Zipper: An Exploration in Novelty by Robert FriedelCall Number: 609 F899z
It is difficult to imagine modern life without the zipper, yet in the years following its patenting, it represented no real advantage over predecessors like hook-and-eye fasteners and buttons. It was mechanically awkward, liable to rust and fail, and so expensive that it doubled the retail price of garments. "Zipper" charts the strange twists, paradoxes, and interesting characters in the history of this signature gadget of the twentieth century.