The Way Things Work Kit

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Summary: My review on The Way Things Work
Review: The Way Things Work explains how ordinary and unordinary objects work. For example you would never think that a fission bomb would implod before it exploded or that a red piece of paper is red because it reflects cyan and yellow light. It gives detailed explanation of the forces and energies used in that device. It also gives fictional stories about how that energy and/or force could be used.

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Summary: This Book Is Great!
Review: This book gives a great overview of how simple and complicated mechanical devices work. It really helped me for school projects, and is just a fun book to read. It's a great book for kids and adults alike, if you buy it you won't regret it. Two thumbs up!

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Summary: Disappointing! Models don't work!
Review: We find Macaulay's books intriguing and so proceeded to order the kit for our 11 year old daughter. She loves science, does experiments on her own at home, elects to attend science camps every summer, and wants to be an engineer. She found the instruction cards attractive and easy to follow BUT "half the things didn't work" and "it was boring". She was extremely disappointed with the kit as she painstakingly followed instructions, and attempted to troubleshoot and adapt the models when she found they wouldn't work. My husband and I are an electrical engineer and a physician respectively, and we too were unable to shed any light on the problems she was having. We definitely would advise parents NOT to buy this kit.

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Summary: great idea but very poor execution
Review: When snow struck and my two boys were out with a snow day I gave them this kit and they loved it! It kept them busy for hours and saved my sanity. They had such fun that they didn't want to go back to school.

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Summary: Perfect for snow days
Review: When snow struck and my two boys were out with a snow day I gave them this kit and they loved it! It kept them busy for hours and saved my sanity. They had such fun that they didn't want to go back to school.

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Summary: An inspiring and funny resource for everyone
Review: Whether you are a mechanical engineer or a philosopher, The Way Things Work will teach you everything you want to know about a wide variety of modern devices. The art is beautiful, technically correct, and humorous. Buy it for your children AND for yourself.