Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 160 pages
- Published by: Chicago Review Press May 1, 2008
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1556527454
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1556527456
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Book Dimensions:
9.8 x 7 x 0.5 inches
- Weighs: 9.6 ounces
Product Review
"Written for novices and illustrated . . . throughout, this book is sure to provide hours of entertainment and enlightenment."
—School Library Journal"Perfect for collectors, for anyone daring enough to build homemade versions of these classic toys and even for casual browsers." —Booklist
Product Description
A Selection of the Scientific American Book Club
Profiling 50 of the world’s most popular playthings—including their history, trivia, and the technology involved—this guide uncovers the hidden science of toys. Discover how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, why a boomerang returns after it is thrown, and how an RC car responds to a remote control device. Leaving no detail unrevealed, the guide includes original patent-application blueprints and photographs of the “guts” of several devices. Inventors and museum curators also offer their observations of favorite gizmos while dispelling (or confirming) several toy legends. Complete with explanations of do-it-yourself experiments and tips on reverse engineering old toys to observe their interior mechanics, this entertaining and informative reference even provides pointers on how budding toy makers can build their own toys using only recycled materials and a little ingenuity.
Reader Reviews
This book is excellent. I'd like to think my grandson will grow up to be an engineer based on his love of how things are put together and what makes them work. The Way Toys Work is easy to understand while providing lessons in an enjoyable atmosphere.
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