What are bulletproof vests made of? How do manufacturers get lipstick into the tube? And how many layers are there in an iPhone screen? Here Andrew Teranova presents a behind-the-scenes look at the production of everyday objects of all kinds, from guitars, sunscreen, and seismographs to running shoes, jet engines, and chocolate. Complemented by illustrations, diagrams, and sidebars, here are discussions of the seed that inspired the design of the helicopter, the gum wrapper that contained the first-ever bar code, and who really invented the light bulb (it wasn't Thomas Edison).