Lock & Key: The Secrets of Locking Things Up, In, and Out

Traces the development of locks from the stone and wood fasteners of ancient times, to the bolts and bars of the Middle Ages, to the invention of modern security systems, and profiles famous lock pickers and code breakers.

Grade 7-10-An interesting, well-written, and well-researched look at locks and keys from the earliest times to the space age. Tchudi introduces readers to a host of historical figures, some of whom wear white hats, and others, black. The chapter entitled "Legendary Locks and Keys" is especially fascinating as it discusses security systems from Khufu's Tomb to Fort Knox to atomic safes to Kryptonite bicycle locks. Lists of unusual and future technology add interest to the text, which is liberally illustrated with black-and-white photos, line drawings, and reproductions. However, the chapter on lockpicks almost appears to give instructions on breaking and entering. (Youngsters are told, "don't try this yourself.") Nonetheless, they will enjoy perusing this title, once they are convinced to give it a try. It is a good choice for reports as well as for general reading.
Valerie Childress, J.W. Holloway Middle School, Whitehouse, TX
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

History, metaphor, and mechanics, of both the words ``lock'' and ``key'' and the little machines themselves. Tchudi traces how we've kept things safe (whether money, people, or secrets) with devices from rocks rolled into cave entrances to voice-pattern, palm, and retina recognition. But however ingenious the lockmaker, lockpicks have always kept pace. In the glory days of mechanical locks and thieves, a manufacturer once offered œ200 to anyone who could pick his lock--an offer that stood for 50 years before being paid. Safes have been test-blasted by atomic bombs (some survived, some didn't). At his best with anecdotes and wordplay, Tchudi does little to explain locks' mechanics, while the few detailed drawings (reproduced from other books) don't really show what moves and what stays still. One drawing, of an electrical lock, merely shows what looks like a common padlock with a cord attached--not very informative. The author can be literal-minded to a fault: he passes along Jonathan Swift's advice--keep a cat in the cupboard to keep mice from breaking the china--with the comment that the real problem is that the cat would run away. Still, an intriguing survey. Bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 10+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 5-8. Nonfiction can be as much fun to read as fiction, and Tchudi's book about locks and keys certainly is. It's also amazingly thorough. Readers will learn how locks work, their history, how they can be picked (it appears lock-pickers arrived on the scene soon after the first locks), the etymologies of the words lock and key, the operation of modern electronic security systems, and what systems of the future will be like. It's all explained in a casual, but never silly, fashion that conveys Tchudi's obvious interest in the subject. The author repeatedly warns readers not to pick their own locks, despite the temptation to try. Black-and-white photographs are planned, and an extensive references list is appended. Chris Sherman