In the ancient world, philosopher Archimedes designed new machines for farming. During the Renaissance, artist Leonardo da Vinci sketched his ideas for wondrous flying machines. Scientist James Watt provided ideas that would power the Industrial Revolution, while American inventor Thomas Edison patented more than 1000 inventions that would shape modern life, including the movie camera and the electric light bulb. Today's inventors still explore ideas...

"Get the scoop on inventions of the future before they hit stores, like the fish tank that turns your toilet into an aquarium (but don't worry, your fishy friends will be just fine), or the Cargonaut, a human-size robot that flies around picking up and delivering items just for you"--Page 4 of cover.

Presents some of the characteristics of inventors by describing the inventions of people such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Eli Whitney.

In a clockwork Brittania, Alice's prospects are slim. At 21, her age and her unladylike interest in automatons have sealed her fate as an undesirable marriage prospect. But a devastating plague sends Alice off in a direction beyond the pale.

Photographs and text explore such inventions as the wheel, gears, levers, clocks, telephones, and rocket engines.

After being shrunk by a shrinking machine, Alexander, his cousin Judy, and Thudd the robot encounter drain flies, a cockroach, and worse as they work their way through Mrs. Scuttle's house toward safety.

After escaping from the belly of a whale, Andrew and his cousin Judy face more dangers from their underwater nemesis, Soggy Bob, in the Great Barrier Reef.

Full of weird and wacky facts and retro-inspired illustrations, Amazing Inventions is the perfect, fun introduction to everything from robots to nanoscience. Prepare to laugh, marvel, and learn. Did you know that the ancient Egyptians may have used kites to help build their pyramids? That robots have a hard time learning karate? Or that Australian nanoscientists have manufactured a garment that you can clean by just holding it up to the light? Covering...