The New Way Things Work
by David Macaulay
from Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
"Is it a fact--or have I dreamt it--that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?" If you, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, are kept up at night wondering about how things work--from electricity to can openers--then you and your favorite kids shouldn't be a moment longer without David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work. The award-winning author-illustrator--a former architect and junior high school teacher--is perfectly poised to be the Great Explainer of the whirrings and whizzings of the world of machines, a talent that landed the 1988 version of The Way Things Work on the New York Times bestsellers list for 50 weeks. Grouping machines together by the principles that govern their actions rather than by their uses, Macaulay helps us understand in a heavily visual, humorous, unerringly precise way what gadgets such as a toilet, a carburetor, and a fire extinguisher have in common.
The New Way Things Work boasts a richly illustrated 80-page section that wrenches us all (including the curious, bumbling wooly mammoth who ambles along with the reader) into the digital age of modems, digital cameras, compact disks, bits, and bytes. Readers can glory in gears in "The Mechanics of Movement," investigate flying in "Harnessing the Elements," demystify the sound of music in "Working with Waves," marvel at magnetism in "Electricity & Automation," and examine e-mail in "The Digital Domain." An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay demystifies them all. (Click to see a sample spread of this book, illustrations and text copyright 1998 David Macaulay, Neil Ardley, published by Houghton Mifflin Co.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson
The information age is upon us, baffling us with thousands of complicated state-of-the-art technologies. To help make sense of the computer age, David Macaulay brings us The New Way Things Work. This completely updated and expanded edition describes twelve new machines and includes more than seventy new pages detailing the latest innovations. With an entirely new section that guides us through the complicated world of digital machinery, where masses of electronic information can be squeezed onto a single tiny microchip, this revised edition embraces all of the newest developments, from cars to watches. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained--with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.
Lucy: The Diamond Fairy (Rainbow Magic: The Jewel Fairies, No. 7)
by Daisy Meadows
from Scholastic Paperbacks
Jack Frost is causing trouble in Fairyland again! This time, he's stolen the seven jewels from Queen Titania's crown. Without them, all the fairy magic in Fairyland is fading fast!
Can Rachel and Kirsty help Lucy the Diamond Fairy find the final jewel? Or will Fairyland's special magic be lost forever?
Howtoons: The Possibilities Are Endless!
by Saul Griffith
from Collins
Part comic strip and part science experiment, Howtoons shows children how to find imaginative new uses for common household items like soda bottles, duct tape, mop buckets, and more–to teach kids the "Tools of Mass Construction"!
Howtoons are cartoons that teach 8– to 15–year–old readers "how to" build, create, and explore things. Combining a fun, full–color cartoon format and real life science and engineering principles, Howtoons are designed to encourage kids to become active participants in the world around them.
Readers meet Tucker and Celine, a lovable brother and sister pair. Sick of watching TV and playing video games, Tucker and Celine decide to conquer every kid's nightmare: the dreaded summer o' boredom. Armed with countless ideas for fun projects, they set out to reclaim the sheer joy of playing. Fifteen practical, build–it–yourself projects are weaved into the Tucker and Celine storyline. With the narrators' help and clear step–by–step instructions, young readers will learn how to set up a workshop, create a marshmallow shooting gun, make ice cream without a freezer, play songs on a turkey baster flute, explore a homemade terrarium, launch a pressure–powered rocket, and more!
Utilizing inexpensive, kid–friendly materials, Howtoons will prove that the world at large is infinitely more exciting than anything happening on the TV or computer screen. Plus, each project will provide readers with practical skills and problem solving know–how that they can use in their everyday lives. These funny, interactive Howtoons are sure to inspire independence and creative savvy in young people everywhere.
Uncover the Human Body: An Uncover It Book
by Luann Colombo
from Silver Dolphin Press
The Uncover series combines the best elements of a book with model elements to help readers truly "uncover" the mysteries of what makes things work. A fascinating three-dimensional presentation allows in-depth, hands-on exploration of the subject at hand. This unique "model" is easily build, deconstructed and re-built layer by layer, system by system just by turning a page, until an understanding of the topic is achieved. The complexities of the human body can be daunting, particularly for children. This book-model combination takes some of the mystery out of how the body works. It covers all the major systems and processes. Children get to look at each system on a different page, then by closing the book, combine them into a whole. 16 pages. Ages 8+
The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery
by William Gurstelle
from Chicago Review Press
Cool Stuff and How It Works
by Chris Woodford
from DK CHILDREN
From microchips and iPods to robots in the human bloodstream, Cool Stuff and How It Works takes the reader on an eye-opening journey through the world of modern technology. Tech-savvy kids will love learning all about today's most innovative inventions-where they came from, how they do what they do, and where they might take us in the future.a
The Magic School Bus In The Arctic: A Book About Heat (Magic School Bus)
by Joanna Cole
from Scholastic Paperbacks
Cool Stuff 2.0: And How it Works
by Jon Woodcock
from DK CHILDREN
Following on the success Cool Stuff and How it Works, this spectacular book shows and explains, in a brilliantly visual and easy-to-understand way, exactly how the technology that shapes our world works. Taking the reader on an eye-opening journey from the engine of a hydrogen-fuelled car, into the virtual world of Second Life, and up the earthquake-proofed structure of the world's tallest office building, learn about the science behind every machine and gadget, and find out when and how things were invented-from mobile phones and games consoles to smart cards and space planes. AUTHOR BIO: Chris Woodford graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Natural Sciences. For several years he worked as an information designer for IBM and then made a career change to publishing where he became an editor on specialist science and technology titles.
Dr Jon Woodcock graduated from Oxford University with a degree in physics before moving to the University of London where he was awarded a PhD for his work in astrophysics. He has worked in research and development for various hi-tech companies and now consults and writes on science and technology.
MythBusters: Don't Try This at Home (MythBusters)
by Discovery Channel
from Jossey-Bass
It's a tough job separating truth from urban legend, but the MythBusters are here to serve. For example, is it true that if you step in quicksand , you'll be sucked down to your death? Only two men would be inventive - and adventurous - enough to try to find out: Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, the MythBusters. Each week, hosts Savage and Hyneman, both special effects experts, use modern science to put another three urban legends to the test on their popular TV show. In this book, you'll learn how they either "busted" or confirmed fifteen myths on their show, often with spectacular results. Here are just some of the urban legends in this book:
- Did a Ming Dynasty astronaut launch himself into space with a rocket?
- Can a swallowed octopus egg grow to full size inside a person's stomach?
- Is the daddy longlegs the world's most venomous spider?
- Will a sinking ship suck you down?
- How many balloons are needed to lift a small child off the ground?
- Does a duck's quack echo?
Mythbusters: Don't Try This at Home! gets to the bottom of these urban legends and more, and it lets you do your own mythbusting with fun experiments you can do safely at home.
The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials
by Mary Gribbin
from Laurel Leaf
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is renowned for its mystery and magic. What’s the truth behind it all? Is the golden compass actually based in science? How does the subtle knife cut through anything? Could there be a bomb like the one made with Lyra’s hair? How do the Gallivespians’ lodestone resonators really work? And, of course, what are the Dark Materials? Drawing on string theory and spacetime, quantum physics and chaos theory, award-winning science writers Mary and John Gribbin reveal the real science behind Philip Pullman’s bestselling fantasy trilogy in entertaining and crystal-clear prose.
From the Hardcover edition.
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