ReMaking History, Volume 1, 1st Edition

Book description

William Gurstelle begins his remarkable journey through history with this volume, Early Makers. Each chapter examines a remarkable individual or group of people from the past whose insights and inventions helped create the world we live in. What sets this series apart from other history books - including other histories of technology - is that each chapter also includes step-by-step instructions for making your own version of the historical invention. History comes to life in a way you have never experienced before when you follow the inventors' steps and recreate the groundbreaking devices of the past with your own hands.

In this volume you will discover:

  • The Cave Dwellers of Lascaux and the Oil Lamp
  • Pythagoras and the Tantalus Cup
  • Heron and the Gin Pole
  • Egypt's Bag Press
  • Otto von Guerke and the Magdeburg Hemispheres
  • Levi ben Gershon and the Jacob's Staff
  • Juliana Berners and the Fishing Lure
  • Archimedes and the Water Screw
  • China's Differential Windlass

Be sure to also check out ReMaking History, Volume 2: Industrial Revolutionaries and ReMaking History Volume 3:Makers of the Modern World.

Publisher resources

View/Submit Errata

Table of contents

  1. Titlepage
  2. Copyright
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. About the Author
  5. Let’s Remake History
    1. The ReMaking History Timeline
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. First Things First: Being Safe
  6. Part 1: Ancient Times
    1. Chapter 1: The Cave Dwellers of Lascaux and the Oil Lamp
      1. Thagg and Grok Light Up the Night
      2. Making an Olive Oil Lamp
      3. The Wonder of Wicks
    2. Chapter 2: Ptah-Hotep and the Bag Press
      1. Building a Replica of the First Food Processor
      2. Building an Ancient Egyptian Bag Press
      3. Pressing On
    3. Chapter 3: Ctesibius and the Siphon
      1. The Jokester of Alexandria
      2. Designing and Building a Tantalus Cup
      3. Exploring Siphons with the Tantalus Cup
    4. Chapter 4: Archimedes and the Water Screw
      1. Re-creating the Invention That Made the Desert Bloom
      2. The Genius of Archimedes’ Water Screw
      3. Making a Water Screw Pump
      4. Explorimenting with Your Water Screw
    5. Chapter 5: Heron of Alexandria and the Gin Pole
      1. You Can Lift Heavy Things
      2. Heron’s Ancient Crane
      3. Building a Gin Pole Crane
      4. The Science of Lifting of Heavy Things
  7. Part 2: The Hall of Medieval Makers
    1. Chapter 6: The Medieval Blacksmith and the Oliver
      1. Constructing the Big Hammer of the Middle Ages
      2. Making a Model Oliver
      3. The Smithy
    2. Chapter 7: Levi ben Gershon and the Jacob’s Staff
      1. The Rabbi Finds His Way
      2. Laying Out a Jacob’s Staff
      3. Assembling the Jacob’s Staff
      4. Go West (or East) Young Man
  8. Part 3: The Inventions of the Early Modern Scientists
    1. Chapter 8: Dame Juliana Berners and the Fishing Lure
      1. The Lure of Making Lures
      2. Goin’ Fishin’
      3. Making Your Own Fishing Lure
      4. Making Your Lure
      5. The Science of Hooking Fish
    2. Chapter 9: Willebrord Snell and Triangulation
      1. Measuring Long Distances by Using Triangles
      2. Triangles: The Mapmaker’s Best Friend
      3. Building a Circumferentor
      4. Surveying the Modern World
    3. Chapter 10: Otto von Guericke and the Vacuum Pump
      1. Even Wild Horses Couldn’t Drag Them Apart
      2. Re-creating the Magdeburg Hemispheres
      3. Vacuums Everywhere
  9. The Inventor’s Workshop
    1. The Workbench
    2. Necessary Tools
  10. Further Reading
  11. Index

Product information

  • Title: ReMaking History, Volume 1, 1st Edition
  • Author(s): William Gurstelle
  • Release date: July 2016
  • Publisher(s): Make: Community
  • ISBN: 9781680450606