meli65's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a little dated (written in the early 80s) but still has tons of interesting information. The premise is that although household technology keeps improving, women still spend the same amount of time doing housework -- why is that?
Since this book predates Amazon there is no way for her to know that things have come full circle. I hadn't realized that housewives of old had practically everything they needed delivered to them. With the development of the automobile, so too did mother's job change to driving around to stores and running errands all day. With that lens, the rise of home delivery again is a wonderful thing, especially for new mothers with babies and toddlers at home.
It was also fascinating to read about the different lives led by the "comfortable" and the rest of us over the last 100 or so years. For example, she points out how tenements had no kitchen storage and just one table that served all needs (homework, piecework, meal preparation, and eating) so that "good manners" of place settings and such were really only for the well-to-do.
It's great stuff, and essential reading for any mother struggling with why there are still so few hours in a day.
Since this book predates Amazon there is no way for her to know that things have come full circle. I hadn't realized that housewives of old had practically everything they needed delivered to them. With the development of the automobile, so too did mother's job change to driving around to stores and running errands all day. With that lens, the rise of home delivery again is a wonderful thing, especially for new mothers with babies and toddlers at home.
It was also fascinating to read about the different lives led by the "comfortable" and the rest of us over the last 100 or so years. For example, she points out how tenements had no kitchen storage and just one table that served all needs (homework, piecework, meal preparation, and eating) so that "good manners" of place settings and such were really only for the well-to-do.
It's great stuff, and essential reading for any mother struggling with why there are still so few hours in a day.
dimon's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting read about a side of the industrial revolution that you don’t normally think of. Interesting enough that it kept me reading and coming back for more but some chapters were extremely boring and could’ve been skipped or shortened.
Learning the history of household technology was interesting but I am disappointed with the conclusion of the book which was to me, vague and unsatisfactory. I would, however, like to read other books that would continue with the subject.
Learning the history of household technology was interesting but I am disappointed with the conclusion of the book which was to me, vague and unsatisfactory. I would, however, like to read other books that would continue with the subject.
meli65's review
5.0
This book is a little dated (written in the early 80s) but still has tons of interesting information. The premise is that although household technology keeps improving, women still spend the same amount of time doing housework -- why is that?
Since this book predates Amazon there is no way for her to know that things have come full circle. I hadn't realized that housewives of old had practically everything they needed delivered to them. With the development of the automobile, so too did mother's job change to driving around to stores and running errands all day. With that lens, the rise of home delivery again is a wonderful thing, especially for new mothers with babies and toddlers at home.
It was also fascinating to read about the different lives led by the "comfortable" and the rest of us over the last 100 or so years. For example, she points out how tenements had no kitchen storage and just one table that served all needs (homework, piecework, meal preparation, and eating) so that "good manners" of place settings and such were really only for the well-to-do.
It's great stuff, and essential reading for any mother struggling with why there are still so few hours in a day.
Since this book predates Amazon there is no way for her to know that things have come full circle. I hadn't realized that housewives of old had practically everything they needed delivered to them. With the development of the automobile, so too did mother's job change to driving around to stores and running errands all day. With that lens, the rise of home delivery again is a wonderful thing, especially for new mothers with babies and toddlers at home.
It was also fascinating to read about the different lives led by the "comfortable" and the rest of us over the last 100 or so years. For example, she points out how tenements had no kitchen storage and just one table that served all needs (homework, piecework, meal preparation, and eating) so that "good manners" of place settings and such were really only for the well-to-do.
It's great stuff, and essential reading for any mother struggling with why there are still so few hours in a day.
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