From Altoids to Zima: The Surprising Stories Behind 125 Famous Brand Names (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Once upon a time, naming a product was as simple as taking the name of its maker and adding a short descriptive tag line, like in the case of Smith’s Pure and Effective Cough Syrup. But this practice changed during the 1800s, says Morris (The Word Detective), when marketers started to take into account the high illiteracy rate among consumers. Hence, logos were born. Nowadays, companies spend exorbitant amounts hiring consultants to create new words for their products. In this slim but fascinating book, Morris reveals the history behind some of the most recognizable product names. Many still bear the name of their maker, such as Chef Boyardee, who was an actual person named Hector Boiardi. Others, like WD-40, refer to the product’s development process: the creators of WD-40 were looking for a "water displacement" substance to repel moisture, and after forty attempts, the product was perfected. Still other product names have nothing to do with their creators or their purpose. Starbucks, for instance, stems from "the coffee-loving first mate in Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby-Dick," and Google is an adaptation of "googol," a word made up by a mathematician’s nine-year-old nephew to represent a "very, very large number, ten raised to the hundredth power." The book contains a wealth of product information, but it is Morris’s jaunty prose and humorous sidebars—on topics ranging from unfortunately named companies like Poolife to the association of product names and urban legends (i.e., Pop Rocks killed Mickey)—that make this a delightful read.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Ever wondered what the Ms in M&Ms stand for?

If Scotch tape was invented in Scotland?

Why a cereal that contains neither grapes nor nuts is called Grape Nuts?

Who thought Gap was a good name for a clothing store?

From the Adidas we wear to the Volkswagens we drive, the daily lives of Americans are dominated by the manufacturers' trademarks that adorn nearly everything we own. Food, clothes, cars, household furnishings, even cell phones are all chosen by brand name. Yet many of these trademarks and product names pose mysteries.

But not when Evan Morris, creator of the award-winning The Word Detective website, is on the case! In From Altoids to Zima he reveals the fascinating, often wacky stories behind 125 brand names. Organized by product categories -- food and drink; clothing; technology, toys, and assorted bright ideas; cars; and drugs and cosmetics -- the story of each product is told with Morris's trademark wit and humor, complete with sidebars that highlight brand names that have become "genericized" (aspirin); a "What Were They Thinking?" honor roll of strange and often disastrous product names (Edsel); what happens when good brand names go bad (Kool-Aid after the Jonestown mass suicide); and debunked urban legends (the combination of Pop Rocks and soda that was rumored to be lethal).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (November 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743257979
• ISBN-13: 978-0743257978
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #632,112 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From Altoids to Zima: The Surprising Stories Behind 125 Famous Brand Names, August 13, 2005

By	Norm Reader (Stevensville, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

Great trivia book. My family has taken this book to work and treated co-workers to interesting tidbits of information that surprised people who have used different brands in the book and didn't know how the products were named or invented. Great fun.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, easy reading, enjoyable, February 10, 2008

By	Jay B. Siegel (Round Rock, TX) - See all my reviews

This was a fun and informative book that provided some interesting insights into the stories behind the many brand names we come across in our everyday lives. I read this on my Kindle and it was the perfect book for reading on the Kindle. I could read about a few brands, go back to reading something else and revisit this without skipping beat. It's a fun and enjoyable book and I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun and Informative Read!, April 19, 2009

By	Sharon - See all my reviews

I received this book as a gift and enjoyed it so much that I gave 3 of them to family members for Christmas gifts last year. Lots of interesting information and a quick and easy read.