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Stephen Fenichell

Plastic: The Making of a Synthetic Century Paperback – June 11, 1997

by Stephen Fenichell (Author)

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From artificial hearts to pink flamingos, kevlar vests to credit cards, plastic has invaded every aspect of modern life. Surpassing wood, cotton, steel and glass in all categories (except possibly good taste), it is more than just a product of modern society: it has revolutionized our entire way of life.

Plastic traces the obscure origins of synthetic materials to present: a century's worth of information on the fascinating inventors, speculators and designers who ushered in the plastic invasion. Among the colorful characters: John Wesley Harding, who pursued a quixotic quest to create the perfect billiard ball; and Wallace Carothers, who committed suicide just as the sexual revolution was about to be ushered in by his creation, nylon stockings. Written in the tradition of James Womack's The Machine that Changed the World, this is a fresh and eminently entertaining look at an ubiquitous and nearly indestructible substance, and the way it has shaped our world.

Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

HarperBusiness
Publication date

June 11, 1997
Dimensions

5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0887308627
ISBN-13

978-0887308628
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One of the most enduring joke lines in cinematic history comes near the beginning of 1967's The Graduate when Dustin Hoffman's character is advised to pursue a career in "plastic." The subject itself is really far from a joke, however: the development of man-made materials has revolutionized the worlds of fashion, travel, entertainment--even medicine. Whether it's vinyl, nylon, Plexiglas or Teflon, plastic is far more than a cheap imitation of the real thing. In Plastic: The Making of a Synthetic Century, Stephen Fenichell entertainingly traces the history of plastic while informatively outlining its sociological importance.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperBusiness (June 11, 1997)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0887308627
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0887308628
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,730,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #130 in Plastics Chemical Engineering
- #4,508 in History of Technology
- #11,738 in Chemistry (Books)

Customer Reviews:
10 ratings

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Spoolman

I sell plastic for a living and I still really liked this book

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2012

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Plastic: The Making of a Synthetic Century was written by Stephen Fenichell in 1996 as a history of the plastics business. It describes the winding path that a wide range of plastics took from the lab to the marketplace. The book is filled with many, many interesting anecdotes about the entrepreneurs who blazed that trail.

The book is organized into 13 chapters arranged, mostly, in chronological order. There is the predictable, "Just one word......Plastics" cliche from The Graduate movie used as a preface. The book begins with a late 20th century scene setting chapter. Mr. Fenichell then rolls the clock back 150 years to explain the commercialization of rubber, which he properly calls "Nature's Plastic".

There are chapters about celluloid, Bakelite, and cellophane with historical vignettes about their respective titans named Eastman, Baekeland and Brandenberger. There is a dramatic account of the tragic life of Wallace Hume Carothers, the inventor of nylon. But my favorite chapter is the one entitled, "Plast-O-Rama" which highlights the ways in which post-war America went bonkers for all things plastic. From Silly Putty and Hula Hoops to Frisbees and Tupperware and Saran Wrap, it's all in this book.

Overall it thought that the Pro's of this book were:
It's a good historical overview of plastic
It's loaded with facts about plastic

And I thought the only Con of this book was:
The history is presented out of chronological order for no apparent reason

This book will be of interest to:

20th century pop historians
polymer chemists
plastic trivia buffs
anyone who makes their living selling or producing plastic
employees or former employees of Dupont, Rohm & Haas, Eastman Kodak, Ford Motor Company and General Electric
industrial designers
material science students
manufacturing entrepreneurs
environmentalists

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alexander Tarnas

A very useful starting point

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2010

This book is an engaging, easy to read modern history of plastic, roughly following the materials and their associated inventors, promoters, uses and abuses and aesthetics from the 1800s to the 1990s. There is a lot of philosophizing on the part of the narrator, but more than enough actual scientific and cultural history to make up for it. There are some black and white photos scattered throughout, and a complete index, but no bibliography, no notes or appendices or timeline of any kind. The book is laid out in chronological order, but dates and places are often only loosely given and skipped around, and no attempt is made to systematically explain the relations between the different kinds of plastic, let alone give chemical formulas or accurate production and manufacturing information. Contrast this with another more concretely informative work in a similar vein... say, "Twinkie, Deconstructed".

One person found this helpful

Helpful

F. R Anscombe

A history tour of material innovations and inventors

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2006

Fenichell is highly readable. He has appreciation for inventors who have developed new materials for the service of society. His book offers a balanced perspective, with engaging anecdotes.

A mild criticism concerns organization. The book is a sequence of anecdotes about different plastics. Why one is mentioned before another is not clearly explained. As a result, the book feels like journalistic stream of conscious in appreciating materials, their purposes and inventors. This is respectful of the subject, but it is a bit hard to put into overall context and see a big picture.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

bee_pipes

An excellent read

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2008

One would expect a history of plastic to be full of dreary minutia, of interest only to professional chemists. You couldn't be more wrong. The author is to be congratulated for taking a topic that could be dull and turning it into a historical account of how these substances have impacted our lives. Don't get me wrong, I am no lover of plastic but there are applications that require materials with the properties found in modern plastics. You just don't realize how crucial these substances are until you read this book.

5 people found this helpful

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Mr. M. Timberlake

Not a textbook, just a darn good read about how these life changing materials began

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2014

Entertaining and informative to an enquiring mind. Very readable and a good starter to anyone curious about how these materials evolved. Chemists, engineers and achademic's who read this book may criticise in the light of their superior knowledge but I found the book provided a level of interest and style of writing that sustained my reading.

One person found this helpful

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J Mason

I have one word for you...

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2000

This is a scholarly, tongue in cheek, thoroughly enjoyable peon to the most despicable of substances. Histories of science and industry could learn much from Mr. Fenichill's pleasing blend of knowledge and humor. This is one of my favorite books.

4 people found this helpful

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Plastic: The Making of a Synthetic Century Paperback – June 11, 1997

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