“Condense soup, not books”
“Condense soup, not books” is a slogan that has been used on gift items such as T-shirts and bumper stickers. John T. Dorrance (1873-1930) of the Campbell’s Soup Company invented condensed soup in 1897. Condensed books were popularized by Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, starting from 1935.
“Condense soup, not books” has been cited in print since at least 1974, when it was included in the book Encyclopedia of Graffiti.
Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
con·den·sa·tion noun \ˌkän-ˌden-ˈsā-shən, -dən-\
Definition of CONDENSATION
1: the act or process of condensing: as
a : a chemical reaction involving union between molecules often with elimination of a simple molecule (as water) to form a new more complex compound of often greater molecular weight
b : the conversion of a substance (as water) from the vapor state to a denser liquid or solid state usually initiated by a reduction in temperature of the vapor
c : compression of a written or spoken work into more concise form
2: the quality or state of being condensed
3: a product of condensing
Wikipedia: John Thompson Dorrance
John Thompson Dorrance (November 11, 1873 – September 21, 1930) was an American chemist and soup businessman.
Biography
Born in Bristol, Pennsylvania, he earned a Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Göttingen University in Germany. A nephew of the general manager of the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company, he went to work there in 1897 and invented condensed soup.
Dorrance went on to become the president of Campbell Soup Company from 1914 to 1930, eventually buying out the Campbell family. He turned the business into one of America’s great, and longest-lasting, brands.
CafePress
If you’re a bibliophile and you know it buy this shirt, or if you love one, or even kind of like one. This shirt demands that publishers “Condense soup, not books!”
OCLC WorldCat record
The best fifty books of the greatest authors condensed for busy people : comprising the most famous works in all literature, with portraits and biographies of the great writers of all ages
Author: Benjamin Rush Davenport
Publisher: Buffalo, N.Y. : Matthews-Northrup Co., 1895.
Edition/Format: Book : English
OCLC WorldCat record
Reader’s digest condensed books
Publisher: New York : Reader’S Digest Assn., 1935.
Edition/Format: Book : English
Google Books
Encyclopedia of Graffiti
By Robert George Reisner and Lorraine Wechsler
New York, NY: Macmillan
1974
Pg. 31:
Condense soup, not books
Amazon.co.uk: Clothing
Condense soup, not books. - Funny Printed T-Shirt [BLK4184]
Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 15 Sep 2011