For lovers of facts, students of popular culture, history buffs, and science enthusiasts, the fascinating stories behind 500 everyday items, expressions, and customs--from Kleenex to steak sauce, Barbie Dolls to honeymoons.

Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Reference

PANATI, CHARLES

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

Harpercollins

Relates the curious stories behind the extinction of peoples, beliefs, fashions, customs, and inventions

Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything and Everybody

Business & Money

Education & Reference

Relates facts and information about a host of ordinary things ranging from safety pins to negligees

Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything & Everybody

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

William Morrow Paperbacks

A wonderful compendium of information on the origins of the most popular fads and fashions. It's a nifty sourcebook.

Panati's Parade of Fads, Follies, and Manias: The Origins of Our Most Cherished Obsessions

History

In this enlightening and entertaining work, Charles Panati explores the origins of hundreds of religious rituals, customs, and practices in many faiths, the reasons for religious holidays and sacred symbols, and the meanings of vestments, sacraments, devotions, and prayers. Its many revelations include: 
* Why the Star of David became the Jewish counterpart of the Christian cross 
* What mortal remains of the Buddha are venerated today 
* How the diamond engagement ring became a standard 
* That the first pope was a happily married man 
* How Hindu thinkers arrived at their concept of reincarnation 
* Why Jews don't eat pork, why some Muslims don't eat certain vegetables, and how some Christians came to observe meatless Fridays 
Sacred Origins of Profound Things is an indispensable resource for all those interested in the history of religion and the history of ideas--and an inspiring guide to those seeking to understand their faith.

Sacred Origins of Profound Things: The Stories Behind the Rites and Rituals of the World's Religions (Compass)

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Regional & International

Penguin Publishing Group

A compendium of facts about sex reveals the origins of words, practices, and taboos, and discusses topics ranging from history's first love poem to the earliest known sex-change operation

Sexy Origins and Intimate Things: The Rites and Rituals of Straights, Gays, Bis, Drags, Trans, Virgins, and Others

Penguin??Books

Describes the origins of more than 1000 objects, ideas, movements, and concepts, including checkers, the computer, ragtime, Islam, ice cream, the abacus, Yiddish, and many other familiar and not-so-familiar things

The Browser's Book of Beginnings: Origins of Everything Under, and Including, the Sun

Traces the origins of the gems of popular wisdom that are part of American culture, delving into sources as diverse as Aesop, the Bible, Ben Franklin, and Broadway

Words to Live By: The Origins of Conventional Wisdom and Commonsense Advice

Literature & Fiction

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by PANATI, CHARLES. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by PANATI, CHARLES

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by PANATI, CHARLES. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything and Everybody

Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything & Everybody

Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Panati's Parade of Fads, Follies, and Manias: The Origins of Our Most Cherished Obsessions

Sacred Origins of Profound Things: The Stories Behind the Rites and Rituals of the World's Religions (Compass)

Sexy Origins and Intimate Things: The Rites and Rituals of Straights, Gays, Bis, Drags, Trans, Virgins, and Others

The Browser's Book of Beginnings: Origins of Everything Under, and Including, the Sun

Words to Live By: The Origins of Conventional Wisdom and Commonsense Advice