TO LEARN MORE

ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Accidents May Happen: 50 Inventions Discovered by Mistake
by Charlotte Foltz Jones, John O'Brien (Illustrator) / Hardcover - 86 pages (1996) / Delacorte
Fifty inventions discovered by mistake serious subjects which will delight and entertain kids.
Brainstorm!: The Stories of Twenty American Kid Inventors
by Tom Tucker, Richard Loehle / Hardcover - 148 pages (1996) / Farrar Straus & Giroux
The stories of young Americans who have filed patents with the United States Patent Office.
The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars
by Joël Glenn Brenner / Paperback: 384 pages / Broadway; 1st Broadw edition (January 4, 2000)
The chocolate wars between industry giants Hershey and Mars are anything but sweet. In The Emperors of Chocolate, Joel Glenn Brenner reveals the bitter legal and marketing fights, palace intrigue, and personality clashes that dominate Hershey and Mars--and the candy industry.
The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World
by John Robbins, Dean Ornish MD / Paperback: 340 pages Conari Press; (July 11, 2001)
Robbins, heir to the Baskin-Robbins ice-cream empire (he rejected it to live according to his values), takes on fad diets, the meat industry, food irradiation, hormone and antibiotic use in animals, cruel animal husbandry practices, the economics of meat consumption, biotechnology and the prevalence of salmonella and E. Coli.
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
by Catherine Thimmesh, Melissa Sweet (ill.) / Hardcover - 64 pages (2000) / Houghton Mifflin
A dozen women are profiled in this collection of short, anecdotal biographies demonstrating that necessity, ingenuity, and luck all play a part in successful inventions. The final section tells girls how to patent their inventions, and an informed bibliography.
The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories About Inventions
by Don L. Wulffson / Paperback - 128 pages (1999) / Puffin
Brief factual stories about how various familiar things were invented, many by accident, from animal crackers to the zipper.
Mistakes That Worked
by Charlotte Foltz Jones, John O'Brien (Illustrator) / Paperback - 48 pages (1994) / Doubleday
Recounting the fascinating stories behind the accidental inventions of forty familiar objects and products.
Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
by Charles Panati / Paperback - 480 pages Reissue edition (September 1989) / HarperCollins
Discover the fascinating stories behind the origins of over 500 everyday items, expressions and customs.
The True History of Chocolate
by Sophie D. Coe, Michael D. Coe / Paperback: 280 pages / Thames & Hudson; (October 2000)
The authors, both anthropologists with a culinary bent, delve deeply into the history of their mouth-watering subject. The material on ancient cultures is particularly fascinating--did you know that the Maya used unsweetened liquid chocolate as currency?

ON THE SCREEN:

American Eats: History On A Bun DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / History Channel / 71153 / Less than $30.00 From pizza to the hoagie (or grinder or hero) some of the most characteristically American foods have their origins abroad. But others are strictly homegrown, the product of fads, trends or good, old-fashioned screw-ups that turn out well in the end .Food and Drink: More American Eats DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / History Channel / 71214 / Less than $30.00 MORE AMERICAN EATS serves up a second helping of Americana, continuing the story that got off to such a delicious start with AMERICAN EATS. From Hershey bars to breakfast cereals, Jell-O to Spam, it's a smorgasbord of fascinating tales. Candy DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 75814 / Less than $25.00 Americans eat 7 billion tons of candy, and it all has to come from somewhere. In Hershey, Pennsylvania, see how the cocoa bean is processed at the candy giant's latest plant. The traditions of the past remain plain at Schimpff's Confectionary, where they still use small kettles, natural flavors, and hand-operated equipment. Jelly beans, saltwater taffy and licorice are also on the menu, as well as exotic creations like scorpion on a stick! Chocolate DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76499 / Less than $25.00 Enjoyed as a drink by the Mayans and Aztecs, chocolate was introduced to sugar by the Europeans. The story in America starts with Milton Hershey, whose gospel was spread by American GIs in WWII, when the chocolate bar became internationally recognized as a symbol of the country. Cookies DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76488 / Less than $25.00 In the 1930s, the nation made its greatest contribution to cookie culture with the masterpiece known as chocolate chip, but we also invented the peanut butter cookie and, perhaps surprisingly, the fortune cookie. From plates left out for Santa to the Keebler elves and beyond, join us for a sweet hour as we get out our rolling pins for the history of cookies. Ice Cream DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76303 / Less than $25.00 Few treats are as popular or American; immigrants arriving at Ellis Island were once served ice cream as part of their first meal. And it was immigrants which helped popularize this oh-so-American treat--Italian pushcart vendors in New York introduced "Penny Licks" at the turn of the century, and we've been screaming for ice cream ever since. Salty Snacks DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76318 / Less than $25.00 It's official--the American diet is a disaster. But it is also undeniably tasty, and increasingly snack-centric. We consume over 4.3 billion pounds of snack food a year which means the snack is on the verge of becoming America's favorite meal! Soda DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76311 / Less than $25.00 From sugar, water and carbon dioxide has come a $25 billion a year industry that provides some 15 billion gallons of soda a year in a kaleidoscope of flavors--including turkey-and-gravy (for Thanksgiving, of course). Inspired by miracle mineral waters, advanced by small town pharmacists, the story of soft drinks is the story of American ingenuity and competitionn. Saackfood Tech DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 74171 / Less than $25.00 It's a world of creamy fillings, frosted tops and salty morsels. It's a multi-billion dollar industry where recipes are closely guarded secrets. It's an American obsession. See what happens before M&Ms get to "melt in your mouth" at Masterfoods USA, the world's largest candy manufacturer. At each stop, we'll meet the men and women who keep these tasty treats coming and the formulators who are working to create the next snack sensation.

ON THE WEB:
CandyStand
Official Life Savers Candy Site.
(URL: www.candystand.com)
Food Site of the Day
From Hunters and Gatherers to gourmet e-commerce, we are all on a wonderful adventure as we learn and taste new foods and new food combinations. Over 750 food links.
(URL: www.foodsiteoftheday.com/)
Candy USA
Estimated Year 2000 Retail Sales - Total - $23.8 Billion; Chocolate - $13 Billion; Non-chocolate - $7.5;  Billion and Gum - $2 Billion. from the National Confectioners Association * Chocolate Manufacturers Association.
(URL: www.candyusa.org)
CerealCity USA
Kellogg's Cereal City USA™  is a themed family attraction celebrating the cereal industry  in an educational, historical and, most importantly, entertaining manner. As a guest you can even purchase your very own Kellogg’s Corn Flakes® box with your picture on it. Say cheese!!
(URL: www.kelloggscerealcityusa.org/)
FritoLay
The snack food giant's Web site has lots of information, including history of the company.
(URL: www.fritolay.com)
International Dairy Food Association
The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. This according to the International Dairy Foods Association.
(URL: www.idfa.org/facts/icmonth/page8.htm)
Jell-0 Museum
There's Always Room for Jell-O.
(URL: www.jellomuseum.com/)
National Association of Chewing Gum Manufacturers
You will find everything there is to know about gum. So, come on in ... browse around and enjoy the world of gum.
(URL: www.nacgm.org/)
THE SNACK FOOD ASSOCIATION
The SFA is an international association representing more than 800 company members, including snack manufacturers and suppliers to the snack industry.
(URL: www.sfa.org)
Stupid Candy Museum
Check out the Richard Nixon Bubble Gum, Ant Hill Gum and Snot candy.
(URL: www.stupid.com/museum.htm)
Wheaties Top 10
The top ten Wheaties champions of all-time as selected by consumers. Wheaties is releasing a commemorative package series honoring each of these ten favorite Champions.
(URL: www.wheaties.com/at/top_10.asp)