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Ever since the first piece of toast popped warm and golden out of a toaster, man has been buying, using, and replacing products for home, work, and play. From the graceful precision of the Arts & Crafts style to the recent popularity of "blob" design, this generously illustrated look at the history of product design is as fascinating as the products themselves. Hundreds of photographs, sketches, drawings, and lively text reveal how small and large objects were conceived of, built, packaged, marketed, and consumed through the years and around the world. Various schools of design and notable movements are discussed, as well as the technologies that helped create new uses for products even as they rendered previous items obsolete. From home furniture, houseware, audio and visual equipment, small and large appliances and personal care items to computer chips, medical equipment, cellular phones, sports equipment, toys, cars, and clothing, every aspect of daily life is included in this comprehensive catalog of ordinary objects, each with an extraordinary story. The result is a cultural treasure trove that will delight students of art, design, and technology, collectors of every stripe, and anyone interested in how we live in a world filled with stuff.