Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser and Curiouser Adventures in History |
Buy Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser and Curiouser Adventures in History here, one of 750 Golf History books offered for sale at discount prices here in the history books section at R bookshop. There are currently 88183 history books in our history books section, and over 1,000,000 books listed in our book store. We greatly appreciate your patronage at R bookshop and look forward to offering you a large selection of great books at discount prices now and in the future. Thank you for shopping at R Bookshop!
|
You Are Here: Home > History Books > Golf History > Item 315
|
Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser and Curiouser Adventures in History
|
by Michael Olmert
Sales Rank: 984924
|
List Price: $16.50
$16.50
At Amazon
on 9-15-2008.
|
|
|
|
Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 256 pages
Published by: Touchstone June 18, 1996
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0684801647
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0684801643
Book Dimensions:
8.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
Weighs: 8.8 ounces
From Library Journal
Life, leisure, celebrations, implements, and symbols are the categories under which Olmert (The Book of Books, LJ 9/1/92) places his stories about such subjects as hair and hands, betting and sports, hazing and vacations, tools and pets. Because his accounts are so selective, they are more of antiquarian than historical interest, but he does include suggestions for further reading at the end of each short chapter. His sources range from the Greek classics to artifacts unearthed at Annapolis, where he lives. His essays move freely from western Europe to America but not noticeably to Asia or elsewhere. He writes interestingly about chess and violence, but his economic interpretation of the origins of toothbrushes is unconvincing. For popular collections.?R. James Tobin, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Milwaukee
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
This collection of 50 very readable essays expands on some of the "Points of Origin" columns Olmert wrote for Smithsonian as well as on some of his writings for Colonial Williamsburg and Historic Preservation. Here he looks at the clues to past events that historians and archaeologists have found in unusual "texts," such as oyster shells, cow teeth, toothbrushes, and folklore. Olmert discusses running, lotteries, chess, April Fools' Day, lawns, umbrellas, and toothbrushes. For example, toothbrushes, introduced in the late 1600s, eased us into the Industrial Revolution by emphasizing personal hygiene (an essential discipline for those gathering in groups to labor for someone else). As they evolved from hand-fashioned, irregular implements to mass-produced, standardized products, toothbrushes symbolized the basic work ethic of capitalism. The reader will also gain insight into summer vacations, playing cards, and taxes--for, as Olmert reminds us, "we have been so chafed by hateful taxes that no fewer than four historic milestones have been tax revolts. Magna Carta, the English Civil War, and the American and French Revolutions have all been about taxes." Jennifer Henderson
Reader Reviews
Filled with delightful insights and food for the imagination, Olmert's book highlights the path of man's ingenuity. Addictive and astute read.
Comment | |
(Report this)
Back To Top
|
Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser and Curiouser Adventures in History
Available from Amazon
Price: $16.50
Updated on 9-15-2008.
|
NOTICE: All prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
| We offer Milton's Teeth and Ovid's Umbrella: Curiouser and Curiouser Adventures in History and other related Golf History Books here at Rbookshop.com. To view more books about Golf History please use the previous and next buttons near the top of this page.
|
|
Search for books at
