Did you know . . . In the 1850s and 1860s, many Americans installed indoor plumbing in their houses --but they did so decades before centralized piped water became standard in the United States. Thomas Crapper did not invent the flush toilet. Instead, he was just one of dozens of late nineteenth century inventors working in the United States and Europe who tinkered with designs and patented various forms of what we now know as the conventional flush toilet.

Synopsis: Here's the straight poop on the history of the technology we'd hate to live without. This is the first history of American household plumbing, and covers the crucial developmental period from 1840-1890. If it "sounds" different than the beer and Key West books, that’s because it’s a byproduct of my days as a university professor. It started life as my dissertation, and then expanded into my “tenure” book. But have no fear: I aimed the book at undergraduate readers. You don't need a plumber's license or a Ph.D. to read it.

Praise for All the Modern Conveniences “ . . . well-written, informative, and illuminating . . .” — Journal of American Studies “ . . . an intelligent, entertaining guide . . .” — Winterthur Portfolio “ . . . a well-crafted work in the cultural history of the United States.” — The New England Quarterly “ . . . well-researched, thoughtfully conceived, and engagingly written . . .an exemplary work . . .” — American Historical Review