Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building: Make 24 Contraptions That Really Work!

Written by the famed inventor’s granddaughter herself for builders of all ages, this is the only official guide to building 25 kid-friendly Rube Goldberg Machines at home

To build a Rube Goldberg Machine, all you need is a pile of junk and a great imagination. Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter, Jennifer George, has teamed up with world-renowned Rube Goldberg machine builder Zach Umperovitch to show us just how true that is in this comprehensive guide to building Rube Goldberg Machines at home. Written in partnership with Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter herself, Jennifer George, this book breaks down how to build a variety of machines that solve simple problems in complex ways. Progressing in difficulty with each chapter, kids (and builders of all ages) will learn how to construct super simple machines that fit on a tabletop, to hard ones that take up entire rooms or yards! Learn how to start chain reactions that refill your popcorn automatically on movie night, open umbrellas, and even pack a picnic, one step at a time. Filled with jokes, fun facts, and tips and tricks to make building as successful as possible, this book is sure to satisfy every family’s most curious and inventive minds!

Jennifer George, Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter, is the Chief Creative Officer of The Rube Goldberg Institute for Innovation & Creativity, a not-for-profit 501(c)-3, committed to equity and access in STEM and art education. She is the author of Baby Rube’s Opposites, Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day, Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Definitely Different Day Off, and The Art of Rube Goldberg. Tori Cameron is a STEAM specialist teacher, author, and podcaster. She is Massachusetts’s 2020 STEM Teacher of the Year. Cameron has presented about various STEAM teaching practices at several conferences including Education Closet’s Arts Integration and STEAM Conference and MassCUE’s Fall Conference. Find her first book Awesome Brain Games for Kids: STEAM Puzzles and Facts for Curious Minds on Amazon. Zach Umperovitch is the world’s leading authority in designing, constructing, testing, judging, and all-around anything Chain Reaction/Rube Goldberg Machine-related. He is a three-time Guinness World Records holder for the longest machine ever built, a National Champion at the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, and an on-screen expert, judge, and engineering producer for Crazy Contraptions on Channel 4 and Discovery+. He lives in New Hampshire.