Anthropologist George Dorsey said, “Play is the beginning of knowledge.” Armchair Reader: The Origins of Everything takes this dictum seriously, digging into the origins of hundreds of things—people, places, concepts, names—even stuff that doesn’t exist except in the imagination.

Some examples:

• Kitty litter, and how its invention turned cats from outdoor pets into indoor members of the family
• The fork, which has suffered through many eras when it was considered low-class (reminiscent of a pitchfork used to feed a horse) or too diabolical (the devil’s instrument)
• The knuckleball, hotpants, FM radio, and Spam
• “Origins” in the broader sense, like a long list of real names of the rich and famous
• Mother’s Day, and why its inventor lobbied against its celebration
• A breakfast cereal that was invented with the aim of inhibiting sexual desire

Armchair Reader: The Origins of Everything contains more than 500 pages of carefully researched, eminently readable mini-essays that range from “The Secret Origin of Comic Books” to “America’s First Skyscraper.” It’s an entertaining and informative addition to the wildly popular Armchair Reader series.