The Gadget Book follows on from How Cool Stuff Works, taking the reader on an eye-opening journey through the engine of a hydrogen-fuelled car, into the virtual world of Second Life, and up the earthquake-proofed structure of the world’s tallest office building. This book shows and explains – in a brilliantly visual and easy-to-understand way – exactly how the technology that shapes our world works.Cleverly employed photographic techniques – including X-rays, SEMs, thermal images, cross-sections, and exploded views – get straight to the heart of the key principles behind each appliance, invention, or system. These images strip back the objects to their inner essentials, dissecting them for the reader to study, understand, and marvel at.Learn about the science behind every machine and gadget, and find out when and how things were invented – from mobile phones and games consoles to smart cards and space planes.