Patently Silly: From the Collapsible Walker to the Incinerating Toilet, the Craziest Inventions Ever Devised [Paperback]

Daniel Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

This book is based on the cult website Patently Silly, (www.patentlysilly.com) which receives over 60,000 visits per month and has received wide-ranging publicity the world over.  It is written from the unique perspective of a stand-up comic with a college degree in engineering. It features an incredible range of patents for inventions that strain the boundaries of imagination, taste, and any form of usefulness.  In short, they are ridiculous.  At least 35% of the inventions are new to the book and have not been seen on the web site. 

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Someone very wise once said, "Necessity is the mother of invention."

Patently Silly asks, "Who is the father?"

 

Building on the international reputation of the eponymous Web site Patently Silly is what you get when a stand-up comedian earns an engineering degree. Exploring the wackiest and most bizarre patented inventions ever envisioned, from the Cube-shaped Tennis Ball to the Talking Toilet Paper Roll Holder to the Pet-operated Ball Thrower, and straining the boundaries of imagination, good taste, and any form of usefulness, Patently Silly is a must-read for garage tinkerers, science geeks, and dreamers who believe that gravity is no impediment to flight.

About the Author

Daniel Wright has a degree in engineering, has studied clowning and Commedia  dell'Arte, and after several years with the award-winning puppet theater company, Tears of Joy, in Portland, Oregon, now works in New York City as a stand-up comedian. He has written articles for publications as diverse as PC Magazine and Golf Magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (May 5, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 159921573X
• ISBN-13: 978-1599215730
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inventive Humor!, August 7, 2009

By 

Fatman Onabike - See all my reviews

This review is from: Patently Silly: From the Collapsible Walker to the Incinerating Toilet, the Craziest Inventions Ever Devised (Paperback)

Someone recently gave me a copy of Patently SIlly, and at first I just browsed through it quickly, amused by the pictures of the many absurd inventions. But then when I looked more carefully, and started reading the text, I realized that the really funny thing about the book was not the inventions themselves (although many do generate a laugh by themselves) but the clever way the writer has written so humorously about each of them. For just about each invention Mr. Wright finds the right words to lampoon it, exressing the thoughts that were in the back of my head but which I was not able to clearly articulate, even to myself. This book was a great find, and will make a perfect gift for many of my friends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars patently Silly, October 24, 2008

By 

H. Harrington (NY, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I never knew this world of inventions existed. Now when I think of the US Patent and Trademark Office, I think of a serious institution with many requirements and guidelines. I do not think of a cordless jump robe making it through the rigorous process, but it does and may more outlandish inventions. Who would of thought that a cube-shaped tennis ball or a scented doll with the appearance of an aged person would deserve a US patent? Now this very fact can give one a bird's eye view into the US patent and Trademark Office. This book is full of fanciful, bizarre, strange, and just unbelievable inventions that give some insight into the mind of the modern human, well some very unique minds. Daniel Wright's commentary is hysterical and dead on. This book made me laugh out loud and question my role in a consumer society where I often want the new gadget that will make my life so much easier to live. I realize now I want my combination lawn/garden ornament and cremation container so I can make life easier for my family and give them something nice to look at on the porch.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ingenious, June 23, 2009

By 

Joseph M. Macaluso (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Patently Silly: From the Collapsible Walker to the Incinerating Toilet, the Craziest Inventions Ever Devised (Paperback)

As funny as the actual patents themselves are, writer Daniel Wright's commentary is truly hysterical. His insightful digs and wry wordplay kept a smile on my face the entire time I read through this highly amusing book.