Hungry Minds publishing

The Black Book. The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Inventions

The Black Book. The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Inventions - Main image
$89.25 $119 In stock

A hand-illustrated book, co-created with Noah Charney, dedicated to inventions that never became part of everyday life. Some arrived before the world was ready for them, and others simply lacked the context, support, or funding needed to succeed.

Rather than viewing these ideas as failures, the book reconsiders them as fully realized alternative paths of human ingenuity. Through original illustrations and carefully researched stories, it brings forgotten concepts back into focus, showing the creativity, ambition, and vision behind each one.

Customer Reviews (5.0 / 5 · 5 reviews)

Emma X. ★★★★★

The hand-illustrated pages make each failed invention feel like a museum exhibit you can hold. I found myself down a rabbit hole reading about ideas that were simply too early for their time, and it’s the kind of book you’ll keep coming back to.

Kevin ★★★★★

I'm a sucker for the stories behind failed inventions, and this one nails it—the section on creations that showed up too early really made me rethink what "ahead of its time" means. Co-authored with Noah Charney, the research feels deep without ever getting dry. Each weird device left me wanting to

Lucy G. ★★★★★

The hand-illustrated pages make each weird invention feel personal, like flipping through a friend's sketchbook. I got it for my coffee table and keep catching myself reading just one more entry.