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Obsolete: An Encyclopedia Of Once-Common Things Passing Us By (2009)

by Anna Jane Grossman(Favorite Author)

2.94 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0810978490 (ISBN13: 9780810978492)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Harry N. Abrams

review 1: Fun reminder of things once used, like my grandparents' manual typewriter used to write my first school newspaper articles in the late 1980s. Also an interesting look at how technology changes basic principles...for example how caller ID has shifted the power from the caller to the callee. Though we still get that thrill of the unknown caller today when we dare to answer that call from a number we don't recognize.
review 2: Informational and Entertaining, but Incomplete ..., October 11, 2010Anna Jane Grossman's effort to remind us of so many of the things we once took for granted that have suddenly (and quietly) vanished from our lives is both intriguing and fun to read. While I believe the book definitely offered a taste for my hunger for nostalgia, I found it... more somewhat unfulfilling in the end. "Obsolete" is thought-provoking in that it does make one realize how once-seemingly indispensible "things" have somehow simply disappeared in our society's race toward the technological future. Presented in an alphabetized/encyclopedic format, Grossman's range of topics for all-things obsolete are diverse (ditto-paper or easy to open packaging), humorous (handkerchiefs), expected (typewriters) and occasionally odd (wrinkles). Some of the topics covered are simply addressed with a witty, sarcastic quip (anonymity), while others delve deeply into the history of the subject matter (film). In this regard, "Obsolete" scores big points as being both entertaining and informative. While it isn't exactly baffling to understand the downfall of stuffing mucous-covered cloth into pockets for re-use, it is interested how our society has gradually snuffed the art of cursive writing. Grossman definitely does the research on several topics and her efforts often provide a curiosity-satisfying history that led to the flourish of things that have since disappeared. While the book is oftentimes educational and fun to read, I was hoping for more considering there are so many common things have disappeared in recent years. Maybe this is expecting too much from the author, but when a subtitle includes the word "encyclopedia", I expect the content to reveal more, not less. While brevity could have benefited some of the topics covered and more detail provided for others, I still believe what Grossman presents is worthy. The only other issue I have with "Obsolete" is that the silly artwork that illustrates many of the topics is unnecessary and photos would have been great. less

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