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

by Evan Morris and Mary Louise Kelly

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743257979
• ISBN13: 9780743257978
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Touchstone Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

A Fun and Informative Read!

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.

Great book for browsing.

This was an interesting read, though the word 'surprising' in the title seems misplaced. Evan Morris is creator of the award-winning website "The Word Detective" and author of a syndicated newspaper column, and a book, of the same name. As the name suggests, it deals primarily with word origins and etymology. This book is very much in the same vein as "The Word Detective" - workmanlike, reliable, with a certain understated humor. While I respect and enjoy his work, occasionally I find myself wishing that he were a tad less buttoned-down, that he would let his enthusiasm get the better of him a little more often. There's not the flair, the irrational exuberance about words and language, that one finds, say, in the work of someone like Paul McFedries. As a result, Morris's work, though dependably interesting, never quite takes flight in the way that one feels it should. To be fair, given that etymology is an area particularly susceptible to urban legends, many readers may consider Morris's matter-of-fact approach to be a virtue.

Fun, easy reading, enjoyable

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.

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

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.