The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More

Ed Sobey · Woody Sobey

may 2008 · Chicago Review Press

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If you've ever wondered how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, or why a boomerang comes back, or how an R/C car responds to a radio controller, now you'll have your answers. The Way Toys Work explains the technology, history, and trivia behind 50 popular toys, with patent blueprints and photos of the &“guts&” of devices including:

* Kaleidoscope        * Magna Doodle          * Slinky

* Nintendo               * Super Soaker            * Big Mouth Billy Bass

* Rubik's Cube        * Silly Putty                  * Video Game Light Gun

* Furby                    * Dunking Bird             * View-Master

* Yo-Yo                  * Push 'n' Go Car        * Wiffle Ball

* Gyroscope            * Operation                  * Hula Hoop

You'll also find pointers on how to build your own versions using recycled materials and a little ingenuity, experiments that can be done with certain toys, and tips on reverse engineering old toys to get a better look at their interior mechanics. The only thing you won't learn is how the Magic 8 Ball is able to predict the future--some things are best left a mystery.

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Ed Sobey founded the National Toy Hall of Fame and was founding director of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He also cofounded Kids Invent Toys at California State University–Fresno and Camp Invention. He has written 20 books, including A Field Guide to Office Technology, and directed five museums from Florida to Oregon. He lives in Redmond, Washington. Woody Sobey is the state coordinator for Invent Idaho, a state-wide invention competition for grade school students, and the director of education for the Discovery Center of Idaho. He lives in Boise, Idaho.