People have always wanted light, and until the nineteenth century the only useful source of light was flame. Electricity brought clean light without flame, and

This “superb history” of artificial light traces the evolution of society—“invariably fascinating and often original . . . [it] amply lives up to its ti

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY People ∙ O: The Oprah Magazine ∙ Financial Times ∙ Kansas City Star ∙ BookPage ∙ Kirkus Reviews ∙ Publish

When winter is at its coldest and darkest, take heart! Every day the sun shines longer, Spring is on its way! All winter, the days grow a little bit longer, The

Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock?