I really enjoyed this little book. It is primarily aimed at 7 to 12 year olds and, I am sure, would appeal immensely to many of them. And not just to children. There is a wonderful blend of the serendipity of scientific discovery, the shock value of some inventions, and some intriguing facts.
Consider, for example, the following narrative about the use of gears: ’What they do: Gears come in many sizes but they all pass on movement energy using their teeth. Where else found: Inventions such as car gears, clocks, corkscrews and tin openers – anywhere where a force needs to move a wheel. Oddly enough, modern tin openers weren’t invented until 1920 – that’s over one hundred years after tinned food. Before then people had to open tins with a hammer, and US Civil War soldiers shot them open with guns.’
My son, at the relevant age, would have loved this book. The cartoon drawings that accompany the text are both fun and informative.