While most people are curious about the inner workings of gadgets and machines, they often feel intimidated in their efforts to really …

While most people are curious about the inner workings of gadgets and machines, they often feel intimidated in their efforts to really understand them. The New How Things Work, clearly written and enhanced by more than 300 photographs and diagrams, uses anecdotal information to help readers comprehend the mechanisms and principles behind technology. With eleven chapters, including ''At Home,'' ''Building and Buildings,'' ''Transportation,'' ''At Play,'' and ''Tools of Medicine,'' the book covers every important category, focusing on familiar items such as refrigerators and washing machines, planes and trains, elevators and escalators, as well as the not-so-familiar, such as laser surgery and DNA manipulation. Like David Macauley's classic The Way Things Work, this volume is thoroughly illustrated, full of sidebars and technical drawings, and contains a glossary and index.