From levers to lasers, from cameras to computers, this volume is a remarkable overview of the machines and inventions that shape our lives, amusing...
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reviews
Nov 03, 2011
Will
rated it: 
I liked it...
...but not as much as I had hoped.
You see, I DO have a genuine interest in learning "How Things Work", and while this book was a noble attempt to present the answers in an entertaining way, it often didn't accomplish its fundamental goal for me. In other words, the explanations often didn't succeed in teaching me how the item in question actually worked.
This is partly due to space limitations, i.e., each concept having to be presented basical More...
...but not as much as I had hoped.
You see, I DO have a genuine interest in learning "How Things Work", and while this book was a noble attempt to present the answers in an entertaining way, it often didn't accomplish its fundamental goal for me. In other words, the explanations often didn't succeed in teaching me how the item in question actually worked.
This is partly due to space limitations, i.e., each concept having to be presented basical More...
Dec 21, 2011
Mary
rated it:
I just read about the inclined plane and how it relates to locks and keys, can openers, zippers, and cutting machines. I better understand how these things work, but this book written for kids (a reviewer said he "poured over it when I was 10 years old") is mind-bending for me. After a page or two my brain starts to hurt. My son and I have some good laughs over the antics of the woolly mammoths that the artist includes in the illustrations. The illustration of a giant zipper was als
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Aug 14, 2010
Brian
rated it: 
I remember reading this in grade school. The author required exactly two pages full of woolly mammoth cartoons to teach me how a CD player works. I later explained the technology to my dad. I still remember the amazing feeling of realizing that a CD player is not magic. This book inspired my love of taking things apart and understanding what goes on inside expensive boxes.
Feb 09, 2009
Mckay
rated it: 
the mammoths in this book are very funny. this appears to be a engineering textbook,(it probably is,) but IF it is, than it's a heckuva lot better then the stuff they feed us in science textbooks these days... don't read it till your OUT of stuff to read or you'll think this is actually a novel (trust me, on this one, it's not)
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Jul 28, 2010
Tylernickl
rated it:
I think I will always be kind of nostalgic for this book, since I could hardly put it down as a curious ten year old. I found it again recently and thought I'd thumb through it only to get sucked into Macaulay's humor and intelligence again. I still marvel at the innovations and physics that Macaulay makes so accessible.
Jan 30, 2011
Robert
rated it:
This is another book from my parents. This was a huge book when it came out. I found that my students enjoy looking through this, particularly the boys.
The diagrams are awesome. In the days before the Internet, this was a really awesome book.
The diagrams are awesome. In the days before the Internet, this was a really awesome book.
Apr 01, 2011
Oh my goodness! Is this the book I think it is? My siblings and I used to love looking at this book when we were kiddos. I remember when Dad would get it out and we all sit/stand/lean on or around him and enjoy this book together.
Dec 26, 2009
Elizabeth S
rated it:
I've read many sections of this book many times, but this is my first read-through from beginning to end. Amazing. At times I thought it was skipping important issues, and at other times I wished it explained some basic things better. Then I realized that this was more a revelation of my background in Physics rather than Engineering. I really gained an appreciation for what Engineers do when they take a physical theory and turn it into something practical and useful.
I love the u More...
I love the u More...
Jul 22, 2010
Brian
rated it:
This was a book explaining physics and chemistry on a level that I can understand. I loved learning about the inclined plane, gears, locks and keys, zippers, escalators and elevators, and other random things. Very interesting.
Jun 19, 2010
Larry
rated it:
The first book I remember reading. The Da Vinci-style illustrations, clear and concise explanations and the mixture of the real mechanisms with comical details is probably what guided my childhood more than anything else.
Jan 17, 2011
1-17-11
I am about two thirds through this book. I find this book very interesting. I predict that they will tell us about solar wind power.
P.S. I really like the mammoth jokes! Check it out!
I am about two thirds through this book. I find this book very interesting. I predict that they will tell us about solar wind power.
P.S. I really like the mammoth jokes! Check it out!
Jan 06, 2009
Tony
rated it:
There aren't many other books I can recall that did such a good job explaining the underlying principals of so many of the devices that we take for granted. A book for everyone.
Sep 07, 2009
Joe
rated it:
Excellent; all manner of items are explained in one or two page bites, buiding on one another to explain various principles and tools
Feb 22, 2009
Eve
rated it:
I learned a lot in the beginning, with the mechanical devices. I didn't really follow the electrical/computer stuff, and throughout I thought that he put too much emphasis on automobiles. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. The drawings are funny and sweet.
Jun 02, 2010
Richard
rated it:
Me and brockli's favorite part was the toilet. Our toilet was broken and so we learned how 2 fix it. After it was fixed.
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Apr 15, 2010
Mike
rated it:
A wonderful book for a grade school-er or that non technical person. It gives a good overview of ... well ... the way things work
Aug 03, 2011
Ben
rated it:
I read this book a dozen times or more when I was young. An excellent read for anyone interested in machines.
Aug 20, 2009
Jonathanstray
rated it:
OMG classic! Read every damn page! Mine is inscribed:
"To Jonathan
Happy Birthday
ML
Leonora"
"To Jonathan
Happy Birthday
ML
Leonora"
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Dec 16, 2011
Janin
rated it:
Reading this was accompanied with a whole lot of, "I didn't know that!" and "That's cool!"
Sep 26, 2009
Regan
rated it:
Have you ever wondered how something worked like how a elevator goes up and down or how a jetengine helps a plane fly? Then these book will show you how they work
