This Book Isn’t Safe

Colin Furze

Puffin, 2017

192pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780141386959

According to Wikipedia, “Colin Furze is a YouTube personality, stuntman, inventor, filmmaker, and former plumber from Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. ” He has his own YouTube channel  with over 5.5 million subscribers  which is “the home of crazy inventions, brilliant world records and constant disregard to health and safety” and he has now encapsulated his philosophies and inventions into print to continue his desire to inspire kids to embrace engineering, invent and create things and be comfortable and confident with the tools and materials that he uses daily.  

It contains contains ten awesome inventions for girls, boys and parents everywhere to make at home with a basic tool kit. Ever wondered how to make concrete shoes? Or how to build your own downhill trike? Or how to tidy your room in three seconds using a lever?

With the current focus on STEM, makerspaces and encouraging students to be both problem posers and solvers this will be a great addition to the collection.  Laden with photographs that are explained with captions or step-by-step instructions it may just be the way into reading that you have been searching for for those reluctant readers. Beginning with making a pair of concrete boots as a taster, there is a series of pages about inventions and inventing and the tools needed followed by pages of the things he has done and how he did them as well as more inventions for the reader to try for themselves.

As a book that encourages kids to have a go, this is brilliant and with all the accompanying online sites, easily found by searching for “Colin Furze” there could be a new generation of engineers spawned!!