Do you ever wonder about the common things we use all the time? Where did they come from? Who first thought of cooking food or manners, or marriage, or any number of other things we take for granted? Many of these fascinating tidbits can be found in wonderful books, sometimes lying unnoticed on library shelves.
For an overview, start with National Geographic's An Uncommon History of Common Things. With plenty of photographs and lively text, this book gives the background to our food and drink, ceremonies, superstitions, hair styles and body markings, backyards, underwear, patent medicines, toys and games, tools and much, much more. Flip through, dip in and out, or read it from cover to cover, you will add innumerable facts to your repertoire of knowledge.
You can find other books on many basic human commodities and activities, too. Popular author Bill Bryson walked through his Victorian home one day and decided to write a history of the home. In his book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life, he takes us through the history of homes and all things in them, going room by room through the common stuff of life. Architecture, electricity, sleep, spices, toilets, sex, epidemics and everything in between, all become fodder for his witty exposition.
Closer to home, Peter Ennals and Deryck W. Holdsworth have written Homeplace: The Making of the Canadian Dwelling Over Three Centuries. This book sheds light on the variety of homes that have dotted the Canadian landscape since the first peoples, along with the social and economic forces that influenced their creation.
For the gourmet, there are many delightful histories of food and drink. Who would have thought you could write a whole book on salt? Mark Kurlansky's Salt: A World History claims that salt has shaped civilization from the dawn of time. He leads the reader through a fascinating history of the world with its wars, empires and trade, and all its colourful characters.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage illuminates world history through the lens of our favourite beverages: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola.
One very old book found on the library shelf, dating back to 1944, makes a similar case for ordinary bread. In Six Thousand Years of Bread: Its Holy and Unholy History by H.E. Jacob, the reader learns about the discovery of baking in ancient Egypt, the use of bread in religion and politics, the lack of bread starting revolutions and how bread helped win the First World War. Illustrated with photos of old paintings as well as delightful line-cut drawings, this hidden gem is just as interesting now as it was when it was written.
What about cooking in general? Catching Fire: How Cooking Made us Human suggests that cooking is responsible for our evolutionary success. From the discovery of fire to contemporary diets, cooking has played a role in the evolution of the social species we are today.
Or look at something more specific. The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities and Meaning of Table Manners is the title of a history by Margaret Visser that is just what the title says. Manners, guests, dishes, wines, conversation and all the little things that go along with dining are covered in this book.
Continuing with the idea of manners, a brand new book from National Geographic called An Uncommon History of Common Courtesy: How Manners Shaped the World will answer such questions as: Why do we put candles on birthday cakes? What is the origin of the tuxedo? When was the first "please" spoken? And many more.
Thinking of the people in the home, browse through A Woman's Place: Seventy Years in the Lives of Canadian Women. This book, published by Chatelaine magazine, shows how women's roles have changed in and outside the home over the last century.
Finally, for the history of something we might never think about, read Potted History: The Story of Plants in the Home by Catherine Horwood. Illustrated with old paintings, photos and sketches, this interesting book shows how potted plants are as subject to fashion as the clothes we wear. From the first concept in 1608, the story of bringing plants indoors becomes a combination of social history, plant history and the history of interior design.
For these and many other fascinating history stories, check out your local public library.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Barb Buxton works at Port Moody Public Library.
