A unique and fascinating introduction to the amazing variety of inventions, both ancient and modern. From simple machines such as wheels, gears, pulleys, and levers, Eyewitness Invention charts the developments of weights and measures, writing implements, early timepieces, and navigation aids. The microscope and telescope are featured, as well as a model windmill and an internal combustion engine sliced through to show the mechanism inside. Finally, there are the inventions that have revolutionized the modern era -- from telephones and radios to television and plastics. See the first food mixer, what Galileo's telescope looked like, and the earliest photographs. Learn how the first records were made and how operations were performed in the 19th century. Discover what makes a clock tick, how early airplanes flew, why a battery produces electricity, and much, much more!