If you've ever wondered how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, or why a boomerang comes back, or how an R/C car responds to a radio controller, now you'll have your answers. The Way Toys Work explains the technology, history, and trivia behind 50 popular toys, with patent blueprints and photos of the "e;guts"e; of devices including:* Kaleidoscope * Magna Doodle * Slinky* Nintendo * Super Soaker * Big Mouth Billy Bass* Rubik's Cube * Silly Putty * Video Game Light Gun* Furby * Dunking Bird * View-Master* Yo-Yo * Push 'n' Go Car * Wiffle Ball* Gyroscope * Operation * Hula HoopYou'll also find pointers on how to build your own versions using recycled materials and a little ingenuity, experiments that can be done with certain toys, and tips on reverse engineering old toys to get a better look at their interior mechanics. The only thing you won't learn is how the Magic 8 Ball is able to predict the future--some things are best left a mystery.
