Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things: How to Turn a Penny into a Radio, Make a Flood Alarm with an Aspirin, Change Milk into Plastic, Extract Water and Electricity from Thin Air, Turn on a TV with Your Ring, and Other Amazing Feats »

In grade school, Cy Tymony defended himself from bullies with the help of a spring-loaded shocker hidden up his sleeve. Since then, he's authored six books and more than a dozen articles. Cy is a technical writer and computer network specialist in Los Angeles, CA

Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation.

Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system? Science-savvy author Cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things and more than 40 other handy gadgets and gizmos in Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things. More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation. Included are survival, security, self-defense, and silly applications that are just plain fun. You'll be seen as a superhero as you amaze your friends by:

* Transforming a simple FM radio into a device that enables you to eavesdrop on tower-to-air conversations.

* Creating your own personalized electronic greeting cards.

* Making a compact fire extinguisher from items typically found in a kitchen pantry.

* Thwarting intruders with a single rubber band.

By using run-of-the-mill household items and the easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams within, you'll be able to complete most projects in just a few minutes. Whether you use Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things as a practical tool to build useful devices, a fun little fantasy escape, or as a trivia guide to impress friends and family, this book is sure to be a reference favorite for years to come.

Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT

"How to turn a penny into a radio, make a flood alarm with an aspirin, change milk into plastic, extract water and electricity from thin air, turn on a TV with your ring, and other amazing feats," the cover boasts, making this as irresistible to readers as the popular Worst-Case Scenarios series. There are great ideas for science fair projects here, too. The book is divided into four parts: Sneaky Tricks and Gimmicks, such as detecting counterfeit bills using magnets; Sneaky Gadgets and Gizmos, such as using a wire-controlled toy car to make a power room door opener; Security Gadgets and Gizmos, such as a Rube Goldberg-type device for capturing break-ins on film; and Sneaky Survival Techniques, like how to use a plastic bag to obtain drinking water from plants—and also (caveat emptor) how to make clubs and knives from rocks and glass shards. Black-and-white line drawings illustrate the materials needed and the steps involved. Most projects are quick and easy and require, as the title indicates, only everyday household materials. A list of Web sites at the end will lead readers to other ideas. Buy several copies of this, and be sure to point it out to science teachers. KLIATT Codes: JSA*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Andrews McMeel, 157p. illus. bibliog., Ages 12 to adult.