The history of the toothpick dates to prehistoric man, 1.8 million years ago. It is our oldest tool with continuous use over the millennia. It began as a simple natural object and evolved into an object of art, craft, innovation, and novelty. It is NOT what you expect, and you WILL be surprised at what you see. The book documents a collection of more than 1,500 toothpicks and compendiums that include toothpicks showing over 2,800 images, demonstrating the vast diversity in style, complexity, and creativity as an art form for such a historically utilitarian instrument. The collection spans classical antiquity to the late Victorian era. It is likely the largest collection of toothpicks that currently exists. Buona lettura!