#000063
How Things Work, Vol. III
C. van Amerongen (trans.)
Volume III of How Things Work: The Universal Encyclopedia of Machines, the English rendering—by translator C. van Amerongen—of the Bibliographisches Institut's German classic Wie funktioniert das? This volume continues the set's mission of explaining the mechanisms behind everyday and industrial technology, using the double-page spread that made the work famous: a meticulous annotated drawing facing a page of plain-language explanation, with topics grouped by the scientific principle they illustrate. Across its volumes the encyclopedia covers a remarkable sweep of machines and methods, from simple gadgets to complex systems. The mid-century technology it describes now carries a pleasant period flavor, but the physics is timeless and the diagrams remain models of clarity. For the mechanically curious reader who likes to know exactly how a thing works, this is a browse-anywhere reference of lasting appeal.
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The editors
The work originated with the technical editorial team of the Bibliographisches Institut in Mannheim, which published it in German in 1963 as Wie funktioniert das?. The English adaptation was translated and edited by C. van Amerongen, an engineer who rendered its technical German into clear, readable English.
The book
How Things Work: The Universal Encyclopedia of Machines explains the theory and practice of modern machines and methods across hundreds of entries, from household gadgets to heavy industry. Its signature is the two-color diagram: more than a thousand annotated drawings, each facing a page of explanation, organized by scientific principle rather than product category. This set gathers the material across four volumes.
How it has aged
Some of the technology—analog electronics, film cameras, early data processing—now belongs to history, which is part of the charm. But the physical principles it teaches don't date, and few later references match its clarity of illustration. A period piece that still explains beautifully.
For more context
Compare the closely related The Way Things Work editions and David Macaulay's later illustrated classic of the same name.
Sources
- Type
- Book
- Author / Maker
- C. van Amerongen (trans.)
- ISBN
- None
- Format
- Hardcover
- Shelf
- Reference
- Location
- Maine
Part of 4-vol set