What A Great Idea! Inventions That Changed The World

by Stephen M. Tomecek, Dan Stuckenschneider (Illustrator)

Steve Tomecek discusses 45 inventions that really shook up society. These big ideas inspired many other inventions and illuminate the changes that technology has made throughout time.

From the hand ax and mathematics to IC chips and the laser, each technological touchstone in human history is described and placed in historical context. Each profile includes the who (if we know it), how the idea developed and how it works, the immediate impact of the idea, and the technological 'children' of the idea. The time span is 3500 BC to today. The author closes with an epilogue that looks into the future, a bibliography, and a list of great Web sites for young inventors.
Realistic, 4-color paintings, in technical drawing style, showcase the idea and its applications by humans.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Stem, History

112 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kalynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!! Definitely makes my top five favorite nonfiction books. At first, like with many nonfiction books, I picked it up, looked inside and thought...too many words, I'll read it later. So later became now and what a reward it was! Divided into five chapters: The Ancient World, The Metal Age, The Age of Discovery, The Age of Electricity and Communication, and The Age of the Atom, it shares about domino-effect inventions of their time. I applaud the author because of his research and his organization. Each invention had the headings of "How it Works", "Impact" and "Children of This Invention"...which all ended up being my favorite to read...well, more so the last two. The linking that is involved here is so well done that every page has you saying...what, really, that's incredible, I never would have connected that...and sometimes...go people! :-) As a doc student studying science literacy, I loved those headings, how inviting the information was, and how even though yes, lots of words, yes a bit long...the invention was organized in just a two-paged spread that could stand alone or be part of something larger. As a writer, I appreciate that even though it was heavy nonfiction, the author's voice is there, you can feel that a person wrote this...which sounds crazy, of course they did, but yet it is often so absent in nonfiction. You can feel how much the author enjoyed researching and writing this book. As a science teacher, I loved the stand alone quality. The teacher in me was picturing so many lesson connections, both specific and more broad...like a scientific method connections, and also the heart and mind connections of dedication, imagination, inspiration and often teamwork. As a teacher who values culture and broadening perspectives, I absolutely loved how the author dug deep with his research and mentioned the many names, the many countries who did similar work, or whose work lead to the "invention", or those who didn't receive credit they rightfully deserved.

[529_Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Great Idea! Inventions that Changed the World by Stephen M. Tomecek is an information book that explains significant inventions during different time periods. The book is divided into five chapters, each chapter being a significant time period. The Ancient World (before 3500 B.C.), The Metal Age (3500 B.C. -A.D. 1), The Age of Discovery (A.D. 1-1799), The Age of Electricity and Communication: (1799-1887), and The Age of the Atom (1887-present[2003]). The book has a good introduction "…Over the course of human history, people have come up with millions of inventions that have helped them to live easier lives. While things like the shoehorn haven't had a major impact on our world, some, like the wheel, and the light bulb, have literally changed the course of human history." With each chapter there is a brief introduction of the specific time period and then has a two-page spread of each of the inventions. Each invention has a brief introduction then with clear headings , How it Works, Impact, and Children of this Invention(inventions that have stemmed from this particular invention). 45 different inventions are looked at from the hand ax to the battery to the laser. Full color diagrams and illustrations are integrated very well into each invention, providing more insight into that particular invention. At the end of the book a looking ahead adds a nice touch, "Over the years, inventions have gotten more complex, but one thing that has stayed the same is the inventive spirit that makes humans special". With additional sources at the end with the bibliography, web sites, invention contests, and the index, I feel that this book falls under all the criteria for the evaluation informational books.
Nonfiction text recommended for ages 9-12, would be an excellent companion book with any science lesson for any one of those time periods. You can either pull out chapters or just individual inventions.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my November boom review I read What a great Idea! Inventions that changed the world by Stephen M. Tomecek. This book tells a short Encyclopedia-like article about 45 of man's most Important inventions. It has many colored pictures and diagrams and explains it's self well. It has pages of information from spears to high tech. computers! This book would be appealing to mostly middle school students grade 6-8 that are interested in inventions or being a scientist when they grow up. I would recommend this to almost anyone I know.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very useful in our homeschool study of inventors this year. Covers from the ancient world's hand axes to the laser beam, in two page spreads for each significant invention. Puts them in an historic context, explains briefly how they work, impact on society, and what grew out of it. Great intro to lots of ideas that you can run with.

[Huong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inventions past to present and from around the world.

Can use a resource text or for a lesson on inventions in a variety of time periods. Kids can also replicate an invention from the book. In addition, it can be used as a fun fact to start the day in either a science or history class.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids might not pick this up on their own, but it's pretty cool.
AR: MG/8.7/4.0

[W Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it can get boring after a while, I must say it is a very informative book.