Product Description
Piggy banks, silly putty, potato chips and frisbees are all things that were invented by mistake.

Includes a bibliography. An IRA-CBC Children's Choice.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 12 reviews)

Stocking Stuffer

I gave it as a gift for Christmas, but looked through it briefly. It looked pretty interesting.
December 26, 2007

Memory exerciser

Another good exercise with my 84 year old dad who is losing his memory. He reads a loud "A Mistake". We talk about when he first noticed or experienced the "Mistake" and then we try to do something fun. Example: Popcycles. After we eat popcycles and thank the guy for the "Mistake". This is a great exercise.
October 12, 2007

Good book for children

If you have a 10-15 years old, this is a nice book for him/her. This is not a history of technology book, it's more of an easy reading.
Additionally, if you don't live in the US, the book makes little sense, since it is full of American references both historically and in terms of customs. On the other hand, if the lucky child who's going to receive it as a gift is American, this is yet another good reason to read this book.
March 09, 2006

Well made, but not entirely accurate

Make no mistake; this is a well-made piece of work. The stories flow smoothly, and the illustrations are very nice. However, the facts just haven't been checked. It claims (incorrectly) that Coca-Cola was an accident, it states (falsely) that Cinderella originally wore fur slippers instead of glass, and it actually elaborates with no real evidence on the history of the brick. For these reasons, I don't recommend it; if you really enjoy it and want to, check everything at snopes.com, where facts are checked ruthlessly.
March 01, 2005

Interesting for all Ages

This book is both a useful resource and an enjoyable way to past a rainy day. Ideal for all age groups - preteens will love learning about 'famous' mistakes - teens will get interested in thinking of ones left out of the book and adults we be amazed.
Overall fun book.
March 03, 2003

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