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Clarion

The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition: The Ultimate Guide to How Things Work

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At a glance

Condition
New
Format
Hardcover, Illustrated
Dimensions
8.44 x 1.25 x 10.88 in
Weight
3.98 lb
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
October 4, 2016
Edition
Updated

Description

As seen on CBS News Sunday Morning.Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates his worldwide bestseller to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. What possible link could there be between parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay explains them all!Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines and shows how the developments of the past are building blocks of the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces recent technological developments, from touchscreens to 3D printers. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained, with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms and an index.A New York Times Bestseller Read more

Specs 10

Publisher Clarion Books
Publication date October 4, 2016
Edition Updated
Language English
Print length 408 pages
ISBN-10 0544824385
ISBN-13 86
Item Weight 3.98 pounds

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Top Amazon Reviews

Why Didn’t They Have This Book When I Was a Kid?
Format: Hardcover
Review Image by Kelly Mack McCoy—Sojourner and Ragamuffin
I bought The Way Things Work to encourage my grandson's natural curiosity about the world around him. He is very much like me when I was a kid. I loved to learn, but I didn’t care about school. Fortunately, unlike his grandpa, he somehow manages to get good grades anyway. We live in an age when it's easy to ask a smartphone a question and get an answer in seconds. But there’s nothing like turning the pages of a book, studying an illustration, and discovering why and how something works. The Way Things Work is teaching my grandson those things while he’s having a blast learning. When he’s done, he’ll not only be able to pass tests and continue to get good grades, but he’ll understand the way things work, which will serve him well, no matter what career he chooses to pursue. Why didn’t they have this kind of book when I was a kid? I often say that my favorite books as a kid were encyclopedias and dictionaries. I would have devoured this stuff. David Macaulay takes subjects that could otherwise seem dry or overly technical and makes them visual, understandable, and entertaining. The detailed illustrations let you spend considerable time on a single spread, following the diagrams and discovering things you didn't notice at first. The woolly mammoths make learning feel more like exploration than a subject being taught to a student. The lessons start with basic principles behind machines and gradually take the reader into increasingly sophisticated technology. Young (and old) readers learn that today's complicated technology grew out of simpler ideas and discoveries that came before it and how that relates to today’s technology. Levers, gears, pulleys, engines, and simple electrical components came long before computers, Wi-Fi smartphones, and touchscreens. I bought this book for my grandson, but curious minds of any age will enjoy it, as I learned when I stopped to take a closer look at things and realized how many objects I use without thinking much about how they work. That's one mark of a great educational book: the child and the adult can both learn from it. The Way Things Work encourages my grandson (and me) to observe, question, imagine, and think. Asking, "How does that work?" is an important first step toward understanding the world around us. Who knows? My grandson could someday invent something that doesn't yet exist, simply by starting with that question and then figuring out how to make it work better. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2026 by Kelly Mack McCoy—Sojourner and Ragamuffin
Perfect for 11 yr old!
Format: Hardcover
This book is very interesting! Lots of really good illustrations for what it's referring to. My phone is old so I can't take pics but nothing came damaged and it looks exactly like the other pics where it shows the pages. I got it for my 11 yr old son for Christmas. He's a very curious little dude! I joke with him that he needs to be a journalist because he always asks questions and loves to talk. Very good job to the author and designwe of the book. Would definitely recommend to anyone whose looking for a gift that isn't electronic!!!!!! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2026 by E
Best Book Ever!
Format: Hardcover
It explains each machine very well and is very in-depth. I've learned so much from it so far. - James age 9
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2026 by Buck88
Easy read.
Format: Hardcover
Awesome for the family.
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2026 by Amazon Customer
Great book. Lousy shipping damaged book
Format: Hardcover
Great book. I bought it as a gift, but Amazon threw the book into a box without wrapping and my brand new book got damaged in shipping.
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2025 by Nat
Fun for young teens! and anyone else with a curious mind :)
Format: Hardcover
I was looking for a gift for a young teen and this caught my eye. It has all sorts of info on all sorts of things and is interesting to all ages from what I've experienced. The recipient was more thrilled with this book than I expected and he said he'd been wanting a book like this, so it was a win! It's just a cool, informative, entertaining book and a great gift! The quality is excellent as well. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026 by Sally Skole
A wonderful book!
Format: Hardcover
I bought this as a present for my, just turned 11, grandson. I'm in my late 70's and up 'till retiring a few years ago, I have been a hands-on electrical & refrigeration engineer all my life This is a wonderful book which clearly shows (in fairly simple terms) just how things work. And I can attest to it's accuracy. Im just hoping it will whether Rory's appetite for such things and steer him away from his excessive screen time. It's a large book, beautifully illustrated with over 400 pages. BUY IT ! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2026 by Tony Johnson
Perfect Product!
Format: Hardcover
Product in a good quality!
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2026 by GenZ Rui
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