Adventures from the Technology Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers, Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Garage Warriors Who Love Them

First, this book is not something you can let your kids read unsupervised--> There is a section on some seriously questionable behavior at the burning man ("Camp Pump" and vacuum enhancement). I guess that is why I am giving it a couple of stars less than max. Although the book can function as light reading for an adult, I was hoping to give it to my kids. Also "Camp Pump" didn't really add anything to the book for me, and could have been omitted. I am not a prude, its just that I don't consider those 5 pages to be that relevant to the technology underground. I would have rather seen a section on land speed records, or computer piloted land vehicles.The reason that I wanted to give it to my kids is because the book is written at the 'primer' level in regards to the topics is covers. The diagrams are great for the middle school level, and the writing is also 5th-9th grade or so. Most of the material in the book can be found on the web (in more depth), but the book is a nice way to bring a bunch of the topics together and relate them as components in the technology underground. Not to mention that, on the web, the more 'fringy' the website, the more likely it will be that there are links leading to places you don't want your kid going. On the other hand, I want my kids to be excited about science and technology, to feel like there is some fun stuff there, instead of just endless number crunching. This book would certainly generate the interest and 'how do I' questions that lead to true learning. I feel as if school in the US is getting increasingly watered down and topics that have some of the most interest to kids ( topics that are the "coolest") are strangled due to the focus on political correctness. Even science fairs seem to be super-carefully controlled to over-emphasize safety and stay 'in the box'.There is a section on pulse jets squarely in the middle of the 'Camp Pump' section, so it may be hard to take a sharpie to the book and 'redact' the material I am less-then-thrilled-with and leave the pulse jets intact. I will probably try that and let my kids have a look at it afterwards.

This is a really great book for anyone interested in diy science. The book is filled with lots of fun little projects. The information is detailed but not boring.The only reason why I did not give this 5 stars is because there are some technical errors. These errors(mostly names of things) are of little importance to actually understanding the science behind the projects. I have seen far worse errors in $200+ books, so definitely not a deal breaker.

I've enjoyed all of William Gurstelle's books so far and ordered "Adventures from the Technology Underground" as soon as it popped up on my radar. In the last week I've read the book a couple of times and give it a hearty recommendation.In a society that is frequently more and more out of touch with an enterprising spirit of scientific exploration this book makes it clear that all is not lost yet. (Who would have guessed that the Virginia Military Institute may be the foremost seat of siege warfare in the modern world?) It's best to sum this up as a celebration of ingenuity, curiosity and the limitless imagination of the human mind.I agree that some of the topics in the book aren't for the youngest of the curious and scientific but the book certainly isn't aimed at a younger audience. This is more of an introduction to topics that may or may not have crossed the path of the casual reader, not the hardcore enthusiast. With handy links and references the truly curious will easily be able to follow up on what the book offers. The mildly entertained will simply "wow" their friends at the next neighborhood block picnic or office water cooler round up.A great book by any practical measure.

I really wanted to like this book, but it's written in such a simplistic and unfocused way as to leave me very disappointed. The author barely scratches the surface of the many technologies/projects/events he covers, and I always felt cheated after finishing each chapter... thinking "That's IT?!"Underground tech IS a very cool subject to write about, but the lack of information about the inner motivations and passions of these "garage warriors" leaves a glaring hole in the text. If you have a short attention span and hate to read long books, this book is easily absorbed in a few hours. This is NOT a deep exposition on underground tech; it is a quick overview for newbies. Considering that the audience for this subject would be (I assume) more literate that the national average, it's a shame that the writing seems to be limited to what a sixth-grader could easily digest.I notice now that the price has now dropped to 10 bucks. At that price, it's more in line with the quantity/quantity of content provided, and could now be considered an "okay" value... just don't set your expectations too high. I know this was a fairly harsh review, but I really was disappointed that the amateurish quality of the writing didn't live up to the slick cover design. Don't judge a book by it's cover!

I found this book on a shelf in my high school library half a decade ago, and it inspired me to become the engineer I am today. I'm buying a copy now out of nostalgia. When you read the negative reviews about this book I urge you to consider the average intelligence of the lay person today and why they are dissatisfied... People should READ the title! The cover says "adventure" and not "instruction," since most 3 syllable words perplex folks these days..."rumination" is defined as a deep thought(as in the author's inner most thoughts on the tech). If someone expected there to be detailed schematics with specific build instructions...they're horribly wrong(they should use what brain power they do have and realize the legal/liability issues).This book was meant to inspire, and it'll likely do so with an intellectual whom has an interest and open mind.

Short on technical detailDon't bother

Was a , son enjoyed it