Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 26-30 of 47
 A Work of Art November 11, 2005
Rebecca Johnson (Washington State)
25 out of 26 found this review helpful
"The Way Things Work" took almost three years to create. A cute and sometimes silly "Great Wooly Mammoth" makes his appearance throughout the book. The facial expressions and animal antics are at times very amusing.
While the "Mammoth" theme is highlighted, this is a book which discusses serious concepts. They are simply explained in a more entertaining way. In between all the facts, you will suddenly find a page which discusses tusk trimming. "I watched with great curiosity a mammoth that was having its tusks trimmed....." Don't worry, as the story progresses, "velocity" is being explained.
Quite frankly, this book is not only a work of art, it is a compilation of genius. When David Macaulay, Niel Ardley, David Burnie, Peter Luff and Christopher Davis put their minds together for a book project, something amazing happens.
Where they came up with the 384 pages is beyond my comprehension. In fact, only taking three years to write and illustrate such a work, is in itself an incredible feat. Truly, this is a comprehensive, instructive and entertaining reference book for readers of all ages.
Life is too short for reading inferior books. - James Bryce This book is superior in so many ways. It is divided into four main sections: The Mechanics of Movement (inclined plane, levers, wheel and axle, gears and belts, cams and cranks, pulleys, screws, rotating wheels, springs, friction), Harnessing The Elements (floating, flying, pressure power, exploiting heat, nuclear power), Working With Waves (light and images, photography, printing, sound and music, telecommunications), Electricity & Automation (electricity, magnetism, sensors and detectors, computers).
Each page is filled with drawings so you can completely comprehend mechanical principles. David Macaulay takes you from levers to lasers and does it all in a most entertaining and efficient manner. Here is a prize-winning author's brilliantly conceived guide to the principles and workings of hundreds of machines.
~The Rebecca Review
most educational, interesting, and fun to read book ever December 11, 2004
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!! I LEARNED MORE IN HALF AN HOUR THEN I LEARN IN A FULL MONTHS SCHOOL!!! IT EXPLAINS HOW EVERYTHING WORKS, FROM INCLINED PLANES, TO ATOMS AND MOLECULES, ALSO ITS NOT A BORING READ BECAUSE IN MANY OF THE "LESSONS" THEY REFER TO A MAMMOTH WITHA COMEDY SLANT (EX:) THE INCLINED PLANE PAGE ALSO TALKS ABOUT HOW INSTEAD OF LIFTING A MAMMOTH STRAIT UP THEY BUILT A SLOWLY ASSCENDING MOUND TO THE PEAK.
An Absolute Need for Every Household July 11, 2004
_ (Houston, TX)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
Few books can compare to "The Way Things Work" in the amount which they can teach the curious. Be they old or young, college educated engineers or preschoolers, everyone can pick something out of this book. Trust me; I've seen it from all ends.When I was six, I loved the mammoths...and learned about simple machines and airplane wings. When I was in high school, I appreciated the mammoths' wit...and learned about automatic transmissions and transistors. Now that I'm in college, I've read the whole thing, and it's still a great reference book, just as entertaining and informative as it was so many years ago. And the mammoths are still funny. For kids with insatiable curiosity, "The Way Things Work" can be a great and entertaining resource; for everyone who's ever wondered how their car drives, or why their computer works, or how satellite communications happen, it can be an immensely satisfying read.
 Good book, but not for the very young January 30, 2003
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I bought this book for a boy of the age of 8. He didn't seem very interested in the text explanations of how things work. Perhaps he's a little young, but like other reviewers said, this is a book that can most definately be put on the shelf for several years and still have relevance when a few years of knowledge is gained.
The New Way Things Work August 29, 2002
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
This is the best book for childern and adults I have ever read. I recieved "The Way Things Work" When I was in 4th grade. Now I have this newer version. My classmates and I both used it during my College Mechanical Engineering Classes. Everyone can learn from this book it is not just for kids but really belongs on every childs bookshelf.
Showing reviews 26-30 of 47
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