The Meaning of Lost and Mismatched Socks

Is there anything more mysterious—and frustrating—than the disappearance of a sock? Investigating this common phenomenon from a quasi-scientific perspective, Dr. Perditus Pedale postulates a number of explanations, with many theoretical, historical, and contemporary asides. Though written in jest, the book addresses a conundrum that genuinely puzzles many. Included are interviews with passersby, comments from other authorities, and delightful illustrations—all created by Dr. Pedale, the domestic naturalist.

Dr. Perditus Pedale, author of The Meaning of Lost and Mismatched Socks, was born in 1950, in Sognefjorden, Norway, to American parents, both anthropologists. He has been for years a self-described “Domestic Naturalist.” A pathfinding explorer and observer of what he terms the Familiarosphere, the realm of “Household Taxonomy,” he has single-mindedly devoted most of his scientific career to the examination of the hidden interactions between people and the features of their immediate environment.