The Way Kitchens Work

The Science Behind the Microwave, Teflon Pan, Garbage Disposal, and More

Ed Sobey

• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9781569762813
• eBook ISBN: 9781613743072
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Science General

If you've ever wondered how a microwave heats food, or why aluminum foil is shiny on one side and dull on the other, or whether it is better to use cold or hot water in a garbage disposal, you should read The Way Kitchens Work. Modern kitchens are hi-tech marvels, with more machinery than any other room in the house. Each of the 50+ entries includes its history, interesting trivia, and a discussion of the technology involved.

            Readers will also enjoy reviewing the utensils' and appliances' original patent blueprints, as well as photos of the "guts" of these culinary tools. The author even includes odd side stories, such as how the waffle iron played a role in the founding of Nike, how you can reset a turkey timer, and why socialite Josephine Cochran really invented the dishwasher in 1886--it wasn't because she wanted to ease the burden of her servants, but because she wanted a device that would avoid the unsightly chips associated with hand washing.

            And finally, for those whose stovetop skills are still in development, Sobey provides information on the invention and use of the smoke detector and hand-held fire extinguisher.

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978-1-55652-745-6
$14.95 (CAN $16.95)

The Way Toys Work

The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More Ed Sobey and Woody Sobey

A Selection of the Scientific American Book Club

“This book is sure to provide hours of entertainment and enlightenment.”

—School Library Journal

How does an Etch A Sketch write on its gray screen; why does a boomerang return after it is thrown; and how does an R/C car respond to a radio-control device? Father/son author duo Ed and Woody Sobey explain the science hidden in these and dozens more of the world’s most popular toys. Each of the 50 entries includes the toy’s history, patent application drawings, interesting trivia, and a discussion of the technology involved. The authors even include pointers on how to build your own using recycled materials and a little ingenuity, and tips on reverse engineering old toys to get a better look at their interior mechanics. Readers will also enjoy photos of the “guts” of the devices, including a filleted Big Mouth Billy Bass. The only thing you won’t learn is how the Magic 8 Ball is able to predict the future—some things are better left a mystery.

978-1-55652-670-1
$14.95 (CAN $18.95)

A Field Guide to Household Technology

Ed Sobey

Illustrating how a bathroom scale measures body weight and what the “plasma” is in a plasma-screen television, this fascinating handbook explains how everyday household devices operate. More than 180 different devices are covered, including gadgets unique to apartment buildings and houseboats. Devices are grouped according to their “habitats”—living room, family room, den, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and basement—with detailed descriptions of what they do and how they work, and photographs for easy identification. You’ll never look at that pile of remote controls on your coffee table the same way again.

978-1-55652-696-1
$14.95 (CAN $18.95)

A Field Guide to Office Technology

Ed Sobey

The modern office can be a confusing technological landscape. How does a motion detector spot intruders? What is a voltage surge, and why does a computer need to be protected from it? And why do telephone keypads have their 1s in their upper left corners, while calculator keypads have their 1s in their lower left corners? Entries for more than 160 devices tell you how they work, who invented them, and how their designs have changed over the years. No longer will you need the IT staff to explain that mysterious blinking box in the coat closet.

978-1-55652-609-1
$14.95 (CAN $20.95)

A Field Guide to Roadside Technology

Ed Sobey

“Fun, informative, and easy to use.”

—School Library Journal

If you’ve surveyed the modern landscape, you’ve no doubt wondered what all those towers, utility poles, antennas, and other strange, unnatural devices actually do. In A Field Guide to Roadside Technology, more than 150 devices are grouped according to their “habitats”—along highways and roads, near airports, on utility towers, and more—and each includes a clear photo to make recognition easy. Once the “species” is identified, the entry will tell you its “behavior”—what it does—and how it works, in detail.

978-1-55652-812-5
$14.95 (CAN $16.95)

A Field Guide to Automotive Technology

Ed Sobey

If you don’t know your catalytic converter from your universal joint, A Field Guide to Automotive Technology is for you. How does an airbag know when to deploy? What is rack and pinion steering? And where exactly does a dipstick dip? More than 120 mechanical devices are explored in detail, including their invention, function, and technical peculiarities. You’ll also find information about components found on buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and more. Even seasoned gearheads will learn from this guide as it traces the history and development of mechanisms they may take for granted.

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978-1-55652-697-8
$16.95 (CAN $18.95)

Why There’s Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste

The Chemistry of Household Ingredients

Simon Quellen Field

If you’re like most people, you find it hard enough to pronounce the ingredients found in most household products, much less understand why they’re there. No longer—with Why There’s Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste you’ll be able to distinguish between preservatives and sweeteners, buffers and emulsifiers, stabilizers and surfactants. Ingredients are grouped according to type, and each entry contains the substance’s structural formula, synonymous names, and a description of its common uses. This helpful guide can be used as a basic primer on commercial chemistry or as an indexed reference to specific compounds found on a product label. Never fear the grocery again.

978-1-55652-651-0
$12.95 (CAN $16.95)

Skewered!

The Rudest Food Reviews

Compiled by Michelle Lovric

Ever since Goldilocks made saucy remarks about the temperature of her porridge, people have been saying nasty things about other people’s cooking. From “the food would create an insurrectio...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• ALUMINUM FOIL
• BAG SEALER
• BLENDER
• BREAD MACHINE
• CAN OPENER
• COFFEE GRINDER
• COFFEE MAKER
• COFFEE ROASTER
• COFFEE URN
• CORK REMOVER
• CROCK—POT
• DEEP FAT FRYER
• DISHWASHER
• DUSTBUSTER
• ELECTRIC GRILL
• ELECTRIC KNIFE
• ELECTRIC TEAPOT
• ESPRESSO MAKER
• FAUCET
• FIRE EXTINGUISHER
• FOOD PROCESSOR
• GARBAGE DISPOSAL
• GARLIC CHOPPER
• GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER (GFCI) SWITCH
• HOT PLATE
• ICE MAKER
• JUICER
• KITCHEN TORCH
• KNIFE
• MICROWAVE OVEN
• MIXER
• OVEN (ELECTRIC)
• OVEN (GAS)
• PEPPER MILL
• POPCORN POPPER
• PRESSURE COOKER
• RANGE HOOD
• REFRIGERATOR
• REFRIGERATOR MAGNET
• SALAD SHOOTER
• SALAD SPINNER
• SARAN WRAP
• SMOKE DETECTOR
• STEAMER
• STOVE
• TEFLON-COATED FRYING PAN
• TIMER
• TOASTER
• TOASTER OVEN
• TRASH COMPACTOR
• TURKEY TIMER
• WAFFLE IRON
• WATER FILTER
• WATERCOOLER
• WINE SAVER
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
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