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How Things Work: The Inner Life of Everyday Machines

by Theodore Gray

A close look at everyday machinery

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A close look at everyday machinery

From the cotton gin to the wristwatch and industrial loom, Theodore Gray’s book surveys the mechanical systems behind a wide range of machines. Its subject is both practical and historical: how mechanisms work, and how they have shaped familiar tools and larger equipment. Original photographs by Nick Mann accompany the explanations, giving the book a visual dimension alongside its focus on science and mechanics. The broad selection makes machinery—not just household devices, but industrial and historical examples—the organizing thread.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • People curious about the mechanics behind everyday objects and machines
  • Builders and makers interested in mechanical systems
  • Popular-science readers drawn to machinery and its history

Themes

Mechanical systemsEveryday technologyScience and engineeringHistory of machinery

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Another masterpiece" (BoingBoing), by Theodore Gray, How Things Work explores the inner workings of machines, big and small, revealing the extraordinary science, beauty, and rich history of everyday things.

Theodore Gray has become a household name among fans, both young and old, of popular science and mechanics with his bestselling trilogy of books: The Elements, Molecules, and Reactions. In How Things Work, he explores the mechanical underpinnings of dozens of types of machines, from the cotton gin to the wristwatch to an industrial loom, and shares his deep, firsthand appreciation and knowledge of the world's most essential mechanical systems. Filled with stunning original photographs by Nick Mann, How Things Work is a must-have exploration of stuff--large and small--for any builder, maker or lover of mechanical things.

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