Build With Beakman: Electronic Intercom

by Luann Colombo, Peter Georgeson (Illustrator)

This is a far cry from any two-cans-and-a-string intercom. That's because the brilliant Beakman is at the helm With the Electronic Intercom, America's most innovative scientist explains all about sound and electricity as he instructs kids in making a real working intercom.

20 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

["Teary Eyes" Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The full name of this book is; "Beakman's World: Build With Beakman: Electronic Intercom". The book is written by Luann Colombo writing as if Beakman is addressing the reader directly. The front cover shows one illustrator Peter Georges, however on the copyright page Sylvia Shapiro is also credited as illustrator, the the art being based an episode of "Beakman's World. Along with the text it has images of the actors and penguin puppets with speech balloons, of helpful information. Pages 3-5 give a brief explanation of electricity and electrical wires. Pages 6-10 tell what is in the 'kit' box that the book was originally packaged with and how to assemble the intercom (tape only is not included, but not actually required to make them work). It them tells what a electrical circuit is, how to use the intercom. Then gives a few radio style catch phrases to use while talking on the intercom. A list of words that can be used for letters, if certain words need to be spelled out to make their meaning clear. A quick explanation of how the speakers accept and release the audio that passes through them and how it is transferred into electricity without batteries. There is a a explanation of 'Transducers', and it then it compares how the intercom is like a telephone. The last page of the book is about how a person hears, with a diagram of the ear to brain, with explanation as to what happens at the various stages.

The book also credits Suzanne Brooker and Millie Beard, for the 'Electronic Production'. Sadly the actors that play the characters, are not credited even though photographs of them are used. This book is part of a series of the "Beakman's World" products, they are all based on the original newspaper feature, 'You Can with Beakman & Jax' by Jok Church.

The book and kit package are well designed, and even has a parody quote from Alexander Graham Bell on the box's backside. While the intercom boxes are differently styled at each end. One is yellow and cheese styled with an image of the Labrat (Actor in a Rat Suit) Lester, and the other is green with a lightening bolt and arrows design with an image of Beakman on the other side. The mini intercom boxes come pre-perforated, with the user required to only push out the design sections. The cord is 25 feet long, and the speakers are both made for 1 watt, 6 Ohms. The book also suggests recycling the cardboard packaging that originally protects the speakers. The kit's box also makes a great place to hold the book and completed intercom, however it does have a few error on it; (1.) On its front and back covers the cord is shown as green, but it is really black, (2.) Beakman's end of the intercom is really green not yellow. Although the front of the packaging looks like a cut-out shape it is just a design and their is no holes in the packaging box. The book itself doesn't have a barcode, it is located on the packaging box, to find the ISBN on the book you need to look on the copyright page.

Buyers should be careful when buying this product as some sellers might list it as New, when it doesn't have the box or other components, and are only listing it based on the loose book alone, without any other the other things to go with it. Another difficulty is that the seller might also cut away the original price $12.95 from the back of the back, hoping to sell it for more, or less, and thus making it a damaged box. Lastly, I would like to give credit to the actors that made the show and books so enjoyable to watch and read. Their names are; Beakman-Paul Zaloom, Liza-Eliza Schneider, and Lester-Mark Ritts.

Books in the 'Beakman' series.
--'You Can With Beakman & Jax' books;
* You Can with Beakman: Science Stuff You Can Do. ISBN: 0836270045 (June 1, 1992)
** El Mundo De Beakman: Experimentos Divertidos. {Spanish language edition} ISBN: 9706433856 (January 1, 2001).
* You Can with Beakman & Jax: More Science Stuff You Can Do. ISBN: 0836270088 (June 1, 1994)
** El Mundo De Beakman y Jax: Experimentos Divertidos. {Beakman & Jax} ISBN: 9706434151 (May 1, 2002)
* You Can With Beakman & Jax: Way More Science Stuff. ISBN: 0836270436 (June 1, 1995)
** El Mundo De Beakman y Jax: Mas Experimentos Divertidos. {Beakman & Jax} ISBN: 9706434666 (May 1, 2002)
* Beakman and Jax's Microscope Book. ISBN: 0836270215 (December 1, 1995)
* The Best of You Can With Beakman & Jax: A Collection of the Grossest, Weirdest, Coolest Experiments You Can Do. ISBN: 0836236661 (October 1, 1997)
* Beakman & Jax's Bubble Book: Plus Everything You Need to Make a Real Square Bubbles! ISBN: 0836227069 (September 1, 1997)
* The Best of You Can With Beakman and Jax: Over 100 of the Grossest, Weirdest, Coolest, Experiments You Can Do. ISBN: 0887248004 (September 20, 2005) {A reprint of the earlier 'Best of' book with new Acknowledgments/Greetings information.}

--'Beakman's World: Build With Beakman" books;
* Bacteria Farm 0836270134 (November 1, 1994)
* Electronic Intercom 0836270126 (November 1, 1994)
* Hovercraft 0836270401 (June 1, 1995)
* Spud Watch 0836270428 (June 1, 1995)

--Other Beakman's World books;
* Beakman's World: A Visit to the Hit TV Show. ISBN: 0836270053 (September 1, 1993)
* Beakman's Book of Dead Guys and Gals in Science. ISBN: 0836270142 (November 1, 1994)
* Beakman's Gear Up Your Gray Matter. ISBN: 0836270150 (November 1, 1994)
* Beakman's Gear Up Your Gray Matter: Volume II. ISBN: 0836270398 (July 1, 1996)