Book-list for High-school Boys

If Periodicals on the internet count take a look at these two on Fluid Power and Machine Design:

http://www.hydraulicspneumatics.com/

http://machinedesign.com/default.aspx?

There are a bunch more of this type. A Google search for "Mechanical Engineering Periodicals" brought up many resources.

Adding "on the web" to the above search shows the ones that are available to everyone. A lot of publishers will not send subscriptions to students but anyone can read the web magazines.

Hi DAG -

PC Magazine (back in the Commodore PET days when you could transcribe code from the written page :) and National Geographic were favorites of mine back in the early 80's, while I was in high school. Wired Magazine seems like a popular one these days, with interesting articles and content, but maybe too mature and more appropriate for the college-aged student.

Isaac Asimov, Aldus Huxley, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Kurt Vonnegut were a few of my favorite sci-fi authors of the late 70's/early 80's, for this Upstate NY'er, who increased my interest in science and put me on the path to pursuing my engineering degree (maybe they're in your school's library already?).

With the Internet and folks wanting to be green, it makes choosing which hardcopy books/magazines to purchase much harder, so I feel your pain.

-april05

Cool! I didn't think about good scifi.

Sci-Fi was certainly my largest influence. Look for a list of Hugo or Nebula award winners. Ender's Game by Orsen Scott Card is one that sticks with me on many levels. Also, Cosmos by Carl Sagan, The Discovery of Time by Toulmin & Goodfield, and nearly any Einstein or Oppenheimer biography. I would stay away from Descartes and the other more philosophical writers for high-schoolers unless they are led to them through other reading.

Excellent suggestions! I hadn't thought about biographies either.

More novels, but it was there that my imagination was sparked.

2001 a Space Oddesy

Anything by Issac Asimov

Most anything by Robert Heinlein

Frank Herberts Dune series

BTW How about CR4? Or are we a bad influence?

Well...CR4 is only a bad influence in a good way .

Our student IT resources are in sad shape so electronic resources just aren't an option at this point. Frequently though, almost daily, I share with them interesting stories and discussions from CR4 on my interactive white board. They really enjoy this. I was hoping to get some hard copies into their hands so they could read outside of class.

Popular Electronics, back in the day.

For high school kids, I'd recommend www.makezine.com - start your own maker group.

I have already put in a request for makezine. Does popular electronics still exist? If not, is there anywhere I find achived issues?

Several years ago, whilst my son was in prep school, the summer reading list included:

Guns_Germs_and_Steel

By Jared Diamond

I picked it up and read it.

Wonderful book, we still talk about it to this day.

The point is to inspire kids to read. All my kids read on a wide variety of subjects. I had a lot of help with this from their wonderful teachers. Your challenge is to find something that interests them. It might be about fast cars, or rockets, or designing a better mouse trap. Or, perhaps, one of my favorites, anthropology.

Let them pick the topics.

Riddle response: "Finding the worm in your mouth"?

Finding half a worm in your your apple.

Isaac Asimov did a wonderful series of books about science topics explaining complex things in easy to understand and highly entertaining fashion. I had about two dozen of them in paperback at one time, and they may still be in print. As for periodicals, Scientific American, of course!

Chilton's Auto Repair Manual 1965 - 1972. And assorted tractor owner's manuals. Supplemented by a car or tractor to work on. They need to get off the couch, away from the computer, and have something to break that they then have to figure out how to fix.

jhammond

__________________________

www.patent-innovations.com

Yes, for pity's sake--it IS the 21st century now--don't shut out the girls or they may wind up as...

governor of Alaska

I like her. She is hot in a Laura Croft sort of way. Exactly what this country needs in a VP.

I agree.

The leftest media has been bashing her all day. I think this was a great choice by the GOP. It points out the hypocrisy of the democratic party. They rammed down out throat the importance of inclusion for minorities and women, but only those that wear the same color armbands.

To get back on topic, girls should be encouraged to enter the science fields too.

I'm afraid the razor wire at the top of the fence keeps the girls out...I'm teaching in a boys correctional facility...

I recommend not to forget the hands-on side of things. The Ramsey Kits catalog, Mouser Electronics, etc.

How about biographies of the great inventors? Edison, Tesla, Bell, etc.

Good suggestion! I have a bunch of stuff on order...probably being delayed by red tape at this point...to do some projects. I plan to have the boys build a speaker and a small amplifier...and whatever else that branches into. I'm about to look up the Ramsey Kits...

GA !! My interest in engineering was not stimulated by books at all. It was Heathkit, Radio Shack, and numerous other project kits in chemistry, electronics, physics, etc. Personally, I would forget the books all together in favor of hands on things. Once that gets some traction, then books and periodicals become more interesting to the audience. Edmund Sci used to have a lot of interactive gizmos that stimulate thought. Popular Science and Popular Mechanics are easy reads about interesting stuff. They might be good.

This book actually changed my life, for the good:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance

I would suggest they learn Latin. This Language has helped me in so many ways.

www.modernmechanix.com is always a good read. Not exactly cutting edge stuff (by at least 50 years) but inspiring none the less.

Isaac Asimov seem to be a sci-fi author from late 50's. he is one of the most great writers contemporary. he concerned many subjects and very interesting, but some of them are of depth for children.

many children seem not like to read book today, its better for you to carry them to museum, space museum, train them diy and see some sci-fi film and TV program like national geography. and of cause play 3D games is also a good idea, but don't indulge them into it.

visit factories and field to feel great nature. they will amaze what this is , what that is... I agree to this is a very important activity.

In my childhood, emphasis study combines with produce is a good idea. from work can they get joy and learn knowledges.

some electronic making can give them unlimited imagine space. try to visit my fore-post thread of a simple led circuit and change lamp lighting circuit, it will inspire children's interesting. and its not expensive to get such components.

some children can asmebly a computer by themself. just thought, they use thier own assmbly computer, thier parents will be delight as well.

I also object to only read books.

Could you image, if you lead them to plant watermelon, when havest, they must be delight. and alll this will leave them a wonderful remember in their life.

"The Radio Amatuers Handbook"

Here's one that will definitely catch their interest!

tell them what is big-bang. see this program took place in your europe and make an investigation how their parents thought about it? will be interesting materials.