Learn about how simple machines enable practically everything around us to work. This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.Simple machines are around us all the time and we use them every day. You might not even think of them as machines. Many are built into complex (compound) machines-but the simple machine is still in there, doing its job. Learn about how simple machines enable practically everything around us to work, allowing us to travel in wheeled vehicles, lift very heavy objects, fix things together, and break things apart.