A project book for the would-be inventor with activities, a list of "contraptions" in need of invention, and the stories behind thirty-six existing inventions.

A project book for the would-be inventor with activities, a list of "contraptions" in need of invention, and the stories behind thirty-six existing inventions.

Ever wonder how a suspension bridge can cross a gap thousands of feet wide? Want to know how to build a comfortable lounge chair out of cardboard boxes? Or what keeps a massive cathedral dome from collapsing? Discover the answers to these and many more questions in Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book, a wonderfully comprehensive exploration of design, construction, and invention that will stimulate the curiosity of children and adults alike. Much as David Macaulay's blockbuster The Way Things Work did for machines and devices a decade ago, this definitive volume from best-selling author Steven Caney details the ins and outs of construction in all its fascinating forms. Packed with exciting building projects guaranteed to engage anyone from age 4 to 104, the Ultimate Building Book gives easy-to-follow instructions for creating amazing models and toys that are as much fun to make as they are to play with! Readers are also introduced to a wide variety of household materials and tools that can be used for building, along with fascinating insights into the architectural and design properties of everything from drinking straws to yurts. A mammoth project in its own right, this book has been under construction for more than a decade. The result is hundreds of superbly illustrated pages that will enlighten and fascinate armchair architects of all ages for years to come.

First published in 1972, Steven Caney's classic Toy Book was written only after much research by the author and a group of 30 friends, all under the age of 13. A designer at the Boston Children's Museum (who had lectured at Harvard on the virtues of the refrigerator carton as a plaything), Caney came up with ideas the kids tested: they constructed and built, tried variations, used different materials, played. No toy could be included in the now-famous collection until it was agreed upon by every child. Could it be made easily? Was it fun? Safe? Caney and the children did their work well. As soon as Toy Book was released, it was recommended by the Museum of Modern Art, numerous book clubs, critics. Use it now as boys and girls always have: to enter new worlds of imagination, concentration, and confidence.

A collection of interesting and sometimes silly facts that relates to a Bible verse.

Presents reproducible cross-curricular activities for grades four through eight on historic and modern inventions and inventors, and includes ideas for student inventions.

Presents fun facts and trivia including how a pearl forms and the origin of safety glass, connecting them to Christian life using passages from the Bible.