Winner of the 1991 Caldecott Medal for Black and White, author-illustrator David Macaulay has more than demonstrated his playful humor, imagination, and technical know-how in over fifteen books for children. His greatest success so far, though, has been the The Way Things Work, which spent fifty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fascinating and lushly illustrated, this tome explained in the most informative and humorous manner how things work — from the zipper to the remote control to the fire extinguisher. The New Way Things Work is an expanded version of this popular book. Updated to keep pace with technological developments, it has an added 80 pages on "The Digital Domain." Fans of the original, though, shouldn't fear — woolly mammoths still scamper through the pages guided by flocks of angels, and the visual puns abound. The New Way Things Work should be essential for any family's library, enlightening and entertaining to adults and children alike. Georgie, Powells.com

"This is a work of mammoth imagination, energy, and humor. It justifies every critic's belief that information and entertainment are not mutually exclusive - good nonfiction is storytelling at its best."

"Keep the book a secret from your kids for a while and study up on the explanations of questions you're anticipating. Let Macaulay make you look smarter than you think you are. The kids will certainly be impressed - and you'll be getting a real education in the bargain."

"Combining the tongue-in-cheek observations of a budding prehistoric engineer with acute descriptions of the functioning of mechanical and electrical machines, Macaulay has produced a superb volume.... Macaulay's unusual ability to focus, distill, organize, and convey information through his art has never been so impressively displayed."

"An astonishing tour-de-force, three years in the making, by the architect-turned-author who has given us Cathedral and City...Large, clear, complete drawings...contain unexpected little details providing hours of enlightenment and discovery."

"A book to be treasured as both a browsing item and as a gold mine of reference information."

David Macaulay is the author and illustrator of many exciting and unusual books for readers of all ages, including the international bestseller The New Way Things Work; Caldecott Medal-winner Black and White, and Caldecott Honor Award-winners Castle and Cathedral; and Building Big, the companion book to the successful PBS Series. Other awards he has received include the Boston GlobeHorn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, the Washington Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, and a Dutch Silver Slate Pencil Award. In 2006 he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given to "to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations." Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. A graduate of and former teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design, Mr. Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.Neil Ardley has written more than 100 books on science and technology. His skill at demystifying modern technology and explaining science with simple and exciting activities has made many of his books very popular. A man of diverse interests, Neil Ardley is also an accomplished musician and jazz composer and has produced a number of music books and records. At home in the Peak District, England, Neil Ardley combines writing and music with walking.

Contents

1-5

Prelim Pages

PART ONE: THE MECHANICS OF MOVEMENT

6-9

TITLE, CONTENTS, INTRODUCTIONS

10-17

THE INCLINED PLANE

Locks and keys; cutting machines; can opener;

plough; zipper

18-29

LEVERS

Includes: lever in action; weighing machines;

grand piano; manual typewriter; firefighters

ladder

30-35

WHEEL AND AXLE

Wheel and axle at work; waterwheel; turbine;

windmill; wind turbine; dentist's drill.

36-53

GEARS AND BELTS

Includes: gear box; mechanical clocks;

differential; lawn sprinkler; cams and

cranks; sewing machine.

54-61

PULLEYS

Chain hoist; counterweights; block and

tackle; tower crane; escalator; lift.

62-69

SCREWS

Screws at work; tap; drills and augers;

combine harvester.

70-77

ROTATING WHEELS

Gyroscope, starter motor; roller blind; car

seat belt

78-81

SPRINGS

Stapler; car suspension

82-89

FRICTION

Clutch; synchromesh; car brakes; oil rig;

freedom from friction; perpetual motion.

PART TWO: HARNESSING THE ELEMENTS

90-93

TITLE, CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION

94-105

FLOATING

Submersible; submarine; passenger boat; wind

surfer; yacht; airship; hot-air balloon.

106-119

FLYING

Includes: airplane; airliner wing;

helicopter; jump-jet; hydrofoil

120-141

PRESSURE POWER

Includes: pumps; pneumatic drill; hydraulics;

power steering; suction; carburetor; fuel

injection.

142-163

EXPLOITING HEAT

Includes: heat waves; combustion engines;

blast furnace; electric heater; toaster;

refrigerator.

164-173

NUCLEAR POWER

Nuclear fission; nuclear fusion; nuclear

weapons; fallout; nuclear reactor; fusion

power.

PART THREE: WORKING WITH WAVES

174-177

TITLE, CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION

178-197

LIGHT AND IMAGES

Includes: lighting; light bulb; mirrors;

endoscope; lenses; telescopes; liquid

crystals; holograms.

198-207

PHOTOGRAPHY

Includes: cameras; color photograph; photo

booth; movie camera; movie projector.

208-217

PRINTING

Papermaking; printing plates; printing

press; bookbinding.

218-233

SOUND AND MUSIC

Woodwind instruments; brass instruments;

string instruments; percussion instruments;

microphone; synthesizer; electric guitar;

mixer; amplifier; loudspeakers; earphones;

record player; tape recorder.

234-253

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telephone; radio transmitter; radio receiver;

radio signals; television camera; camcorder;

video recorder; television set; satellites;

space telescope; radio telescope; satellite

dish; space probes.

PART FOUR: ELECTRICITY AND AUTOMATION

254-257

TITLE, CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION

258-273

ELECTRICITY

Includes: photocopier; air cleaner; ionizer;

lightning conductor; quartz clock;

self-winding watch; electric circuit;

batteries; solar cell, remote control unit.

274-289

MAGNETISM

Includes: magnets at work; electric bell;

electric horn; maglev train; disc

drive; electric generator; transformer;

power supply; car ignition system.

290-309

SENSORS AND DETECTORS

Includes: seismograph; air bag; autopilot;

breath tester; smoke detector;

X-rays; sonar; ultrasound; scanner; radar;

metal detector; automatic doors; advanced

burglar alarms; body scanner; automatic

transmission; cruise control.

NEW SECTION

PART FIVE: THE DIGITAL DOMAIN

310-373

TITLE, CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION

The Digital Domain will consist of five main

sections: Forming Bits; Storing

Bits; Processing Bits; Sending Bits; Using

Bits. All of the following topics will be

covered within these five sections:

ANALOG/DIGITAL SYSTEMS

Binary code; digital pictures;

analog-digital conversion; microchip

COMPUTER

Includes: mouse; keyboard; scanner; voice

recognition; memory; floppy disk; hard disk;

ROM; RAM; CD-ROM; processor; operating

system; monitor; printers; sound; modem;

e-mail; Internet; fiber optics.

COMMUNICATION

Includes: fax machine and fax card; digital

telephone; mobile phone.

ENTERTAINMENT

Includes: digital radio; digital TV and

video; compact disc; digital sound.

OTHER DIGITAL SYSTEMS

Electronic money and banking; digital

security; digital camera; automatic camera;

bar-code reader; GPS portable navigator;

virtual reality, simulator; robot.

ENDMATTER

374-389

EUREKA!

An easy to use, illustrated survey of key

inventions from the ax to the micro-chip, in

chronological order.

390-395

TECHNICAL TERMS

396-400

INDEX