Press releases

Makers: Amazing People/Amazing Inventions

Press release: December 1, 2005

Sebastopol, CA--Mixing the tool-shed mentality of yesteryear with the products, gadgets and technologies of today--a new breed of inventor has emerged for the 21st century. In Makers (O'Reilly, $24.95 US), author Bob Parks profiles some of the world's most colorful Do-It-Yourselfers and more than seventy-five of their outrageously wacky projects, including:

  • The bacon-cooking alarm clock: Matty Sallin missed his childhood memory of waking up to the smell of bacon in his family's Idaho cabin. His Homer Simpson-esque solution: an alarm clock that actually cooks bacon!
  • Much more than thin mints: Meet the three 16-year-old girl scouts who decided on a whim to build an 8-inch Dobson telescope from scratch…and succeeded!
  • From Wall Street to Burning Man: Proving that Do-It-Yourselfers aren't limited to garages, basements and Star Trek conventions, this investment banker is also an innovator of electric clothing, like his shirt with thirty-eight working fans!
  • The "wheel" deal: "You feel like you're floating," explains Kerry McLean when discussing his eclectic monowheels, a rare form of transportation where you ride inside of a motorized wheel.

    • Hitting bookshelves in December 2005, "Makers" follows the hugely successful launch of MAKE magazine, launched in February 2005 by O'Reilly Media as the first magazine devoted to Do-It-Yourself technology projects. "While MAKE provides the instruction for actual projects, "Makers" shows the inspiration of actual inventors," explained Parks. Known for exploring the personalities behind the latest technologies, Parks' articles have appeared in Wired, Outside, Business 2.0 and Make. He is a frequent guest on National Public Radio and has appeared on television, discussing technology alongside Regis Philbin and Russ Mitchell.

    Additional Resources:

    Makers
    Bob Parks
    ISBN: 0-596-10188-0,184 pages, hardcover, $24.95 US
    order@oreilly.com
    1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000

    About O’Reilly

    O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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