The way things work.

From levers to lasers, from cameras to computers, this 384-page volume is a remarkable overview of the machines and inventions that shape our lives, amusingly presented with a large dose of Macaulay's wit and personality. "A book to be treasured as both a browsing item and as a gold mine of reference information." -- School Library Journal, starred review ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Notable Book
Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
Horn Book Fanfare Selection
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

Grade 4 Up Gorgeous line drawings in Macaulay's familiar style, enhanced with watercolors, combine with virtually encyclopedic coverage of how things work to create this absolutely captivating look at the world's technology. Subjects are arranged into four broad categories: units on mechanical devices (simple machines, friction); the use of the elements (wind, water, heat), waves (light and sound); and electronics include both the immense (space shuttles) and the miniscule (an automobile's thermostat). Information presented is up-to-date (compact discs, breath testers), and the introductions and descriptions are well-written and clear. Whimsical woolly mammoths appear to demonstrate principles, take credit for inventions, and speculate on the causes of their own extinction. The number of devices described here defies enumeration: the thorough index, which lists items under both their own terms and under larger, broad headings (e.g., the term synchromesh is also found under car), contains approximately 900 entries. The two-volume The Way Things Work: Encyclopedia of Modern Technology (S. & S.) offers a competitive number of items in a more straightforward fashion, but it is not as entertaining as Macaulay's work. How Does It Work? (Facts on File, 1976) by Chris Cooper and Jane Insley and How Things Work (National Geographic, 1983) by Donald J. Crump both present excellent photography and diagrams with utilitarian text, but neither covers anywhere near as many devices or competes with Macaulay's creativity. A book to be treasured as both a browsing item and as a gold mine of reference information. Jeffrey A. French, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

How in the world can a woolly mammoth (aren't they extinct?) help anyone understand parking meters, cameras, and ultrasound? Simple. By showing the mammoth on the cutting edge of air freight technology, seeing them play on the teeter-totter, and using their trunks as burglar alarms. OK. Down to business. Macaulay has done it again. He has taken four areasmovement, elements, light and sound, and electricity and automationand written about and drawn them in an easy-to-understand way that makes the reader think these things are fun! Wonderful drawings galore, too. Expect high demand for this delightful book that will give persons of any age an elementary introduction to the way things work. Absolutely superb. Patty Miller, New Hampshire Vocational-Technical Coll. Lib., Laconia
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.