You might not think that the 80’s was a great time for geek books from big publishers. You might think that Walt Disney and understanding the technology around us would go together. You might think that you would have little to learn from Mickey Mouse and his friends.

Well if you did, you would be wrong. In 1980-1982 Walt Disney produced a series of “How it Works in…” books. The technology of a lot of the stuff is actually still the same for those thinking that 80’s tech is ancient. The technology that is out of date is actually often more interesting. The really amazing thing about these books is that they captivate both my 2.5 year old daughter and my engineering type father and father-in-law. (I will let you read the books for yourself to find out if that says something about them, my daughter, or the books.)

The best thing about these books is that there are a lot of them available online for a good price. I just bought a new/used set for $15 shipped.

These books are illustrated with Disney characters, and the text is not always the most detailed. The real wonder of these books is in the cut away pictures of various technologies. Cars, pipes, combines, and more are all shown in their basic working methods. The diagrams and cutaways are wonderfully done and are worth looking at over and over again. My daughter will sit for hours looking at these and I think you will find yourself doing it as well.