The Boy Mechanic: Best Projects from the Classic Popular Mechanics Series (Dover Kids Activity Books)

I purchased this book hoping it would have some interesting articles in it. I was more than pleased to find out that it had a lot of old plans one could build from. Granted, These plans are not like modern plans of today but they are more than enough for any person to build from. In fact, I was surprised to find a plan set for a steam engine that I had looked for on the internet but couldn't find. Great reading and if a person wants to build a project with their kids or grandkids it would be excellent!

I bought this book to reminisce about my child hood - It has lots of great project ideas - including a model train layout that a father and son could build. I found this to be more of an idea book - some of the projects would take more skill in machining and a more advance shop than what I have at my disposal. My grandson and I have enjoyed looking at the projects and dreaming about building them.

It was for my grandson; he likes the projects but needs help from someone closer to him to help him. I live 2 hours away so do not have enough visits to keep him encouraged. I am 80 and he is 10, he needs someone where he lives and his dad commutes too far to be much help.

I first saw the Boy Mechanic in my school library48 years ago in the 4th grade. I was fascinated by all the thing it explained how to make. Although this is not the same book I saw then, it is of the same quality and is a fantastic buy for any inventor, young or old.

I spent hours in my own copy when I was a youngster. I let a friend's grandson borrow it a few years ago. I wanted a copy for my great grandson and thankfully the Amazon paperback is the same inside.

Fun book to read with many hand built toys and projects your grandpa or Great Great grandfather used as boys! Still viable for today! if you like nostalgic books and your like crafts like making all sorts of toys this is the book. Fun and fun to share with your children / Grandchildren.

I bought this title with high aspirations, thinking of my days as a youth reading the old "Popular Science" magazines and other how-to manuals. Unfortunately, this book fails miserably in living up to the reputation implied by its previous reviews. The book is woefully inadequate in terms of details on "how" to do the projects/activities it covers and mostly looks like someone just photocopied pages out of an old Popular Mechanics or Popular Science magazine and shrunk them down to fit a small book. The illustrations in the book are far to small to be of any meaningful use in recreating the items pictured and like another weekend project book I bought for my boys, this one would be better suited for the coffee table or bathroom book nook than as a "how-to" manual for dads seeking to fill their boy's idle time with practical activities. It's a great book if you're not really looking for a handy how-to book, but I only gave it two stars, as it's clearly marketed incorrectly as a "how-to" manual when it's more of a nostalgic coffee table book. Caveat emptor...

Too bad Millenials don't know how to use a hammer. They truly are missing out.

Brought back memories.

Projects from pop mechanics 1930's onwards when everything was built at home build something out of this bok and it will last. Also good for your older kids to learn how thing were made and to understand basic mechanics and read basic drawings

This book has some amazing ideas in it and it is nice to have an old worldly look to it. My concern is that the print is very small, everything is black and white and therefore it is not very eye catching to boys. They love the ideas but don't really want to take the time to read the small print instructions. But my husband loved it and I know he will work with my son.

A good read but some of the projects would be outlawed now under health and safety obligations in the UK. Mostly impractical but triggered some good memories.

I got this book for my 10-year-old grandson, who is very interested in making things, but i've sent it straight back because I didnt realise it's a facsimile reprint of articles from a 1945 boys magazine. The print is tiny and dense and the small, black and white pictures have some period charm for older adults maybe, but wouldn't attract a child.