Cover Image: 100 Things to Know About Inventions

100 Things to Know About Inventions

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Member Reviews

'100 Things to Know About Inventions' is an engaging and informative book that introduces readers to a variety of fascinating inventions. With quirky illustrations and concise explanations, it provides an accessible overview of technological advancements throughout history.

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Certainly an odd blend of inventions explored here. We start each section, typically, with the simplest form of an invention followed by other things that build off the same idea. The explorations are fairly brief, making this a book more for leafing through than a single sitting reading.

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I loved the small-bite format of this series. A little introduction to 100 different topics that could be a new door to a new topic for any reader.

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I really enjoyed the short factual tidbits about various illustrations. I think the vibrant illustrations and short bursts of text will appeal to reluctant readers. I think it will also appeal to educators and library programs and parents. It’s a great starting point to learn about inventions and inventors. I appreciate that inventions from a range of people and places are included.

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*An advance reader’s copy was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an informative book for people who enjoy science, discovery, general knowledge and being that one person in the room that likes to tell others about facts when no one asked.

100 things to know about inventions is exactly like its name. From historical farming ploughs to modern-day rockets and space stations, this book introduces you to a brief history of inventions, accompanied by colourful illustrations. It works as a coffee table book or a gift too!

I liked that it covers inventions from the field of physics and chemistry to even things such as paper bags and coins. It is things like this that I take for granted, and never for a second think “I wonder what sparked that invention.” It was truly a pleasure to read.

It is a book that is suitable for younger and older readers. Most of the history was explained well, but some I had to read for a couple of times. It is brief and only covers some important points, nothing too terrifying or boring.

Since I was given an ARC, I think that was why the quality of illustrations wasn’t as crisp as I hoped it would be. It isn’t the fault of the author or illustrator, but it lowered my experience of reading, especially when the illustrations act as a support that enhances the joy of reading picture books. Though this isn’t reflected in my ratings, but I would still like to mention it.

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What an interesting book! We really learned a lot while reading this. Definitely fun to read. Cannot recommend it enough!

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Nice brief overview for children of inventions ancient and modern. Each one is accompanied by an illustration and a short paragraph that well sums up the who, where, when, why, and how. Especially kids who demonstrate an interest in science or mechanical work will probably enjoy this.

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I love these books. I read a similar one about politics from NetGalley and also have the art one in this series. Each book presents 100 topics within a certain subject, using only 100 words for each explanation. These books are so accessible and present so much information, but are in no way overwhelming or too complicated. These books are lovely to have in the classroom, either to be enjoyed as something to dip in and out of, or as an introduction to a specific topic.

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A delightful book with cool information abaout many inventions that We use to apply in our current life. It's a good book for young readers (but also for adults) 'cause sometimes We forget to appreciate the hard work and effort that other people did So We could enjoy the perks of Their work. A good reading.

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This is an adorable book full of fun facts about inventions! The illustrations are great and the descriptions are really well written. While the inventions seem to be in random order, I didn't find this to be a problem to navigate the book because of the table of contents. I enjoyed seeing ancient inventions alongside very recent ones. Definitely a book I'll be purchasing for my library.

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From Leonardo da Vinci coming up with the first known practical parachute, to the Space Shuttle using one as a brake – such a chronology itself is not in this book, although all the tech is. This covers a hundred inventions (well, 99 and the patent) in isolation from each other, but all in easily-read, very digestible, hundred word essays. Near-full page illustrations show everything very smartly, and the text is probably all one would need at a certain primary school age. There's so little to fault here, even if you would perhaps prefer the chronology and the sustained growth of our species' development to be here as a narrative, or for things to be connected via theme, that I have to award the full marks.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book. I love the artwork and loved the facts. I found myself repeating some of these facts (the rollarskates) to my husband later on.

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This is a very interesting enrichment book that would make a nice addition to school and classroom libraries. Brief histories of 100 items are told in clear, concise paragraphs. Simple illustrations accompany each featured item. I liked the timeline included at the end--it was helpful in contextualizing how tech grew over time.

The one thing that might have enhanced the book is some kind of organizational structure. We went from plows to LEGO to microwaves to toilets without any rhyme or reason I could detect. Each write-up can easily stand alone, but it might have broadened some connections to see the inventions progress logically.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

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