At Home: A Short History of Private Life - Bill Bryson

If you enjoy Bill Bryson’s travel books, there’s plenty to enjoy in At Home: a Short History of Private Life. Doubleday, 2010. Call Number: 909 BRY

Bryson, discovering a small door leading nowhere, on the roof of his own home, a former Church of England rectory, built in 1851, looks at the fascinating history of his house and the contents, room by room. He examines everyday things, glass windows, salt and pepper, ice, mouse traps, indoor plumbing, and upholstered furniture. This is the extraordinary story of how everyday life at home evolved, relationships between people and the space they occupy, their possessions, how far we have come and how we got here. Bryson’s wry humor leads us from flammable hoop skirts, and very unsanitary kitchens, to cookbooks, house servants, and regular mealtimes.