Born in the USA

Celebrate the spirit of invention with this compendium of American creationsfrom bubble wrap to kidney transplantsand the people who thought them up. From Monopoly to putting men on the Moon, from air conditioning to the Internet, America has been at the forefront of the main advances of the human race for the last two centuries. The same country that developed the heart pacemaker and email, also gave us the ';Denver Boot' (wheel clamps) and Chinese fortune cookies. Some of these items are the brainchildren of everyday people with extraordinary ideas. Others have come from the efforts of surprising inventors such as George Washington, Jamie Lee Curtis, Abraham Lincoln, Lee Trevino, Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando, and Steve McQueen. The United States has given birth to more new products, devices, medicines, leisure pursuits, sports, religions, music, and vehicles than any other country, ancient or modern. In Born in the USA, you'll learn about some of the most interesting products Americans have dreamed up, from everyday items to life-saving gadgets and everything in between.