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Steven Caney's Invention Book [Paperback]

Steven Caney (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


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Book Description

9 and up
Kids are natural inventors, bursting with notions so crazy they just might work. Chester Greenwood was just a boy when his big cold ears prompted him to fashion wire and fur into the world's first earmuffs. Caney shows how to get into "an inventing frame of mind" and how to look at everyday objects in new ways, as clues to fresh ideas.

From keeping a good notebook to setting up a workshop, from building the prototype to applying for a patent, Steven Caney covers it all, even showing the young entrepreneur how to market an invention successfully.

To get the creativity flowing, here are also hundreds of fantasy ideas that still need to be invented: everything from a temperature-regulating straw to sunburn alarm tabs. There are also extensive plans for twenty projects kids can build from ordinary household items. And to demonstrate the many sources of creative thinking, Caney tells the stories behind 25 landmark American inventions. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club. Suitable for ages 8-13. 215,000 copies in print.


Editorial Reviews

Review

Lively information, clear diagrams and directions and numerous photographs... -- Booklist

From the Back Cover

You Can Build a Better Mousetrap

You can also rig up a Bubble Bath Bucket using a tin can, a shoelace, and a bar of soap. You can make a bookend for records that is a record, and a Bookshelf Safe for valuables that is a book. There's a hammock to fashion from nothing but tightly rolled newspapers and clothesline, and still more: fly catchers and back scratchers, minimum-maximum constructions, a Funnel String Dispenser, a Portable Bleacher Pillow. Steven Caney's Invention Book leads kids ages 10 and up directly into the world of creativity. Caney shows kids how to get started tinkering on their own. He tells the stories beind many products that are now household words and urges consideration of hundreds of invention possibilities, such as a Robot Referee or a Loose Tooth Puller-both of which remain in dire need of invention at this very moment. Illustrations and photographs throughout.


Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (January 6, 1985)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0894800760
  • ISBN-13: 978-0894800764
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars For years and years of fun -- for a wide range of ages, June 29, 2003
By 
This review is from: Steven Caney's Invention Book (Paperback)
I got this book in March of 1992 from my dad. I was a 9-year-old soprano then, and I wrote about it for a fourth-grade book report. I am now a 20-year-old bass and college senior writing this review. I can honestly say that I still love reading this book, and not just to indulge my nostalgic or childlike moods. There is a very wide variety of materials -- stories, essays, anecdotes, photographs, etc. -- in here, so there's a good chance most kids will find at least several things they find interesting. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout, with tons of photographs and illustrations. Perhaps best of all, Caney consciously avoids any of the cloying cutesiness too often found in similar books: The Invention Book may not be the most glamorous book in the store, but it's still well worth every cent.

The first half of the book contains advice on how to develop, patent, and market inventions, along with a couple of cool projects to try. That may sound geeky, but trust me -- it's well-written in an unpatronizing, yet clear, style. Even if you do not really want to invent something, Caney offers a museum-like look into the process of invention. This includes many informational boxes, containing everything from the history of the robot to basic marketing tips.

The second half of the book consists of "35 Great American Invention Stories," covering such inventions as basketball, earmuffs, Life Savers, and the Xerox machine. Each story is easy to follow and written in the same clear, unpatronizing style of the first half of the book. Caney also includes "Fantasy Inventor's Notebook" and "Fantasy Inventions" with each story, for inspiration. Some are humorous, some sci-fi-ish, some serious.

As I have written, the book's contents are divided in fairly small chapters and information boxes, and there are hundreds of photographs and illustrations. The effect is rather like that of a museum: the reader can pick and choose which parts to look over, which to skim over, which to examine in depth...

If you know of any child or young adolescent who might even remotely enjoy this stuff, the Invention Book will make a perfect gift.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Steven Caney's Invention Book, February 15, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Steven Caney's Invention Book (Paperback)
This book is great for those children who are interested in inventions or who are fasinated by interesting information. There are inventions that I have not seen covered in other books, as well as more common items. The pictures are great to look at, and the fantasty invention aspect allows kids to think about what invention they would like to create.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Summer Fun and Learning, June 29, 2010
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This review is from: Steven Caney's Invention Book (Paperback)
Facts about where everyday items came from and how to do or make alot of them. Fun to do with your kids.
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