Inventing for Boys

Archie Frederick CollinsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 325K words
Chapters: 33

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Inventing for Boys by A. Frederick Collins Author: Collins, A. Frederick (Archie Frederick), 1869-1952, Language: English, Class: T: Technology, Release Date: May 28, 2015

Editor's review

Inventing for Boys is A. Frederick Collins's beginner's guide to invention for young readers, a public-domain technology ebook. In plain, accessible English the author explains the basics of hands-on inventing, stressing that one should start from everyday observation and build small devices from simple materials rather than stop at theory. The language is plain and the emphasis is on practicality, making it suitable as optional material for sparking STEM interest or for extensive English reading. The electronic edition comes from Project Gutenberg: the layout is clean, it is free to obtain, and it is easy to print and use chapter by chapter. It can be read as a project-based learning handbook, trying the book's ideas with common household materials while reading. Note that some of the equipment and safety notions in the book bear the marks of their era; before hands-on practice, adjust them to current safety standards and, when necessary, have an adult present. Overall it is better suited as supplementary reading to spark interest and a hands-on mindset than as a systematic engineering textbook.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Young readers curious about hands-on making and mechanical devices.
Parents and teachers looking for STEM interest-sparking materials for children.
Middle school students who want to practice extensive English reading with easy technology content.
Leaders of youth clubs organizing after-school crafts or small invention activities.

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic engineering theory or rigorous experimental courses.
Hands-on practitioners who need modern safety standards and up-to-date material lists.
Readers who struggle with English and would rather read popular Chinese technology books directly.

Reading tips

Read in chapter order; after each section, first write down the small project you want to try, then test it hands-on.
Compile the English names of materials in the book into a vocabulary list, combining hands-on work with English vocabulary building.
Check current safety standards before starting, and replace outdated materials in the book with common safe ones.
Read together as parent and child or in a group: one person explains the idea and another handles construction, then discuss improvements afterward.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for Chinese-native children to read directly?

The original is in English and written for English-speaking readers; the sentences are generally plain but contain technical vocabulary. Chinese-native middle school students can read it with a dictionary and adult help; younger children are better off having a parent or teacher select chapters and explain the key points before doing hands-on work.

Can the invention projects in the book still be followed today?

The book emphasizes hands-on making with simple materials, and its ideas are still worth consulting, but the materials, tools, and safety notions bear the marks of their era. In practice, replace parts according to current safety standards and check for electrical and tool risks; minors must be accompanied by an adult.

What should I note when reading the electronic edition?

This book comes from Project Gutenberg and is a free public-domain ebook that can be freely downloaded and read. Layout may differ slightly across devices; it is best to read it chapter by chapter and go through the relevant passages before hands-on practice, so that no steps are missed while working from the screen.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Archie Frederick Collins Author · American · 1869–1952

A. Frederick Collins (1869–1952) was an early American radio pioneer and popular science writer. Born in South Bend, Indiana, and died in Nyack, New York, he invented the wireless telephone in 1899, making him one of the early explorers of radio technology. From 1922 he published The Radio Amateur's Hand Book, which remained in print and was repeatedly reissued into the 1980s, serving generations of amateur radio enthusiasts. He also wrote science and technology books for young people and general readers, notably Inventing for Boys, characterized by practical guidance and clear, step-by-step explanations of principles. Three of his works are held in this collection. Public information on his education, positions, and full biography is limited, so no speculation is offered here; the emphasis is on his role as a radio practitioner and popular science writer.