Brilliantly Bad

A miscellany of actual patents for wonderfully bizarre inventions, “Brilliantly Bad” is a salute to what the human mind can achieve — even if it probably shouldn't. This collection of the strangest ideas ever patented, ranging from the bizarre and baffling to the *oh so close* to genius, is a true celebration of human ingenuity in all its (occasionally) pointless glory. INVENTIONS INCLUDE: • A coat that doubles as a urinal • A musical condom • An automated pet petter • Face-lifting earrings • A weight-lifting device for the penis • A truly hilarious gift book, appealing to the large (often unserved) demographic that enjoyed books like What If? (258k TCM), Bad Science (349k) and How To (31k). • We have a never-ending love of new inventions, from the continued success of shows like Dragons Den to social media accounts highlighting the fun side of inventing, like Simone Giertz and Inventor 101, who have subscribers in the millions. • Because of the sheer quantity of patents — the archive is tens of millions strong! — these have never seen the light of day since they were filed and have never before been published.