Hello, I’m looking to read on my Kindle some books, 10 dollars or less. I’m looking for something that will give me in-depth info on history of various types of interesting inventions, discoveries, and recipes even for ordinary things (not looking for rocket science manuals) like toothpowder, which I read that Egyptians used to make in ancient types with myrrh, eggshells, mint, and the like. So there must be so many things I don’t know about. I love finding about things obscure yet useful.
I’m also looking for knowledge books, similar to Cecil Adams, but available for cheap, and filled with very good gripping info of various things with a flash of humour. Anyone can advise? Thanks.
The Connections TV series from the 70s and 80s is right up your alley. I think they made book versions. No idea if they’re available anywhere - the books, that is. I think the shows are on YouTube.
Yes, James Burke would be an excellent choice. I did notice the Amazon has a few of his books for the Kindle, all but one are over $10 though. The one that’s under $10 I haven’t read yet, but Connections and The Day the Universe Changed are both very good books.
I’m a big James Burke fan. There are indeed book versions of both Connections and The Day the Universe Changed, but they’re coffee-table-sized books, filled with lots of great color pictures. I don’t know if they’re available as e-books, but you’d have to spend a lot of time scanning around the page if they are.
(The audiobooks editions of these, by the way, are taken from the text of the books, not from the TV series)
Burke’s other books are probably easier to turn into e-books. In fact, the actual printed text of The Pinball Effect is “hyperlinked” through an interesting cross-reference series. If they turn(ed) it into an e-book, they should’ve implemented this as actual hypertexting. Unfortunately, Amazon lists no e-book version
His other books – ** American Connections**, Circles (availale as an “e-textbook”),the Knowledge Web (which is available in Kindle) , Twin Tracks (also on Kindle) are also worth reading.
I could also recommend a certain book which speaks of the origins of Retroreflectors, the Camera Lucida, Telescope reticules, the Bunsen Burner, Periscopes, and Ray Guns (and which I know to be available in Kindle and Nook formats), but I might violate some rule or other if I do.
You might also enjoy A History of the World in 100 Objects, available on Kindle for $8.17. Many of the objects are art objects, but others are for practical use (some are both), and the book provides a fascinating insight into history and cultures.
I would recommend “Longitude” by Dava Sobel. The “discovery” was the tool that was developed to determine longitude (not an easy problem - especially for the time). Fascinating story.
An Underground Education by Richard Zacks might scratch your itch. It’s very much in the spirit of The Straight Dope, although there are some specific areas where he and Cecil disagree, as I recall.
Bill Bryson’s books At Home: A Short History of Private Life and A Short History of Nearly Everything might be the kind of thing the OP is looking for.
(Bryson’s factual accuracy has been questioned, but if you’re looking for entertainment and are willing to take your knowledge with a grain of salt (which you should probably do anyway) he’s a good read.)
I’m pretty sure Cal is referring to a book that he himself wrote. If he were to suggest it, that could be seen as violating the no-self-promotion rule. I don’t know the title, I’m afeared.
