When Honoré Greenwood sits down to tell his tale, people listen. Friend of such stalwarts of the West as Kit Carson, Thomas Fitzpatrick, John Hatcher, and the Brent brothers, Charles and William, Honoré, at ninety-nine, has lived the life that has become the dime novel. As a young schoolboy, Jean Guy was considered a genius. The only thing distracting him from his love of books was his love for a kitchen maid, Nicole. When Nicole is raped...

In these pages, the beloved Bill Bryson gives us a fascinating history of the modern home, taking us on a room-by-room tour through his own house and using each room to explore the vast history of the domestic artifacts we take for granted. As he takes us through the history of our modern comforts, Bryson demonstrates that whatever happens in the world eventually ends up in our home, in the paint, the pipes, the pillows, and every item of furniture....