Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things

by Cy Tymony

Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation.

Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system? Science-savvy author Cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things and more than 40 other handy gadgets and gizmos in Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things . More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation. Included are survival, security, self-defense, and silly applications that are just plain fun. You'll be seen as a superhero as you amaze your friends

* Transforming a simple FM radio into a device that enables you to eavesdrop on tower-to-air conversations.

* Creating your own personalized electronic greeting cards.

* Making a compact fire extinguisher from items typically found in a kitchen pantry.

* Thwarting intruders with a single rubber band.

By using run-of-the-mill household items and the easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams within, you'll be able to complete most projects in just a few minutes. Whether you use Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things as a practical tool to build useful devices, a fun little fantasy escape, or as a trivia guide to impress friends and family, this book is sure to be a reference favorite for years to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Reference, Trivia, Crafts, How To, Survival

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Cy Tymony has created his homemade inventions since he was a kid. His imagination and innovative way at looking at the world continues today as a technical writer and computer network specialist in the Los Angeles area. He has appeared on CNN and NPR, and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and U.S. News & World Report.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is a fantastic book for STEM projects and ideas and afew of them I want to try with my children as experiments.
There's some fantastic ideas for so many things and it made me think how usefull this book would be during an apocalypse!
The book shows drawings of the methods and items and Some real photographs of the end experiment/project would have been really good.

[Jon Peder Grønsveen Opsahl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of the information in this book is outdated. I skipped a majority of the content. I think if I had read it when I was much younger and when the information was relevant I could have enjoyed it and tested things out. I see little to no use for this book today though.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is amazing how many advanced items can be made from objects around the typical home. Who knew you could be a MacGyver as long as you have the Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, Revised Edition?

Use a magnet to detect a counterfeit bill? Build a battery out of basically anything? My health insurer sent me home with the instructions included here to make a frozen gel back for a sprain. These are interesting and low-cost ideas for STEM projects with no upper age limit. The second part has more extensive projects for the older and/or more advanced student. I am taking one star off for the poor quality of illustrations. A graphic designer would have made a world of difference in understanding the instruction. Still it is worth 4 stars for the great ideas within Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, Revised Edition.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Miles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but was a little disappointed. Perhaps it's just a sign that I'm sneakier than average, more inclined to think out of the box, but most of the things that made it into the book I had already thought of, read about online, etc. A great many of the uses described were also quite impractical. Not exactly a bad book, but it could have been much better. If you've got to read it, try not to go into it with high hopes.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but unless you have multiple watch batteries a cassette player and other obsolete technologies, this may be too outdated. It was published in 03, but references a lot of things I don't have around any more. 3 for the stuff I didn't know though.

[Amit Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read first few pages of the book, I was afraid that it is an academic collection of most difficult things you can do; as an science enthusiast and it all appeared very difficult.
Making power ring, glue from milk and other stuff.
But as I reached further really useful stuff came up.
Honestly few things like making difficult gadgets with common stuff is little difficult for a general amateure scientifically curious reader.
But there are a lot of simple and useful things.
Like making battery from lemon, holding gates to prevent burglary, making fire without matches, collecting rain water, survival in extreme weather.
I found many things so much practical and useful.
Not every page is for everyone, but their is something for everyone.
A useful book for kids.
Don't read and try to follow every activity, but choose one you like.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.

[Dan Stern · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this hoping for some future science activities to do with my kid, but most of them I won't be able to do. While I'm sure this book was great a couple of decades ago, it should be noted that the "everyday things" aren't so every day anymore. Tape Recorders... VHS tapes, etc. (And who needs a "VHS Rewinder" lol? Telephone wire? Wire-Controlled Toy Car? AM/FM Portable Radio. Even pennies are non existent in Canada. the things are not "everyday" things now, and were already used a lot less in 2003 when it was written, so a lot of these you wont be able to do.

but if your intent is to use common items for science now, skip this one.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one of those tinker and hack everyday objects which I find so fascinating. However this book trades off complexity (you do not solder electrical components, you just wrap wire around them) for accessibility (for example it refers to using pennies - these are US pennies which have a different alloy composition to UK pennies so its impossible to conduct this experiment).
The book however is an interesting source of ideas and suggestions and for that it is a good read - though some of the projects are a bit limited.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and handy red. Tons of useful ideas. The directions and sketched illustrations leave a little something to be desired as they aren’t terribly helpful but otherwise it’s a very informative read. This book also spends a great deal of time crafting small motors without much information on what to use them for and I honestly found the survival skills the handiest. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Astrid Yrigollen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a another one of those cute project books for you and your child or for yourself if you like tinkering and making small gadgets.
Do not be fooled though by it's simplistic drawings and 7th grade text, there are also larger applications to a lot of these projects if one cares to expand on them.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I can make a sparking arc with my car battery to start a fire!! And...there are some great in-the-kitchen basic items (like the homemade fire extinguisher) that are super for little kids to do and learn about science.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I learned how to origami a cup and make a compass out of my watch but spending hours tearing LED lights out of electronics and bulk buying various kinds of batteries is not practical for me soooooo...

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learn to make: Milk plastic, Milk glue, fruit batteries, coin batteries, home security alarms, fire extinguishers, gel pack, magnetic bill verifier & many other useful gadgets out of common household items.

[Faranae · Rating 2 out of 5]

My copy has a lot of errata - missing diagrams and such. Was vaguely familiar with most of the project concepts, having grown up with Boys Life magazine and a millwright father. Still, kind of fun, if now getting a bit dated.

[Nono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for the gadgety guy. All sorts of fun projects with great illustrations. Sure to appeal to the DIYer.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Total nerd book that I will most likely never do or use.

[Angus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Build fun toys for nerds or just dumb shit for idiots. I'm kidding this is a fun book to have and use.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

good for a gift to a teen

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

You want some good things to learn concerning survival, this book will give you plenty to use and remember.

[Electro Duck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Mini Weapons is better.

[Maxhanafi Hanafi]

mac gyver of a sort..

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too cool!

[Jaguar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the survival stuff at the end of the book. It included some survival websites as well. I liked this one better than Sneaky Green Uses for Everyday Things.

[Gino Filicetti]

False

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Regrettably simplistic; the author's books continue to titillate with covers and blurbs, but fail to deliver any content of value.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book with lots of rudimentary reuse and repurposing projects. Bonus for the casein plastic recipe.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things is a fun primer on your way to becoming a real-life MacGuyver.

A lot of the Sneaky projects were fun and imaginative. Creating glues, making a parts filler, automatic door opener, creating a battery system, ways to survive if you find yourself stranded somewhere...

All I could really think was really how much trouble my boys would get into if I gave them this book.


It would also be a great idea generator for any upcoming Science Fairs for my kids.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.* 

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine, though some of the "everyday things" are not things I've had around my house in a very long time, if ever. But I didn't finish the book mostly because it's not a book you read. It's a book you pick up, do a little project, and put down again. Or if you need something that you don't have on hand, you could search the book to see if it has an alternative. I didn't have a need for any of the projects I read through, and didn't spot any I desperately wanted to try, so I can't say how well any of them actually work.

[Bookfairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe closer to 3.8, but there's some good stuff in here. I think as a kid I would have had more fun with this, but I've done several of these experiments and "hacks" at this point. It is a neat idea to have an emergency kit of useful tools though.

I like that it talks about batteries and battery alternatives, did you know you can power a clock with lemons?

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great resource in how to make things in diy ways. This book will certainly come in handy over the years! This book brings back memories of Heloise, and all the innovative ways to utilize common household products.