Small Things Considered

Why There Is No Perfect Design

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Last edited by ImportBot
March 28, 2025 | History

Small Things Considered

Why There Is No Perfect Design

  • 2.0 (1 rating) ·
  • 5 Want to read
  • 1 Have read

"In this book, Petroski takes us inside the creative process by which common objects are invented and improved upon in pursuit of the ever-elusive perfect thing. He shows us, for instance, how the disposable paper cup became a popular commercial success only after the public learned that shared water glasses could carry germs; how it took years, an abundance of business panache, and many discarded models - from cups that opened like paper bags to those that came with pleats - for the inventor of the paper cup to arrive at what we now use and toss away without so much as a thought for its fascinating history."--BOOK JACKET.

Publish Date
Publisher
Vintage, Vintage Books
Language
English
Pages
304

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: Small Things Considered
Small Things Considered: Why There Is No Perfect Design
September 14, 2004, Vintage, Vintage Books
Paperback in English
Cover of: Small Things Considered
Small Things Considered: Why There Is No Perfect Design
September 16, 2003, Alfred A. Knopf
Hardcover in English

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Book Details


Classifications

Library of Congress
TA174 .P4738

The Physical Object

Format
Paperback
Number of pages
304
Dimensions
7.8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
Weight
11.4 ounces

Edition Identifiers

Open Library
OL8362743M
ISBN 10
1400032938
ISBN 13
9781400032938
OCLC/WorldCat
56843279
LibraryThing
71308
Goodreads
56605

Work Identifiers

Work ID
OL112176W

Work Description

The ultimate context of design is, of course, the human user. Many designed things are "one size fits all," and so if they fit anyone perfectly, it is a statistical coincidence. This being so, all the rest of us must make do. Sometimes we can shop around and try a different brand or model of a designed object, hoping to find the one that seems to have been made for us. Most likely, we never find such a thing, and so we compromise in our choice, selecting a less attractive chair because it is more comfortable or picking an uncomfortable chair because it looks more striking in our living room. We learn to live in a world of imperfect things, just as we do in a world of imperfect fellow human beings. If we cannot find a pair of shoes that is a perfect fit for us, and if we cannot or do not wish to spend the money to have our shoes custom-made, then we choose a pair whose looks and fit are as close to what we want as we can find. We think, therefore we design. Indeed, there is barely anything that we do, much less use, that does not have a design component to it. - p. 15.

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March 28, 2025 Edited by ImportBot Redacting ocaids
January 11, 2025 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
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December 7, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
April 29, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from amazon.com record