When  I was very young I remember seeing a reproduction of the famous equestrian painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps by Jacques Louis David in a freebie book that showed up in the mail one day.   The publisher--very likely Time Life--hoped to tempt you to subscribe to the whole series.  But in a family like ours, the book was just another way to ease the boredom until something else dropped through the slot in the door, like an individual portion of Captain Crunch, which showed up when the Posties were on strike.  The box advertised that Captain Crunch "stays crunchy, even in milk" and featured a perforated front, which open like barn doors to allow you to eat right out of the box.  Skip the Dishes is not a new concept in the history of marketing. I don't know who delivered the prize package--only remember waiting for decision as to whether I would get it, or it would go to one of my other two brothers.  There were competing claims regarding who go...