The New Way Things Work

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"Is it a fact--or have I dreamt it--that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?" If you, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, are kept up at night wondering about how things work--from electricity to can openers--then you and your favorite kids shouldn't be a moment longer without David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work. The award-winning author-illustrator--a former architect and junior high school teacher--is perfectly poised to be the Great Explainer of the whirrings and whizzings of the world of machines, a talent that landed the 1988 version of The Way Things Work on the New York Times bestsellers list for 50 weeks. Grouping machines together by the principles that govern their actions rather than by their uses, Macaulay helps us understand in a heavily visual, humorous, unerringly precise way what gadgets such as a toilet, a carburetor, and a fire extinguisher have in common.

The New Way Things Work boasts a richly illustrated 80-page section that wrenches us all (including the curious, bumbling wooly mammoth who ambles along with the reader) into the digital age of modems, digital cameras, compact disks, bits, and bytes. Readers can glory in gears in "The Mechanics of Movement," investigate flying in "Harnessing the Elements," demystify the sound of music in "Working with Waves," marvel at magnetism in "Electricity & Automation," and examine e-mail in "The Digital Domain." An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay demystifies them all. (Click to see a sample spread of this book, illustrations and text copyright 1998 David Macaulay, Neil Ardley, published by Houghton Mifflin Co.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

The information age is upon us, baffling us with thousands of complicated state-of-the-art technologies. To help make sense of the computer age, David Macaulay brings us The New Way Things Work. This completely updated and expanded edition describes twelve new machines and includes more than seventy new pages detailing the latest innovations. With an entirely new section that guides us through the complicated world of digital machinery, where masses of electronic information can be squeezed onto a single tiny microchip, this revised edition embraces all of the newest developments, from cars to watches. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained--with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2007-05-14

Informative and entertaining. I wonder how many engineers out there first got their interest in the way things work from this book.... In Fall 2008 Macaulay will have a new book out entitled "The Way We Work", which will explain the workings of the human body in similar fashion to this book. Can't wait!

Can't put it down.......2007-05-07

My son (10) had borrowed the older edition from the library several times. So I got him this one for his birthday. He sneaks this book into his bed at night. If that's not an excellent testemony I don't know what is.

Looking at Machines Differently.......2007-02-01

Each page of this book opens up a world of how something works. It could be how to make a hologram (of a wolly mammoth of course) or how the valves in a trumpet change the sound. The subject for a few pages might be electricity or it could be how an automatic transmission works. In any case, the pages are a mixture of drawings (usually with mammoth) showing the nature of the subject, combined with text that further describes what the drawings are showing.

Over a period of many years Mr. Macaulay has developed his drawing style and his understanding of mechanical things which when combined in a book like this offer a painless way for the kid in all of us to learn.

This new edition has been expanded in several areas. This includes coverage on personal computers, space probes and other more recent developments. It's one of those books that's hard to put down once you start reading.

GREAT BOOK.......2007-01-12

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER SEEN. IT IS EXCELLANT FOR ALL AGES.

One of the densest collections of basic knowledge about our mechanistic world.......2006-12-14

Imagine there were a nuclear war and all of society's accomplishments were annihilated and mankind became a savage race again. If you could have just one book saved through the ages to help you reestablish science and technology, pick this one.

Como Funcionan Las Cosas (Jc) (the New Way Things Work)

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Como Funcionan Las Cosas (Jc) (the New Way Things Work)

Manufacturer: Estrella Gsp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Innovative Northerners at work: innovation--it's about turning ideas and knowledge into new products, new services, and new ways of doing things. By working ... An article from: Northern Ontario Business

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Innovative Northerners at work: innovation--it's about turning ideas and knowledge into new products, new services, and new ways of doing things. By working ... An article from: Northern Ontario Business

Manufacturer: Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008GE4AS
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Northern Ontario Business, published by Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc. on November 1, 2003. The length of the article is 555 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Innovative Northerners at work: innovation--it's about turning ideas and knowledge into new products, new services, and new ways of doing things. By working with community partners, and investing in a variety of innovative projects, FedNor is strengthening the Government of Canada's innovation agenda in Northern Ontario. Here are just a few examples:.
Publication: Northern Ontario Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2003
Publisher: Laurentian Business Publishing, Inc.
Volume: 23 Issue: 13 Page: S2(1)

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The New Way Things Work 3.2 (Jc) (Way Things Work)

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The New Way Things Work 3.2 (Jc) (Way Things Work)

Manufacturer: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

How Things Work | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The New Way Things Work Digipack: (MAC/WN)
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK MULTIMEDIA
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Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 0789438968

New Way Things Work/pinball Science 2-box Bundle: MAC/WN

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New Way Things Work/pinball Science 2000 Hyb Bund
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK MULTIMEDIA
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Binding: CD-ROM

Software | Computers | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0789456524

The New Way Things Work: From Levers to Lasers, Windmills to Web Sites a Visual Guide to the World of Machines

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The New Way Things Work: From Levers to Lasers, Windmills to Web Sites a Visual Guide to the World of Machines

Manufacturer: Scholastic
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0439138582

The New Way Things Work: More Machines, More Inventors, More Fun (For PC & MAC)

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The New Way Things Work: More Machines, More Inventors, More Fun (For PC & MAC)
DK Publishing , and David Macaulay
Manufacturer: DK Interactive Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 0789475243

Book Description

Everyone likes to save money. Free Stuff for Everyone Made E-Z is the unsurpassed guide to getting just about anything you want for FREE! Get a degree, learn about wine, and travel-without paying a cent. Free Stuff for Everyone Made E-Z reveals 1000s of fabulous freebies-complete with websites, addresses and telephone numbers. This unique and valuable resource is a must for anyone who loves to shop-while ignoring the price tag.

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This digital document is an article from State Legislatures, published by National Conference of State Legislatures on March 1, 1997. The length of the article is 432 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Balancing Acts: The Reality Behind State Balanced Budget Requirements: A Twentieth Century Fund Report. (book reviews)
Author: Ron Snell
Publication: State Legislatures (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1997
Publisher: National Conference of State Legislatures
Volume: v23 Issue: n3 Page: p4(1)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

After the huge success of 1314 and All That, Anderson turns his inimitable style to a history of the Highlands from earliest times to the present day. Up-to-date, funny, and authoritatively researched.

Book Description

Definitive biography, newly revised and updated, probes the innovation and mysticism of the Russian composer’s music as it chronicles his life and career: tours of Europe and America, abandonment of his wife, brushes with homosexuality and madness and much more. Includes a catalog of Scriabin’s works and 49 rare photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Sellers Inflating Book Rating.......2007-09-23

I own this book and personally I think the sellers are inflating the rating of this book. It is nowhere near magnificent. It is a good casual read, but I think there could be much better. The layout is confusing and at times inconsistent and incorrect. In fact, the catalog of Scriabin's works at the end of the book is not even complete. I would caution anyone to go to your local library and check out this book first before you spend over $100 for it. I bought it when it was in print and on sale for under $20 and that might even have been too much to spend.

Scriabin for normal people.......2004-01-26

The book is rich in facts and documents, you find there most if not all the important dates, places, pieces and persons. Scriabin's personal letters bring him very close to the reader - sometimes even uncomfortably close. Young creative persons reading that could lose their motivation to get famous - not everybody wants his or her private letters to be published like this. After reading this book it becomes nearly impossible to be as successful as Scriabin himself in ignoring his human weaknesses.

In this book we find some translated poems of Scriabin, including the "Poem of Ecstasy", describing in poetic language the same spiritual process as his Symphony #4 (Op.54) under the same name. Compared to this great music having many good recordings and easy to find in Internet, the text is almost forgotten by general public - it took some years for me to dig out the text in its original Russian language.

About Scriabin's philosophy and mysticism Bowers gives us the facts and citations with a slightly ironical bystander's smile. He understands Scriabin's seeking for ecstasy and the "I am God" thing that are so easy to confuse with escapism and "mania grandiosa". But he does not share Scriabin's exalted feelings and fails every hope of dedicated fans to serve this God together. Author of the biography is honest enough not to pretend that he has understood every little thing in Scriabin's ideas. He also avoids the primitive freudism that is too often seen in biographies. I recommend this book for every enthusiast of Scriabin who is not afraid of unveiled reality.

Magnificent - a lovingly crafted insight.......2000-07-19

A lovingly crafted insight into one of the greatest of musical minds. Extensive excerpts from letters, postcards, and notebooks yields a startling account of Scriabins progression from child prodigy to poet, philosopher, and composer. However this is not just a biography, it's presentation is akin to a Scriabin Sonata, with structure yet diversity and surprise. A joy for all music lovers and a must for Scriabin fans.

Magnificent - a lovingly crafted insight.......2000-07-19

A Window into 19th Century Russia.......1998-12-29

Mr. Bower's biography of Scriabin is more than a biography. It is at the same another window into the life of the more priviledged classes of prerevolutionary Russia before WWI...a virtual syllabus of names and personalities to be investigated in further readings. It is a lively illustration of a lost culture, a worthwhile addition to the cultural picture painted in Massey's THE FIREBIRD.

Book Description

Righteous jive for all you weedheads, moochers, b-girls, gassers, bandrats, triggermen, grifters, snowbirds, and long-gone daddies.

Much of the slang popularly associated with the hippie generation of the 1960s actually dates back to before World War II, hijacked in the main from jazz and blues street expressions, mostly relating to drugs, sex, and drinking. Why talk when you can beat your chops, why eat when you can line your flue, and why snore when you can call some hogs? You’re not drunk–you’re just plumb full of stagger juice, and your skin isn’t pasty, it’s just caf? sunburn. Need a black coffee? That’s a shot of java, nix on the moo juice.

Containing thousands of examples of hipster slang drawn from pulp novels, classic noir and exploitation films, blues, country, and rock ’n’ roll lyrics, and other related sources from the 1920s to the 1960s, Straight from the Fridge, Dad is the perfect guide for all hep cats and kittens. Think of it as a sort of Thirty Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary for the beret-wearing, bongo-banging set. Solid, Jackson.

Customer Reviews:

What's Hip Today Might Become Passe.......2006-06-02

Subtitled "A Dictionary of Hipster Slang," this is a broad overview of mostly noirish/beat slang that will be enjoyed mostly be devotees of those genres. As mentioned by another reviewer, the organization is alphabetical only (as opposed to thematic, chronological, or source), so this lacks efficiency as a resource book--it's better for browsing. On the other hand, the somewhat narrower focus makes this more a heck of a lot more fun than the big and dry "Dictionary of Modern Slang," which is more complete but, akin to reading a dictionary. The slang expression is in a greyed margin on the left; brief explanations and examples are to the right.

The book has flaws: The etymology of the slang is sparing; there are some examples of works in which it was used (but we don't know if that was the first use) for some but not all of the words. Most disappointing? Not a single picture except the book cover. To some extent, that may limit its "gift appeal," and, more importantly, and presents the words without much context. Perhaps copyright issues were at play; still, even scene-setting period photos would have evoked the slang's cultural and historical referents. There's also no index, although that's somewhat expected given the paltry organization. Given all this, the book (at around $15.00) is currently overpriced. Still, since there aren't many competitors, it has merit as browsing material (especially), and somewhat as a reference for "hipster" language.

Groovy.......2002-04-09

This is such a fun book. The best part are the footnotes. They explain where the terms originate from (movies, novels...)I got Straight from the Fridge, because I wanted to look up "normal" words and find what the slang might be so I could jazz up the speech in a short story. However, the book is not set up that way. It is organized in alphabetical order for the slang term only. Despite this drawback, it is a great source and well worth the read.

Straight from the Fridge, Dad: dictionary of hipster slang

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Straight from the Fridge, Dad: dictionary of hipster slang
Max Decharne
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Slang & Idioms | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000RKVUPW

Book Description

Based on an American television show, of the same name, it brims with Michael Moore's special brand of subversive humour that melds outright silliness with poignant realisation.

From the oh–so–obvious Serial Killer Next Door who's ignored by his neighbours: to Mike enjoying some quality time with Dr. Kevorkian : to raising money for Charles Keating, this is a compilation of classic TV Nation that'll make you laugh and think at the same time.

This book is a must read for anyone and everyone.

Customer Reviews:

Light but readable.......2007-03-03

I am a huge fan of Michael Moore but sometimes he seems to like getting new products out on the market without putting the proper amount of work into the product.

In this book, you need to have watched the TV Nation series before reading the book as the knowledge from those shows (brilliant shows by the way) means that you can understand this book.

For people not lucky enough to be able to buy a copy of the tapes (they seem to be rare these days), then you will read this book and wonder why Moore is so light in the writing. Lots of photos and some humour but nearly at the level of Stupid White Men.

Readable nevertheless for the Moore devotees.

Brevity is the soul of wit.......2006-08-27

Brevity is the soul of wit. Each segment of this TV show was allotted 8 minutes. I think that's what Michael Moore forgot at some point after 1995. When to stop talking.

I didn't see ROGER AND ME in 1989. I found the DVD in China almost 15 years later. My first exposure to Michael Moore was through this TV show. At that time, I'd left my working class roots behind to become a homeowner and a businessman. I'd all but abandoned my writing, and I rarely even read. When my mind was working, it was working for the company. When it was too tired, there was TV. The glistening idiot box. Yeah buddy, I was a citizen of the TV nation.

This show absolutely cracked me up. He went in, skewered someone in "the machine" (big business, rich folks, government) and then he was outta there. Each episode lasted 60 minutes, 45 without commercials, and had at least 5 segments, 8 minutes each. Brevity for the short attention span of the TV nation. And hey, 8 minutes is enough.

For example, "Love Night." 8 minutes, 4 hate groups as targets. The TV Nation Gay Men's Chorus serenades North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms by singing "What The World Needs Now Is Love." It doesn't matter which side of this debate you're on. The skit is absurd, hilarious, and only about 2 minutes long. In this particular example, as in so many others, cops are involved.

As a two-minute bit, it's hilarious. As a feature film like FAHRENHEIT 911, I suppose we get a long-winded political history and a blunt object that polarizes people so badly that I lost 100 subscribers simply by reviewing it.

It's easy to say those people weren't gonna buy my books anyway, and they weren't, but the divisiveness reminds me of George Wang's life during the Cultural Revolution, as described in BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. It's crazy.

Back to TV NATION. You know I've been reviewing some hefty tomes lately. I needed a break. This is it! Something I can scatter across several evenings without losing anything. It's probably better that way, in fact, to avoid the redundancy of seeing too many episodes compressed into a single sitting.

So, if you're in the mood for a short story collection instead of a novel, and you want some irreverent humor that'll crack you up, this is the book to get.

When Michael Moore was funny..........2005-10-18

When this show first aired as a summer replacement many years ago, I could not believe that NBC (and then Fox) would put Michael Moore's commie self on national television, but they did. When I saw this book I wanted to find out how this decision was made.

I found out, and you can, too. This book is for people who think Dilbert has sold out, and that the proletariat will eventually rise up to overtake the means of production. Even with the recent strong reaction to our policies in Iraq and New Orleans, this outcome still seems mighty remote...

Michael Moore is gifted, persistent, and wrong about everything. His is the voice of a victimized America - offended and self-pitying, but with a good reason. Enjoy this book as much as I did. Once voices like his are silent, we're greatly diminished as a nation, TV nation or not.

And you can get the communist party's website URL from the appendix for the price of the softcover.

Compelling and Provocative .......2005-07-10

Creator Michael Moore's Adventures in a TV Nation chronicles the best episodes of this most radical experiment in mainstream television broadcasting. The Gay Men's Chorus serenades the home of Senator Jesse Helms from his front lawn. Janeane Garafolo and a small army of riffraff storm the public-yet-exclusive beach of Greenwich, Connecticut. A benefit concert is staged to raise funds for corporate welfare. An Emmy-nominated black actor and a convicted white felon see who can catch a cab faster in New York City. A red 18-wheeler emblazoned with the Soviet hammer and sickle freights Communist paraphenalia across the country, stopping at church socials, PTA functions, and Jerry Falwell's church en route. If you're a Michael Moore fan... I highly recommend this one.

Funny and Entertaining.......2004-10-06

This book has some very funny interesting parts, it began very good but good a little bit slow towards the end, I will bet that watching the show is probably much more entertaining.
But as always, Michael Moore delivers!

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Adventures in TV Nation

Manufacturer: Non Basic Stock Line
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0330427660

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Novelization of the series pilot movie.

Alien Nation
Alan Dean Foster
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446352640

Customer Reviews:

Novelization of the series pilot movie........1999-01-03

If liked James Caan in the series pilot, you will probably like this novel. If you prefer the other guy, this is not written about him.

Book Description

If you use UNIX, you probably use csh to type commands even if you've never heard of it. It's the standard shell (command line) on most UNIX systems. tcsh is an enhanced version that's freely available and highly recommended. Using csh & tcsh describes from the beginning how to use these shells interactively. More important, it shows how to get your work done faster with less typing. Even if you've used UNIX for years, techniques described in this book can make you more efficient. You'll learn how to:

Make your prompt tell you where you are (no more pwd)
Use what you've typed before (history)
Type long command lines with very few keystrokes (command and filename completion)
Remind yourself of filenames when in the middle of typing a command
Edit a botched command instead of retyping it

This book does not cover programming or script writing in csh or tcsh because the tasks are better done with a different shell, such as sh (the Bourne shell) or a language like Perl.

Customer Reviews:

Misses the most fundamental concepts!.......2006-10-21

A book for the basic UNIX user. Does NOT include anything about writing scripts for this shell! Worthless! Don't waste your money.

Amazon likes to bury bad reviews because it negatively affects the sales of an item. When considering a product on Amazon you should ALWAYS look for the bad reviews. This will give you a more realistic impression of the quality of the product.

Massive omissions.......2005-03-15

What the heck ? This book omits MOST of the commands of csh/tcsh.
I later realized that I could have found this from the other
reviews, but I fundamentally DON'T understand the purpose of a
book that leaves MOST of the details about csh/tcsh OUT of the
book. What is this, csh/tcsh for ignorant people who wish to
remain so ? Grrrr !

One of the best book on LEARNING to USE the shell.......2001-03-08

I've seen many books on unix shells, however almost all the other books focus on shell programming instead of actually using shell to work more effectively and efficiently. This book fills the gap (hence the name "Using...". I personally recommend Zsh if you are looking for the most comprehensive shell. However zsh is too comprehensive and there is no book on it. Tcsh shell is an EXCELLENT shell to do your work (type in commands, listing files, and etc). It has all the essential goodies: command line completion, command-line editor, history, and etc. It found it more friendly than ksh and less complex than bash and/or zsh. This book teaches you step by step how to use the shell to do your every day work effectively. The author explains everything clearly which is more than what I can say about many books that just touches a little bit of using the shell as a command interpreter aspect of the shell as if everyone spend more time writing the shell scripts than using the command line. These aspect of the csh/tcsh are the basis for similar utilities in the other shells: ksh, bash, and zsh. I find that even if you use bash or zsh, you'll appreciate the information in the book. The other reason the author didn't write much on programming is because c-shell is less frequently used in shell programming because of the now famous posting of "C shell programming considered harmful", which is also on the book's homepage. If you have the patience to read through the book, you will find it an excellent investment of time. (The only other book I would say this for sure is the "Learning the vi Editor."

I can explain the wide disparity in reviews of this book!.......2000-10-10

The five reviews of this book that have come in ahead of mine range from 1 star to 5! The reason is simple, but the people panning the book didn't explain (or understand?) the problem very well.

Here's the dope: a Unix shell is both an interactive command interpreter, and an environment for writing scripts, which are basically programs using the interactive commands and some logical control structures to automate tasks that don't really need to be run interactively.

The author of this book, Paul Dubois, is of the opinion that neither csh nor tcsh are appropriate environments for shell scripting. I happen to disagree with him, at least insofar as I teach a little shell scripting in tcsh in my sophomore level software course. However, his opinion is worthy...making the argument that csh and tcsh shouldn't be used for shell scripting. Dubois recommends sh and perl for scripting.

So it boils down to this: this is an excellent book for learning how to make the most of the interactive environment of csh and tcsh. It's loaded with neat tricks and good insights. And it's a particularly good reference for tcsh, which usually gets little mention in other books.

If, on the other hand, you want a book about shell scripting, save your money: THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU. It has no material on shell scripting.

Excellent summary of csh / tcsh.......2000-08-22

I've been a csh and tcsh user for many years now, using tcsh on a daily basis. This book taught me even more about my familiar shell. The author makes it clear that his intent is to make the reader more productive in the shell environment, and he provides all the information and examples necessary to do just that.

As noted, this book does not cover csh-style shell scripting at all. If you're looking for a scripting reference, look elsewhere.

If, however, you're looking to improve your overall knowledge of csh and tcsh as far as daily is concerned, look no further. When combined with the manpage, this book makes both an excellent tutorial and reference.

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