Why Didn't I Think of That?

Ben & Jerry originally wanted to start a bagel business, but they couldn't afford the bagel-making machine? * The Slinky(r) toy was born aboard a World War II battleship? * Band-Aids(r) were invented by a husband to help his accident-prone wife dress her own cuts and bruises at home? * The idea for Velcro(r) came from cockleburs that got stuck on an engineer's wool trousers and in his dog's fur? Ever wonder how anyone came up with the idea for a product you couldn't imagine living without? Familiar products like Velcro(r) ,disposable diapers, Post-It Notes(r) ,and coffee filters. Read this book and you'll discover - once more - that truth is indeed often stranger than fiction. You'll also see that coming up with a million-dollar idea isn't as difficult as you think. This collection of entrepreneurs ranges from housewives to PhDs. Filled with wacky and fascinating facts, awe-inspiring success statistics, and rags-to-riches stories, Why Didn't I Think of That? chronicles the odd origins behind 50 famous inventions and reveals the business side of each product's actual production, marketing, and distribution. You'll discover how inventors from all walks of life struck it rich with unlikely contraptions that range from the practical (like Tampax(r) and Tupperware(r) ) to the curiously inane (like the Barbie(r) doll and Silly Putty(r) ). Inspirational, detailed, and always quirky, this delightful book captures all of the drama and colorful history of products like Heinz(r) ketchup, The Club(r) , Jell-O(r) ,Hallmark(r) cards, Trojan(r) condoms, Vaseline(r) , Rollerblades(r) , Kitty Litter(r) , the Swiss Army(r) Knife, Bic(r) pens, Dirt Devil(r) , Pampers(r) , S.O.S(r) pads, and many more.

Introduction ix 1 Grounds For Success 1 Melitta, Inc 2 World on a String 5 Duncan Yo-Yo 3 Party Time! 10 Tupperware 4 Nature’s Purifier 16 Ex-Lax 5 Male-Bonding 20 Elmer’s All-Purpose Glue 6 $afe $ex 25 Trojan Condoms 7 Big Red 31 Heinz Ketchup 8 Make No Mistake 36 Liquid Paper 9 Tabby Toilet 41 Kitty Litter 10 A Peaceful Period 46 Tampax 11 The Wright Stuff 51 Silly Putty 12 Medical Coverage 56 Band-Aid 13 In the Cards 60 Hallmark, Inc. 14 Indoor Ski Sensation 65 Nordictrack 15 Thou Shalt Not Steal 70 The Club 16 The Cutting Edge 74 Cuisinart, Inc. 17 Wonder Jelly 78 Vaseline 18 Silence Is Golden 83 Midas 19 Mini Master Builders 87 Lego 20 Let the Games Begin 91 Trivial Pursuit 21 In-Jean-ious 95 Levi Strauss & Company 22 Get a Grip 99 Velcro 23 Wheels of Fortune 104 Rollerblades, Inc. 24 Clean Sweep 109 The Dirt Devil 25 Billion Dollar Dolly 113 Barbie 26 Lovin’ Spoonful 117 Jell-O 27 Pen Pal 122 Bic 28 The Color of Money 126 Clairol 29 Some Like it Hot 131 Tabasco Sauce 30 Spring Fever 136 Slinky 31 Running Hot and Cold 141 Thermos 32 Little Vittles 146 Gerber 33 Stock Stuffer 151 L’Eggs 34 In the Chips 156 Frito Lay 35 Bottoms Up 162 Pampers 36 Easy Listening 167 Beltone 37 Pads of Glory 172 S.O.S. 38 The Yellow Pages 176 Post-It-Notes 39 Little Dipper 180 Dixie Cups 40 House of Wax 185 Crayola 41 The Candy Man 190 Tootsie Roll 42 A Stitch in Time 194 Singer Sewing Machine 43 Home Cooking 199 Boston Market 44 Current Success 203 Jacuzzi 45 The Chairmen 207 La-Z-Boy 46 Morning Star 211 Kellogg’s Corn Flakes 47 Slice of Life 216 Swiss Army Knife 48 Hill of Beans 220 Starbucks 49 The Bill Chill 225 Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream 50 Pocket Book 231 Filofax Acknowledgments 235 Bibliography 237 Index 239