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The Way Things Work
Get to grips with how things work inside hundreds of machines with this extraordinary book for kids that explains the science behind technologies and inventions.In this extensive encyclopedia packed full of simple science for kids aged 9+, David Macaulay's beautiful illustrations show the inner workings of each machine, from clocks and watches to jet engines and the Internet.The Way Things Work explains every machine you've ever wanted to understand, as well as some you've probably never thought about before. From the basic lever to the modern microprocessor, this bestseller has now been completely updated with the latest technologies - find out how a touchscreen works, look inside an optical mouse, and see the inner workings of a smartphone. This fascinating machines book for children - The inner workings of each machine, showing the technology in detail but making it accessible through Macaulay's uniquely playful illustrations.- The use of machines in everyday objects explainde, such as clocks, bikes, and watches, as well as the technology behind complicated machines such as space rockets and nuclear reactors.- Key scientific principles illustrated with Macaulay's brand of dry humour, using lighthearted stories involving mammoths.- An updated edition with machines and technologies that have become commonplace since the book's last major revision in 2016.In The Way Things Work Now, David Macaulay explains machines in a way no other illustrator can. Macaulay's inspired illustrations and humorous approach make even the most complex technology fun, fascinating, and accessible for children of all ages.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
David Macaulay
88 books359 followersDavid Macaulay, born in 1946, was eleven when his parents moved from England to Bloomfield, New Jersey. He found himself having to adjust from an idyllic English childhood to life in a fast paced American city. During this time he began to draw seriously, and after graduating from high school he enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After spending his fifth year at RISD in Rome on the European Honors Program, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and vowed never to practice. After working as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and a teacher at RISD, Macaulay began to experiment with creating books. He published his first book, Cathedral, in 1973. Following in this tradition, Macaulay created other books—including City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, and Mosque—that have provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay's elaborate show-and-tells. Five of these titles have been made into popular PBS television programs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
May 11, 2007
This book taught me more about technology than my first five years of school, and that isn't intended as a criticism of the public educational system. I'm betting my dad got tired of the perpetual, "Why?" and "How?"'s, and decided this book would be the best way to simultaneously teach me and maintain his sanity.
Where else can a child be taught to understand the simple machines, fission, and how to pick a lock?
Where else can a child be taught to understand the simple machines, fission, and how to pick a lock?
August 15, 2008
One of my favorite books as a kid!
April 4, 2020
A fun and informative presentation of exactly what the title says. The illustrations are well-done, and the touches of humor with the mammoths is engaging and cute. I grabbed this book from one of my friends who was trying to clear out some shelves, and now I intend to pass this on to someone else who might enjoy it. I think it would be of interest to precocious kids of preteen through early teenage years, maybe as young as 6 or 7. I know I would have loved it when I was in early grade school. I like how it was organized starting with the simple machines, and building on the physical principles. It is definitely dated, with inclusions of dot matrix printers, typewriters, floppy discs, and discussion of megabytes of storage, but the vast majority of the machines are still relevant today, and the underlying physical principle are of course important.
February 10, 2009
the mammoths in this book are very funny. this appears to be a engineering textbook,(it probably is,) but IF it is, than it's a heckuva lot better then the stuff they feed us in science textbooks these days... don't read it till your OUT of stuff to read or you'll think this is actually a novel (trust me, on this one, it's not)
September 13, 2024
This book has it all. David Macaulay and Neil Ardley expertly communicate a vast array of discoveries, inventions, and machines, or more aptly put “Things”, through beautiful hand-drawn pictures and tactful written descriptions.
If I was to pinpoint the joy that this book gives me, it would be the plurality of serendipitous moments throughout the book where every other page turn would involve the unveiling of the hidden workingness of a thing whose function I’ve long taken for granted. The unseen behind the seen becoming seen, so to speak.
What perhaps primed me for such a serendipitous attitude while reading was perhaps the discovery of the book in a bookshelf on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Very random. Very out of place.
I believe discovering this book earlier in my life very well may have altered the course of my career! I highly suggest this book to anybody more curious about the world of machines we live in and use.
Below is my list of “Things” which were exciting to learn anew or just simply impressed me with their beautiful explanation and illustration:
The Zipper - pg 17
Gearbox - pg 40-41
Lawn Sprinkler - pg 47
Faucet - pg 65
Window Shade - pg 74
Seat Belt - pg 75
Syncromesh - pg 85
Submarine - pg 97
Airliner Wing - pg 113
Single Rotor Helicopter - pg 116
Hybrid Cars - pg 158
Liquid Crystals - pg 199
Blu-ray player - pg 205-205
DSLR Camera - pg 208-209
Electrowetting - pg 225
LCD Screen - pg 246-247
Batteries - pg 272-273
Solar Cell - pg 275
Dental X-ray Tube - pg 300
Automatic Transmission - pg 312-315
Touchscreen - pg 326-327
Analog-Digital Converter - pg 328
Digitizing Images - pg 331
Transistors - pg 347
Asymmetric Encryption - pg 360-361
If I was to pinpoint the joy that this book gives me, it would be the plurality of serendipitous moments throughout the book where every other page turn would involve the unveiling of the hidden workingness of a thing whose function I’ve long taken for granted. The unseen behind the seen becoming seen, so to speak.
What perhaps primed me for such a serendipitous attitude while reading was perhaps the discovery of the book in a bookshelf on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Very random. Very out of place.
I believe discovering this book earlier in my life very well may have altered the course of my career! I highly suggest this book to anybody more curious about the world of machines we live in and use.
Below is my list of “Things” which were exciting to learn anew or just simply impressed me with their beautiful explanation and illustration:
The Zipper - pg 17
Gearbox - pg 40-41
Lawn Sprinkler - pg 47
Faucet - pg 65
Window Shade - pg 74
Seat Belt - pg 75
Syncromesh - pg 85
Submarine - pg 97
Airliner Wing - pg 113
Single Rotor Helicopter - pg 116
Hybrid Cars - pg 158
Liquid Crystals - pg 199
Blu-ray player - pg 205-205
DSLR Camera - pg 208-209
Electrowetting - pg 225
LCD Screen - pg 246-247
Batteries - pg 272-273
Solar Cell - pg 275
Dental X-ray Tube - pg 300
Automatic Transmission - pg 312-315
Touchscreen - pg 326-327
Analog-Digital Converter - pg 328
Digitizing Images - pg 331
Transistors - pg 347
Asymmetric Encryption - pg 360-361
June 22, 2020
This is such a cool book. My parents had it when I was a kid and I read it over and over again, and even after having read it a handful of times I returned to it often to page through it and look at the pictures. My parents even donated a half dozen or so copies of this book to my 4th or 5th grade classroom, or maybe it was to our school library. I can't remember, I just remember them doing this and the teachers loving them for it. I have to assume many students have received a boost in their education from this book, hopefully discovering the magic of knowledge even when formal education doesn't do it for them.
For a child or even an adult, this is a stimulating visual guide to understanding the mechanics behind many modern pieces of technology. It's now almost 30 years since I first read it or looked at it, but I have a copy now that I was lucky enough to find in a book store a few years ago, identical to the one I first read. Some of the technology is no longer as common, but the visuals and explanations have not been dated in the slightest. I've seen updated versions of this book and will probably get them one day.
Every elementary school should be stocked with at least one copy of this book.
For a child or even an adult, this is a stimulating visual guide to understanding the mechanics behind many modern pieces of technology. It's now almost 30 years since I first read it or looked at it, but I have a copy now that I was lucky enough to find in a book store a few years ago, identical to the one I first read. Some of the technology is no longer as common, but the visuals and explanations have not been dated in the slightest. I've seen updated versions of this book and will probably get them one day.
Every elementary school should be stocked with at least one copy of this book.
January 30, 2022
Macaulay does a masterful job of providing concise explanations of "The Way Things Work" through simple prose and clear, witty illustrations. I love the use of mammoths to give comic relief to what otherwise might be a boring textbook. Sometimes the needed complexity can be a little hard to fathom, but it becomes clear with careful reading. Now, 30+ years after it was written, the technology described has become a bit outdated, but it is still a worthwhile reference. Great gift for budding scientists.
July 12, 2020
Recuerdo este libro como una auténtica maravilla que te permitía empezar a explorar cualquier cosa. Cualquier cosa compleja, grande y complicada la tenías despiezada delante de tus ojos para empezara a averiguar sus partes componentes y a adivinar las relaciones entre ellas. Por un lado era apabullante la cantidad de cosas que tenía dentro un carburador o un aire acondicionado, y por otro era como los capítulos de Scooby Doo, que te enseñaban que al final la magia no existe y que siempre hay una manera racional de explicar las cosas. Aunque algunas de las explicaciones no las entendía (recuerdo perfectamente mirar al magnetoscopio para enterarme más tarde de que era un vídeo), sí servía como puerta para investigar más sobre cualquier tema, pues te daba un montón de vocabulario relacionado. Eso era mucho antes de Internet, por lo que se agradecía bastante el tener más palabras que buscar en la enciclopedia.
April 6, 2023
Ambitious but spotty. This celebrated book explains many of humanity's greatest inventions through kid-friendly illustrations.
Each invention gets a page or two. That's barely enough text for the basic concept (told through woolly mammoth cartoons) and descriptions of highly technical schematics. Some of the jargon is defined on the page ("capstan"), other words require a trip to the glossary in the back of the book ("armature"), others require background or a dictionary ("jib", "cantilever", "manganese"). Engineers who already know this stuff will probably smile at how cleverly the book can distill so much into a small space. For the rest of us, it's often bewildering. This is a combined introduction to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer hardware.
There are plenty of good spots. Non-engineers should be able to pick up a lot, especially in the first section (I've always found mechanical physics easier than the rest of the topics here). Be sure to read the history of the inventions at the end. Just like math and science, engineering is easy to understand if you know what problems the trailblazers were trying to solve.
I have a hard time recommending this. I think an engineer could use it to get their kids interested in engineering. But since it is so stripped down, I don't think it's good for people who are trying to teach themselves this material.
Each invention gets a page or two. That's barely enough text for the basic concept (told through woolly mammoth cartoons) and descriptions of highly technical schematics. Some of the jargon is defined on the page ("capstan"), other words require a trip to the glossary in the back of the book ("armature"), others require background or a dictionary ("jib", "cantilever", "manganese"). Engineers who already know this stuff will probably smile at how cleverly the book can distill so much into a small space. For the rest of us, it's often bewildering. This is a combined introduction to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer hardware.
There are plenty of good spots. Non-engineers should be able to pick up a lot, especially in the first section (I've always found mechanical physics easier than the rest of the topics here). Be sure to read the history of the inventions at the end. Just like math and science, engineering is easy to understand if you know what problems the trailblazers were trying to solve.
I have a hard time recommending this. I think an engineer could use it to get their kids interested in engineering. But since it is so stripped down, I don't think it's good for people who are trying to teach themselves this material.
May 24, 2018
Absolutely love this book! An all-time favourite! The illustrations and the mammoths in the book make it quite interesting and fun, not only for children, but for grown-ups too. Books like these make learning so much fun!
June 3, 2010
Me and brockli's favorite part was the toilet. Our toilet was broken and so we learned how 2 fix it. After it was fixed.
August 3, 2014
As a child, TWTW was endlessly fascinating, provoking scores of questions that no doubt annoyed my parents.
January 19, 2012
OMG yuck. Millions purchased, dozens read.
September 23, 2021
This book has taught me more than anything I have learned in school. The way he explains things so eloquently is incredible. David Macaulay is able to teach about almost every topic you can think of, and he can do it in one page with pictures. The words are powerful but simple, and he is able to make complicated topics fathomable through his language. The best part is that I do not have to look somewhere else for background information on the topics that he discusses, because he lays out basics before moving to the hard topics. A great example of his work is, "A pump (see p. 124) forces oil up from the sump through the oil filter, which removes dirt particles and then to all the bearings and other parts of the engine. (Macaulay 88). Macaulay is able to pass information so easily, and then he will show tell you where to find the definition of a word he used, later or earlier in the book. I learned so much from this book it is amazing. This is one of my favorite books all time because it was able to keep me interested and it didn't even feel like homework.
March 27, 2021
I expected something better. Macaulay's illustrations are well crafted and occasionally humorous, but the accompanying text is sometimes excessively complex or jargon laden. I'm not really sure who his intended audience is, and that may be the problem. I expect something like this to appeal to a tween to YA looking for inspiration about how the engineered world works, or I expect it to appeal to an adult who appreciates a youthful approach.
Within the first few pages I immediately felt that the audience was adult or technically knowledgeable already. If this took a child's eye approach in the text and was more carefully written to be that, I think I would have enjoyed this more.
Nonetheless, it was enjoyable; I did learn a few things, but it just wasn't excellent enough to rate as a classic that it seems purported to be.
Within the first few pages I immediately felt that the audience was adult or technically knowledgeable already. If this took a child's eye approach in the text and was more carefully written to be that, I think I would have enjoyed this more.
Nonetheless, it was enjoyable; I did learn a few things, but it just wasn't excellent enough to rate as a classic that it seems purported to be.
December 26, 2018
It took me eight months to read this book, not because it wasn't interesting, but because it was very interesting to me. I spent a long time poring over some of the drawings making sure I really understood how and why the item worked the way it did, and since the book covers about 200 different machines, it took a while. I'd read bits and pieces of it back in grade school when we covered simple machines in science class, but I'd never read it start to finish. A few of the machines are dated since this book is 30 years old, but most stuff is still very applicable. The running joke with the mammoth experiments is also a nice touch.
September 5, 2019
Great idea for a book, not-up-to-expectation execution. Even my science-savvy 12 years old sister couldn't pay attention for more than 10 minutes into the book. Apart from the very much lively illustration (which is the best thing about the book), it didn't teach the children much about anything nor being thought-provoking. Trying not to be rude but I wish brilliant.org had written this book.
However, this could be a great gift for children. I rmb seeing my sister's eyes glowing receiving this book. Priceless!
However, this could be a great gift for children. I rmb seeing my sister's eyes glowing receiving this book. Priceless!
May 15, 2018
This is a fun way to better understand how things work around us. I teach technology education and so many of the concepts that I teach are found in this book, but are presented in a playful way that makes even the abstinent reader curious about how the technology works. The book is well researched. I recently discovered it and look forward to reading the more current version The way things work now.
April 28, 2019
In the Way Things Work, Macaulay depicts many machines and tools and gives explanations of how they work and how to use them. It is separated into sections of movement, elements, light and sound waves, and electricity and automation. I give this five stars because it is a very simple starter book for children, and even adults.
May 7, 2021
This is the classic start of David Macaulay's award-winning series of books for children of all ages. It is full of wonderful line drawings to explain things. It also is written in a humorous way with jokes and funny little figures in among the information. The explanations are easy to follow and easy to read.
October 8, 2018
So this review may be 11 years late, but this book is the reason I became an engineer. And I credit it for much of my early development. If you want your kid to grow up with a scientific curiosity, just leave this lying around the house for them to accidentally pick up
March 13, 2018
Such a great manual for curious minds... and everything!
March 19, 2018
The way this book works: you read it, your brother then takes it from you, you forget how submarines work and can’t impress any of your friends with all that submarine knowledge you thought you knew.
May 7, 2018
읽지 않은 어린이, 발명과 특허를 논하지 말라.
October 1, 2018
Một cách tiếp cận khoa học mới mẻ và thú v��� thông qua cách kể chuyện sáng tạo và hài hước, tương đối dễ hiểu kể cả những người không chuyên về máy móc kỹ thuật
December 8, 2018
If the explanations don’t do it for you, the illustrations will. The funniest reference book on my shelf.
February 7, 2019
The inner workings af all things. With mammoths. Priceless.
February 12, 2019
Love it, it was what got me into science and mechanics initially.
May 16, 2019
Beautiful. Well done. Educational. Also, kids laugh about the cartoon mammoths. This book has it all.
June 30, 2019
Great book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews