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Book Review, © Copyright 1998 and 2001, Jim Loy
Two books of the same title are reviewed here.
The most recent book is Rube Goldberg Inventions by Maynard Frank Wolfe, founder of Rube Goldberg Inc. Many of Rube Goldberg's inventions (all in the orginal black and white) can be found here (see the description of the orange juice squeezer below). The invention for "Keeping a Wrestler's Shoulders off the Mat" begins with this introduction: "To show how young he feels, Professor Butts jumps over a fence without realizing that the Grand Canyon is on the other side..." The book also contains an extensive biographical chapter with many of Goldberg's other cartoons. The book is amazing and delightful.
The other book, of thirty postcards, may be listed as Inventions, by Rube Goldberg. Anyway, it too is a nostalgic delight. In case you're too young to remember, we have inventions like this:
Orange Juice Squeezing Machine: ... Milkman takes empty milk bottle (A), pulling string (B) which causes sword (C) to sever cord (D) and allow guillotine blade (E) to drop and cut rope (F) which releases battering ram (G). Ram bumps against open door (H), causing it to close. Grass sickle (I) cuts a slice off end of orange (J), at the same time spike (K) stabs "prune hawk" (L) he opens his mouth to yell in agony, thereby releasing prune and allowing diver's boot (M) to drop and step on sleeping octopus (N). Octopus awakens in a rage and, seeing diver's face which is painted on orange, attacks it and crushes it with tentacles, thereby causing all the juice in the orange to run into glass (O)...
Such descriptions, of course, accompany detailed, colored drawings. The first book that I described (the newer one) is the better of the two.
There is also a Rube Goldberg Web site. And Rube Goldberg Machine contests are held at various schools.
To order either of these books from Amazon.com, click on the title below (goes directly to the book):