Phew, how'd you like the title of that post? It's kinda a mouthful, but I couldn't figure out how to make it any shorter.
First off, just a disclaimer: I love biographies. So, when I was approached and asked if I had an interest reading a few biographies about "almost famous history makers" of course I said yes! And I really enjoyed reading this first one,
"Awesome Achievers in Technology." Not only did I learn more about the tech I use daily, but I also learned a lot about the minds behind it.
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| Image from Running Press |
Author
Alan Katz loves reading and his reading love is made apparent all throughout this book by his not-so-subtle pushes for kids to turn off electronics and screens and pick up a book. However, all his suggestions are made a bit tongue-in-cheek, so readers are more likely to follow his advice, rather than ignore it because they feel preached to.
Katz tells the stories behind Scotchgard (there should be a little trademark symbol here but I can't figure out how to insert it so just roll with it, mmmmkay?) and how it was accidentally invented, that Wi-Fi isn't an abbreviation (I totally always just assumed it was!), and about Martin Cooper, who helped bring Wi-Fi about.
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| Image from Running Press |
This book also introduces Mary Anderson and tells about how she came up with the idea of windshield wipers. Guess what, people totally blew her idea off for a long time! Yeah, turns out several thought they'd distract drivers and could cause accidents. What the what!? It's true.
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| Image from Running Press |
Other great tech inventions, such as AI, Siri, the three-point seatbelt, and the wireless remote (back in the day, remotes were connected to the TV via a wire. who knew!?) and their great inventors are talked about in various chapters. Along the way, Katz tells some obviously outlandish stories of his own and throws out a lot of silly jokes that kids will most likely think are hilarious.
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| Image from Running Press |
Illustrator
Christ Judge's black and white drawings meld well with Katz's humor and make
"Awesome Achievers in Technology" a fun book to read. While many of them are used to go along with Katz's silly humor, several also are sketches of the inventors highlighted in the book.
One thing I would change, if I could, would be to have Judge illustrate more of the inventions talked about. While he does have pictures showing seat belts and windshield wipers, I think it would have been helpful if more of the other, more difficult to imagine things, like the game Pong, would have been illustrated as well. Yeah, many parents probably know what Pong is, but I bet most of their kids don't.
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| Image from Running Press |
I'm planning on assigning my kids this book to read during the school year, as part of their Language Arts reading time. But this book could also be used for other subjects as well, such as part of a STEM course or to help get kids interested in science.
"Awesome Achievers in Technology" is a clean book, with nothing offensive in it.
Book breakdown:
88 pages
Black and white illustrations
Best for ages: 8 and older
Educational factor: medium
Christian content: N/A
Parents
could be concerned about: Nothing. This is a fun read that has a lot of silly, but also a good amount of educational content.
how long is this book
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