At a glance
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Curious readers aged 10 and up — students tackling STEM subjects, families building a home reference shelf, or any adult who wants a single-volume, diagram-rich account of how everything from nail clippers to 3D printers actually works.
Worth it if
You want a visually driven, genuinely entertaining reference that covers mechanical and digital technology in the same volume, and you're happy to browse by principle rather than look things up alphabetically.
Skip if
You need a fast, conventional A-to-Z lookup tool, or you find playful conceits — woolly mammoths, recurring fictional inventors — more distracting than illuminating in a technical reference.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews called the original edition "an astonishing tour-de-force," praising its large, clear diagrams and noting that explanations "virtually nowhere lapse into vague generalities," while flagging the technical prose as occasionally "pedantic and awkward." Common Sense Media describes the 2016 revision as a "wildly imaginative and entertaining exploration," and Barnes & Noble's review calls it "as fresh and funny as ever," rendering a verdict of "a delightful choice for browsing and reference."
“An astonishing tour-de-force — large, clear, complete drawings contain unexpected little details, providing hours of enlightenment and discovery.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Virtually nowhere do explanations lapse into vague generalities — indeed, some are specific enough to tax the experts.”
— Kirkus Reviews“A wildly imaginative and entertaining exploration of how things work, covering touchscreens, robots, and virtual reality alongside classic mechanics.”
— Common Sense MediaAsk LuvemBooks
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- Is it worth reading?
- For curious readers aged 10 and up, STEM students, and households looking for a single authoritative volume on how machines work, The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition makes a strong case for its place on the shelf. Kirkus Reviews called the original 'an astonishing tour-de-force,' praising diagrams that are 'large, clear, complete' and explanations that 'virtually nowhere lapse into vague generalities.' The 2016 revision adds the digital technologies — touchscreens, Wi-Fi, 3D printers — that make it relevant to the present moment. The caveat is that Macaulay's idiosyncratic organization makes it less suited to quick-reference lookup, and the technical prose can be pedantic.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition for its ambitious, visually engaging approach to science may also appreciate Sean Carroll's The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion, which brings a similarly expansive scope to fundamental physics. For science communication with wit and a focus on real-world consequences, Matt Parker's Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World offers an entertaining companion. James Gleick's Chaos: Making a New Science appeals to readers drawn to the deeper principles underlying complex systems, while Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark shares the book's commitment to making science accessible and meaningful to a broad audience. David Macaulay's earlier works — including The New Way Things Work and Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction — are also natural companions for fans of his distinctive illustrative approach.
- Who should read this?
- The publisher targets The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition at readers aged 10 and up, with a recommended grade range of 5 through 9, though its depth and scope make it equally valuable as a household reference for curious adults. STEM students will find the four thematic sections — movement, the elements, waves, and electricity — structured to reinforce foundational concepts. Families, classrooms, and personal libraries seeking a single-volume, diagram-rich account of how the built world works — from the mechanical to the digital — are the book's natural home. It is less well suited to readers who need fast, alphabetical lookup, as Macaulay's organizational approach is idiosyncratic rather than conventional.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 10 and up. The publisher recommends the book for readers in grades 5 through 9, reflecting the level of technical prose and the complexity of the scientific principles covered. The diagram-driven approach lowers the barrier to comprehension, but the depth of explanation — which Kirkus noted 'can tax the experts' — means younger or less confident readers may find some sections challenging.
- About David Macaulay
- David Macaulay is a British-born American illustrator and writer.
- What's the reading level?
- The publisher recommends The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition for readers in grades 5 through 9 (roughly ages 10–15), though its scope positions it well as an adult reference too. The technical prose — originally written by Neil Ardley — was described by Kirkus Reviews as 'careful, pedantic, and occasionally awkward,' and some explanations are 'specific enough to tax the experts.' The diagram-driven format does substantial explanatory work alongside the text, making the book accessible to motivated readers below the stated grade range as well.
- Where should I start with David Macaulay?
- For readers new to David Macaulay, The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition — published as The Way Things Work Now in 2016 — is the most comprehensive and up-to-date entry point into his work, covering the full breadth of machines from the mechanical to the digital. Readers drawn specifically to his architectural illustration work might begin with Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, while those interested in the evolution of his coverage of computers and digital technology could look to the predecessor volume, The New Way Things Work.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 8–12
Reading level
Middle grade
Best for: Ages 10+ — technical prose and the complexity of scientific principles covered suit confident readers at a grade 5 level and above.
Skip if you need a fast, alphabetical reference for quick lookup — the book's idiosyncratic internal organization is not designed for that use.
Editorial Review
David Macaulay's The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition — published in October 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Dorling Kindersley as The Way Things Work Now — is a comprehensive, visually driven nonfiction reference book that traces the principles behind hundreds of machines, from levers and zippers to touchscreens and 3D printers, making it one of the most enduring science explainer books for readers aged 10 and up.
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