIME! TUPPERWARE	10	(6)
4 NATURE'S PURIFIER EX-LAX	16	(4)
5 MALE-BONDING ELMER'S ALL-PURPOSE GLUE	20	(5)
6 SAFE SEX TROJAN CONDOMS	25	(6)
7 BIG RED HEINZ KETCHUP	31	(5)
8 MAKE NO MISTAKE LIQUID PAPER	36	(5)
9 TABBY TOILET KITTY LITTER	41	(5)
10 A PEACEFUL PERIOD TAMPAX	46	(5)
11 THE WRIGHT STUFF SILLY PUTTY	51	(5)
12 MEDICAL COVERAGE BAND-AID	56	(4)
13 IN THE CARDS HALLMARK, INC.	60	(5)
14 INDOOR SKI SENSATION NORDICTRACK	65	(5)
15 THOU SHALT NOT STEAL THE CLUB	70	(4)
16 THE CUTTING EDGE CUISINART, INC.	74	(4)
17 WONDER JELLY VASELINE	78	(5)
18 SILENCE IS GOLDEN MIDAS	83	(4)
19 MINI MASTER BUILDERS LEGO	87	(4)
20 LET THE GAMES BEGIN TRIVIAL PURSUIT	91	(4)
21 IN-JEAN-IOUS LEVI STRAUSS & COMPANY	95	(4)
22 GET A GRIP VELCRO	99	(5)
23 WHEELS OF FORTUNE ROLLERBLADES, INC.	104	(5)
24 CLEAN SWEEP THE DIRT DEVIL	109	(4)
25 BILLION DOLLAR DOLLY BARBIE	113	(4)
26 LOVIN' SPOONFUL JELL-O	117	(5)
27 PEN PAL BIC	122	(4)
28 THE COLOR OF MONEY CLAIROL	126	(5)
29 SOME LIKE IT HOT TABASCO SAUCE	131	(5)
30 SPRING FEVER SLINKY	136	(5)
31 RUNNING HOT AND COLD THERMOS	141	(5)
32 LITTLE VITTLES GERBER	146	(5)
33 STOCKING STUFFER L'EGGS	151	(5)
34 IN THE CHIPS FRITO-LAY	156	(6)
35 BOTTOMS UP PAMPERS	162	(5)
36 EASY LISTENING BELTONE	167	(5)
37 PADS OF GLORY S.O.S	172	(4)
38 THE YELLOW PAGES POST-IT NOTES	176	(4)
39 LITTLE DIPPER DIXIE CUPS	180	(5)
40 HOUSE OF WAX CRAYOLA	185	(5)
41 THE CANDY MAN TOOTSIE ROLL	190	(4)
42 A STITCH IN TIME SINGER SEWING MACHINE	194	(5)
43 HOME COOKING BOSTON MARKET	199	(4)
44 CURRENT SUCCESS JACUZZI	203	(4)
45 THE CHAIRMEN LA-Z-BOY	207	(4)
46 MORNING STAR KELLOGG'S CORN FLAKES	211	(5)
47 SLICE OF LIFE SWISS ARMY KNIFE	216	(4)
48 HILL OF BEANS STARBUCKS	220	(5)
49 THE BIG CHILL BEN & JERRY'S ICE CREAM	225	(6)
50 POCKET BOOK FILOFAX	231	(4)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	235	(2)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	237	(2)
INDEX	239