American Plastic: A Cultural HistoryWinner of the 1996 Dexter Prize from the Society for the History of Technology and a 1996 Choice Outstanding Academic Book "A splendid history of plastic. The book is authoritative, thorough, interdisciplinary, and intriguing. . . [Meikle] traces the course of plastics from 19th-century celluloid and the fist wholly synthetic bakelite, in 1907, through the proliferation of compounds (vinyls, acrylics, polystyrene, nylon, etc.) and recent ecological concerns. . . .Interested readers of whatever predisposition will likely enjoy this comprehensive and thoughtful treatise."--Publishers Weekly "A landmark account. . . . He combines a first-rate technological history with a most impressive cultural analysis of how plastics evolved from a material surrounded by utopian expectations to a material epitomizing inferiority and eventually to a part of everyday life. . . . One of the most significant works ever written in the history of American technology and culture." --Nature "[A] truly outstanding work . . . here is a work of intellectual strength written with great literary style. . . . This significant work is likely to be widely cited in academic circles, defining the field for a generation of readers. Don't let it pass you by! An extraordinary contribution, for all levels of readers."--Choice "This is real interdisciplinary work, roaming in focus, adaptive in method."--Journal of American History "This scholarly and comprehensive work . . . is nontechnical and emphasizes the social and cultural impact of plastics. . . . Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in understanding contemporary society."--Library Journal |
Contents
FROM IMITATION TO INNOVATION | 10 |
DEFINING AN ARTIFICIAL MATERIAL | 31 |
VISION AND REALITY IN THE PLASTIC AGE | 63 |
AN INDUSTRY TAKES SHAPE | 91 |
DOMESTICATING A NEW SYNTHETIC | 125 |
THE CONVERSION TO POSTWAR | 153 |
FROM DURABLE TO DISPOSABLE | 183 |
MATERIAL DOUBTS AND PLASTIC FALLOUT | 242 |
THE CULTURE OF SYNTHESIS | 277 |