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

by David and Ardley Macaulay

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.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Reference, Childrens, Engineering, Technology, Physics

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Burt]

My parents got me this book when I was a kid for Christmas. I still have it on my shelf, and it's still actually a really good, really informative reference book. Like any other David Macaulay book, it's fully illustrated (another Caldecott winner I believe) and fun to just look at. The texts read fairly clearly as well, and it outlines everything from the simple tools (wedges, inlined planes, levers, and wheels) to the insanely complex (Solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle and nuclear power plants).

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very instructive, expanded with respect to the first. It is more of a book for adults than for children, the truth, because the fundamentals are complicated and explanations, although clear, require a certain level. But very entertaining.

[Amar Pai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The drawings are too messy. It's nice that this book is organized by principle of operation (lever, pulley, etc.) rather than function. But the illustrations don't really illustrate things very well-- especially for machines where you need to visualize all 3 dimensions.

Whatever happened to electronic paper? This book would be awesome if the diagrams were all animated. Sure you could go to a web site, but resolution/portability are so much better with a real book. You can't read the internet in the bath. I hope someday another version of this comes out that has holograms and e-paper. And lasers.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and entertaining.

[Ramu Vairavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book more for readers (of all ages) who are interested in the science behind machines. If technology and machines are not your definition of fun, you might just discover a new interest after reading this. Usually, books that explore how things work are intense and the reader is at risk of information overload. In this book though, a parallel theme featuring comical adventures of woolly mammoths helps to (ironically) lighten the weight of information.

Besides the endearing bygone creatures, I liked the mechanics portion best. Many of the machines here are commonplace, but the approach with which they are presented is thoroughly refreshing. The illustrations by David Macaulay are amazing – the very opposite of engineering drawings. I wish I had seen this book when I was a child, which no doubt would have kindled an interest in science and engineering early.

[Linds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of good information, and, for the most part, the explanations are decently and concisely done. This was a big undertaking, and the end result is... okay. I feel like it's a near miss for what it could have been.

One primary issue was the choice of illustrations. In many circumstances (zippers, inclined planes, etc.) the quasi-cartoony drawings don't matter. But because the book kept with that theme, once it started to get into describing engines and more complicated mechanics, I didn't think the drawings really cut it. If you're introducing this to someone for presumably the first time, more realistic drawings or, gosh, even a picture, would have REALLY helped get some ideas across.

Also, "thematically", ideas didn't go for more than two pages. So I was quite surprised by how short some of the explanations were. I get that is aimed at children, but I did think some of the explanations needed a bit more. I used to review engineering topics in schools, and the steps were a little easier to tackle.

For example, the binary details. The book has a narrative use of mammoths throughout. The mammoth is struggling, with various issues, and inventions help him along. (I think this could help keep interest for those less interested in the topics. For those who are more technically-minded and in it for just the info, these sections becoming annoying things to skip.) The author uses his mammoth narrative and a fictional pumpkin patch to try and draw an analogy to how binary works, and that's the introduction. He says there are two digits, and then goes to explain the on-off basis of computers. I thought the mammoth/pumpkin patch mess was an awful attempt at shortening a binary explanation, and he would have been much better served to take an extra paragraph and just cleanly lay out the traditional power of 2s -for those who want to understand.

There were dozens of instances where I couldn't see what age this book was aiming at. I also didn't understand why the author seemed completely gung-ho against equations of any kind. Again, I guess that was the theme. But there are lots of connections where a clean little equation REALLY makes the idea, and those were left completely out. And they belong! For people like myself, those help a bunch.

I had the older version of this book as a child, and I never took to it. I went on to major in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, so it wasn't the subjects. Now that I look back as this an adult, I can see why it didn't suit me. This isn't quite right for the young who are really keen on the topics.

Speaking of which...

A few quotes: "The principle of conversation of energy holds good and all machines obey. Or nearly all. Nuclear machines are an exception." And then: "A nuclear reaction in fact creates energy; it does not convert one form of energy into another."

Magic!

The author does later mention mass to energy, briefly (and not to my satisfaction). And of course we can't have the E=mc^2 equation; that'd be sacrilege. But to put the first quote in your introduction, and then include the second quote your blurb out nuclear energy makes it sound like reactors are breaking Newton's laws, and that mass and energy aren't also in a closed system... that's converting energy.

There's more minor things that I just have to mention. Before discussing reactors, the book mentions fission is specific to either uranium or plutonium, and fusion by hydrogen. Really, the process should be explained, because it's misleading to think it's limited to those elements without explaining why those elements are used. Nitpicky, perhaps, but this is my wheelhouse.

Then, there's this gem, when describing nuclear fusion, "Radiation is not emitted." Blinks. (To be fair, the author does mention neutrons, and I know not everyone counts that as radiation. Regardless.) He had just described the gamma radiation from fission, so I'm assuming the author was on the same kick. But to say no radiation is emitted from fusion reactions?? Wow. That is bold. (Shush, alpha and beta! Nobody cares about you! Be scarier!) And are ya reallllly sure there aren't any gamma rays in fusion? I'm stunned.

I feel bad for being caught up on those few pages in a 400 page book. But I can't get over it. If I feel misled in areas where my knowledge is strong, then I start to be wary of the other information. I knew a lot of it, but not all. Suddenly I don't trust you, Mr. Macaulay.

Anyway. Back to my first thoughts. It's decent. Not great. If someone wants a general overview, this would be okay. If a young'n has a sincere interest in engineering, I would look elsewhere.

[Joseph Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a neat book explaining all that high and "techy" stuff which can be so hard to comprehend---until now. The Author and Illustrator, David Macaulay, really did a great job on this. It seems as if it's a long book (400 pgs.) but there so many illustrations it actually isn't too lengthy, and trust me, even if you're like me and aren't "techy", this book is not boring at all. Very enjoyable and a great way to introduce children to the Way Things Work!

[Carolyn Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for the budding engineer, or even if you're just curious. Everything from levers and gears to how zippers work to hydrofoils, nuclear power and technology in outer space. This is a nice thick book and is almost a graphic in how many illustrations it has. Sure some of the computer and space technology they cover may be outdated now, but because the book is mostly principle-based, working everything back to the basic components, it's still useful.

[Jackson Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new way things work is a great nonfiction book, specializing in, you guessed it, the way things work. It grants great information about everything ranging from pulleys and levers to musical instruments to computers. It specializes in mechanical things, like locks, pulleys, and ramps. it also shows the inner working of how computers save and output bits, in a tangible and humorous way. This book by David Macaulay appeals to all ages by adding in sections explaining things with mammoths(it will make more sense if you read the book.). this adds humor to keep smaller kids interested while helping older youth to understand simple mechanical machines using simple and precise drawings to portray what the machines do and how. Overall, I suggest this book to anyone older than 4 and younger than 15.

[Jirawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In today's world most of us have Wifi and other electronic devices such as washing machines, switches and other machines, but do you know how they all work? It is actually really interesting. You might think that engineering and understanding how machines work is very complicated, but this book will explain to you in a way that is easy to understand. Since I am interested in Engineering I picked up this book inorder for me to understand machines on a deeper level. This book is made so that it is easy and interesting to the readers who wants to understand how technology works around them.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great reference book. I enjoyed how the concepts were organized and built upon each other. The mammoth mascot is so cute! The age of the Internet and its wealth of frequently updated information may make books like these somewhat out of date. Still, I recommend this resource to teachers looking to stock their classrooms, school and public libraries, and young readers interested in mechanical topics.

[Carson Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covering everything from the wheel to nuclear fission, this book gives descriptive yet concise summaries of how things work. Instead of organizing inventions chronologically or by complexity, the book is divided based on the components used in an item; for instance, the plow and the zipper are grouped together as they both employ wedges. The illustrations may be my favorite part of the book as they clearly depict even the most intricate devices with small touches of humor scattered throughout.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book at a young age and couldn't get through more than 20 pages. I continued to try to read it until I finished many years later. It's still on my shelf next to some dismantled electronics and a PhD diploma in engineering. It would be a huge overstep to draw a link there; however, I do think that The (New) Way Things Work can inspire a deeper interest in human-made objects – from, "I wonder how many radio waves are going through me now," to, "hm, stairs were a good idea."

[Julia Brodsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book recently, and it was pretty good. I learned a lot about how things work, in a fun way. The illustrations are good, and they teach stuff in a fun way. The drawings with mammoths and the simple machines made me laugh, and the long reading sections were interesting to read as they were partly fictional.

[Mandabplus3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most complete beginners guide to physics used in everyday life that is accessible and entertaining enough to read as a bedtime story for primary age kids. Not too basic for middle years- a thorough course with excellent pictures for concepts.

[Ethan Hulbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mammoths make this book at first. But really, the amazingly simple yet thorough explanations on how everything around us works truly make the book. It's so fun you don't even realize how much you're really learning.

My favorite part is Bill's gates.

[Jaclyn_E2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very helpful guild to many of my questions and many science projects. It has detailed illustrations and is surprisingly interesting. The new way things work explains a lot of things about our daily lives and is very informative.

[Mamma Björn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorites as a child and I can't wait until my son is old enough to go through it with me. The illustrations were exciting and interesting and helped me understand The New Way Things Work.

[Spencer Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now THIS is my kind of book. What a fun and fascinating look into the mechanics of every day objects. It's so cool to see some of the throughlines Macaulay draws from an engineering principle to the many machines it makes work.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Describes many basic items we have in our life and explains how they work. Helpful and good to know

[ORPHAN ACCOUNT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting.

[Rena Hua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuuny book, explains well easy to understand.
I like the wolly mammoth.

[Bryce Decker]

This book explains exactly how things work. It's perfect for future engineers or kids with all the questions.

[BookWizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some times hard understand but good illustrations

[Kitty Feugate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book makes me sad because I don't like when cats are shown getting hurt. 😭

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob read y11...,krb 6/1/23

[Lisa DiG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations and explanations. One of my favorite resource books of this kind for children.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful treasury of how things work with great illustrations. This was one of the most looked at books in our home library— especially by the boys but by all of us, too.

[Eunoia]

my introduction to the world kind of thing when i was a child. absolutely love this. 🍀

[Peter Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most influential books of my childhood.