Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

Hi All,

Welcome to a beautiful sunny, later spring day. Let's hope it lasts, and last, and lasts....we definitely could use this kind of weather.

I was in the stacks the other day helping a patron with a reference question and I came upon a really interesting book. And while we have only one copy, I'm going to give you the card catalog link to the book so that you can inter-library loan the book if you wanted to. In addition, I'm going to find and discuss a few sites that have the same topic as the book I'm recommending.

Did you like that introduction? Did it make you want to read further and did it stir your interest? I hope so! Drumroll please!

The title of the book is 'Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things'. The subtitle of the books gives the reader a taste of the variety of topics covered -which includes: vinegar, salt, toothpaste, coffee grounds, string, pantyhose, mayonnaise, balloons, clothespins, aspirin, and more than 200 other common household items. Very cool!

Click here for the link to the library card catalog for the book. (You will also see all the other libraries that own the book. Click here for a link to the other libraries in Nassau County.)

If you look at the entry in the card catalog, you'll notice that one of the subject headings that the book includes is 'Home Economics'. Click here for a further link to book on that subject that are in the Farmingdale Public Library.

With all that out of the way, why is the book 'Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things' so interesting to my readers?

First, the book is darn well organized. At the very beginning of the book is a list of Top XX Most Useful Items For XXX (fill in the XXX with house or cook, or health and beauty or cleaning or garden etc....)

Next the book has a Complete A-Z Guide using various products like balloons, bleach, clipboards, duct tape, keys, milk, pots and pans, shampoo and much, much more. Essentially this is a product list that refers you to specific pages in the book where you will find various uses for the specific product. Very cool.

Also, the back of the book has a more traditional alphabetical index - which is very, very helpful!

So, now that you are all going to come running in to the library to check the book out, I want to list a few websites that do something similar to the book. Click here for a link to DIYHappy and an article entitled '101 Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things'

From a website called How2HomeStage.com comes this link which has pictures of common household products and a list under each product that discusses the use of the product. Pretty cool stuff!

Finally, click here for a link to a sequel to the book - which is called 'More Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things'. The link is from ecookbooks.com....

Enjoy and I hope you use your ordinary home and kitchen products even more effectively now!

Regards,
Stu

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