Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things

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Book Description

Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system? Science-savvy author Cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things - and more than 40 other handy gadgets and gizmos - in Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things.

More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation. Included are survival, security, self-defense, and silly applications that are just plain fun. You'll be seen as a superhero as you amaze your friends by: Transforming a simple FM radio into a device that enables you to eavesdrop on tower-to-air conversations; Creating your own personalized electronic greeting cards; Making a compact fire extinguisher from items typically found in a kitchen pantry; Thwarting intruders with a single rubber band.

By using run-of-the-mill household items and the easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams within, you'll be able to complete most projects in just a few minutes. Whether you use Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things as a practical tool to build useful devices, a fun little fantasy escape, or as a trivia guide to impress friends and family, this book is sure to be a reference favorite for years to come.


 

About the Author

Cy Tymony has been creating useful high-and low-tech inventions all his life. By reading comic books as a kid and studying scientific techniques, he bridged science and fiction to amaze his friends.

He's authored nine books and more than a dozen articles on science and computers. Cy has been interviewed on over 200 radio shows and appeared on CNN Headline News, CBS's Morning News Chicago,  KTLA Morning News Los Angeles, FOX 5 Las Vegas. His books have been featured in U.S. News & World Report, National Geographics Kids, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and other publications. Look for him on the new PBS series, MAKE: Television. He lives in Los Angeles.

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Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things 

Book Description

How to Turn a Calculator into a Metal Detector, Carry a Survival Kit in a Shoestring, Make a Gas Mask with a Balloon, Turn Dishwashng Liquid into a Copy Machine, Convert a Styrofoam Cup into a Speaker, and Make a James Bond Spy Jacket with Everyday Things

Did you know that your standard issue of Sports Illustrated magazine can be turned into over 20 useful gadgets? In author Cy Tymony's Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things, you'll learn how an average magazine can become many extraordinary gadgets such as a compass, hearing aid, magnifier, peashooter, and bottle opener.

Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things covers 40 new educational and unique projects that anybody can successfully complete with simple household items. The book includes a list of necessary materials, detailed sketches, and step-by-step instructions for each gadget and gizmo. Among the sneaky schemes are:

"Creating a electroscope out of a glass jar     

"Turning a drinking cup into a speaker

"Using an AM radio as a metal detector    

"Making a spy gadget jacket with over 20 individual devices

These days, "be prepared" applies to more than just the Boy Scouts. Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things provides loads of practical ideas, science projects, and captivating solutions for dealing with life's unexpected challenges. Great fun for the curious, inventive, and creative of all ages.


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Link to U.S. News & World Report Review
Link to The Los Angeles Times Article

Reviews of the Sneaky Uses books:

Los Angeles Times - Article 1

Los Angeles Times - Article 2

NPR - Science Friday Show

MAKE Television

MAKE Magazine

Wired Magazine
 
The Daily Breeze
 
Parent Guide News
 
Boys' Life
 
The Examiner
 
Portland Book Review
 
The Morning Call
 
 
 
 

 

 

The National Science Teachers Association

Reviewed by Donald Logsdon Jr.
Online Instructor

On the old television series “MacGyver,” the hero was always getting out of tough situations by making practical devices out of simple materials. The author of Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things interests students in the wonders of science by showing them how to do their own amazing MacGyver feats. This approach not only gets students interested in science, but also encourages good critical thinking by students as they solve practical problems.

The book presents 42 ingenious uses of ordinary materials grouped under four headings: tricks and gimmicks, gadgets and gimmicks, gadgets and gizmos, and survival techniques. Also included are a number of recommended readings and useful websites. Detailed drawings show how each device is constructed and used.

One survival technique that students will find particularly interesting is the detailed description of how to light a fire in the wilderness using a flashlight battery and a paper clip. Another describes how to make a simple radio using an ordinary penny! Any of the topics in this book could be used in the science classroom to generate enthusiasm for science experimentation.

The only problem I had with the book is its title. "Sneaky" has a negative connotation, but these are great, creative, and innovative ideas.



See excerpts from the Sneaky Uses books! Click on the Amazon.com icon and type the book title in the Search option