Just Another Day

In Just Another Day: The Science and Technology of our Everyday Lives Adam Hart-Davis takes a look at the history and science behind many of the things we use in our day-to-day living. Starting with the clock which tells him when to get up, he moves on to the morning wash, with a look at the development of the toothbrush, of soap and other cleansing products, and a history of shaving. The third chapter examines the clothes we wear and what is considered a reasonable breakfast in different cultures. There's also a look at that ever popular subject - visiting the lavatory.

Adam then considers the journey to work, including a consideration of what we wear to protect ourselves from the weather, as well as an account of how he became a fan of cycling. The next chapter looks at the working day, which includes the development of the various technologies which are found in today's office. Adam also describes the nature of his TV work. The final chapter, 'After Work' shows how inventions such as artificial lighting and TV have changed the nature of our evenings.

This is a lighthearted book, so don't expect any deep insights from it. But it's fun to read and all readers are likely to find out some new (but probably useless) facts from it.