For anyone who ever wanted to know the history of the chocolate chip cookie, earmuffs, and Daylight Savings…

Firsts—history through the milestones of human achievement—are fun. And Wilson Casey, trivia expert, has collected over 500 firsts in nearly every major category of culture: from fashion to food, politics to science, entertainment to art to architec­ture. Each “first” is a full explanation of the topic at hand, written in a humorous yet authoritative style. It includes:

•The true history of the golf tee

•How a blind man came up with cruise control

•The myth behind the origins of the Caesar salad

•Why and how the first dieter dieted