In previous books outlining the history of the pencil, the bookshelf, and multiple other devices that most people never give a second thought to, [Henry Petroski] has sought to reveal the "hidden and frequently overlooked relationships among the people and things of the world."

"Whenever we proceed to drag the tongue across and thrust it between our teeth at a repast's tenacious residue," Petroski writes, "we reveal our mission by the bulge moving around our lips and cheeks like a mole beneath the lawn."

Adding spice is the bizarre arcana that crops up surrounding "the oldest habit," ranging from George Washington's rules of civility, "the one hundredth maxim of which cautioned against using a knife or fork to remove stuck food," to the ancient Chinese and Romans, who carried toothpicks as a vital part of their daily jewelry.