David Erik Nelson’s new book Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred from No Starch Press is subtitled ‘Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids.’ That’s true; the projects inside the book will appeal to kids, but they will also appeal to adults with a penchant for DIY. That’s why it’s a perfect book to buy to tell the kids in your life it’s for them, but really it’s for you!
The book is divided into 3 parts. The first is entitled ‘Kid Stuff,’ and it contains things that are great for getting your (and the kiddos’) DIY feet wet. Included in the projects are directions for building a Lock-n-Latch Treasure Chest, a PVC Teepee and a Taser. Okay, that last one is a joy buzzer, but, still, it’s way cool.
The second part of the book, ‘Electro-Skiffle Band’ is all about musical instruments. From The $10 Electric Guitar (link to how-to) to The Dirt-Cheap Amp to a Thunderdrum, these projects will have everybody rockin’ out in no time.
The $10 Electric Guitar:
The third part of the book, and my personal favorite, is ‘The Locomotivated.’ In it David shows us how to make stuff like water rockets (link to how-to), putt-putt boats, a marshmallow muzzle loader and something called a Jitterbug, which is actually a robot.
The Jitterbug:
So now that you know I like the book, how about its actual target audience, children? Each of the 24 projects in the book have been ‘field tested and kid approved’ by David himself as he used them in his career as a private school teacher teaching troubled teens. According to David, “Hands-on tinkering helps kids learn to make their own choices, evaluate the results, and take control of their lives.” All that and everybody has fun while doing it? Sounds like a win-win to me.
Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred is available at our affiliate Amazon for about $15.
MORE BONUS HOW-TO’S FROM THE BOOK!
