You find yourself half way between Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro; about as far from Mexico City as from Moscow.

Albert Einstein waits to the left, ready to explain his theory of relativity. A short distance to your right James Watt hopes to recount his development of the steam engine to you. John Steinbeck and Isaac Bashevis Singer crouch over you, vying for your attention.

Your surroundings are conventional and functional. One aspect stands out: A piece of furniture - represented in 2 or 3 specimens in the typical home - recurs here hundreds of times.

What are the two common names for this item of furniture?

In conformity with the foregoing, and in light of the time period corresponding to the birth and the demise of each, it is observed that there are absolutely no avenue whereby James Watt will be able to share the same room with the other three celebrities. as mentioned in the puzzle. Consequently, our initial supposition is erroneous.

Accordingly, the four celebritiesmust be adorning the room in a figurative sense. This immediately calls to one's mind the books authored by each of the celebrities sharing the same room. Now, we know that the books of such importance are together avalilable in a book case or bookshelf.
However, we note the term "card" inclusive of the problem title, which immedately brings to one's mind a library card.

Accordingly, the item of furniture referred to in the riddle is a bookcase (or a bookshelf) in a library, and consequently the two common names for this item of furniture are: bookshelf and bookcase.