clock Books

George Orwell was way ahead of his time with this book. It's amazing that in the late 1940's when relatively little was known about the life under communism and it's impact on everyday life, we was able to capture this so brilliantly! The only thing that he probably did not get right is he attributed the communist too much ability to innovate. When there are no personal rewards and people live in fear, there isn't innovation. But that's just a side note and it does not take anything away from this brilliant book. It's a timeless classic that has something to say to every generation and should be a required reading. I highly recommend it.

I couldn't believe myself when I saw this book. Top quality, for such a nominal price. I prefer hardbounds to paperback, and this book for sure is an exception to the fact that hardbound books are grossly costly.

I definitely recommend this product!

This book was very difficult to read. I know it's a classic sci-fi and dystopia read, but I truly hated this book, especially at the end! I also think it's horrible that this book is taught in high-school... It should be for 18 and over only! The original "Big Brother", and a frightening look at what society could become if we let it. Probably so frightening because it is so possible.

Orwell displays brilliance at every turn in this acclaimed work. The depth of social commentary, non-stop plot, rich characters and fluid sytle make this a classic in every sense. The aventures of Winston Smith, the main character, provide incisive, memorable insights into the nautre of human affairs. This book deserves all the praise it has received over the years. Highly recommended.

Twisted view of a future world, even more creepy looking at it from a time 20 years after this imaginary future... it is interesting to compare and contrast this book with reality...

read it, lest you end up being slit from your guzzle to your zatch! a book for all ages, and any age. Fairy stories with a twist of Thurber.

I had not heard of James Thurber (I'm not from Northern America :)) until one of my friends on a study abroad program brought this book to our apartment and we started reading it out loud to each other. I loved it so much that I've read it three times already. Thurber's playing with the language is so amazing, cute and fascinating that it makes you speak "his way" after you read the book. :) And all his ideas are wonderful! This all makes the book one of a kind, really.

I really do like this book. I like fairy tales, especially the kind like Ella Enchanted and Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. In the pictures the wicked duke looks so hilarilously silly! The prince is handsome and the princess pretty, of course! The Golux's hat is indeed indescribable and the woman Hagga cries jewels instead of tears. He! He! He!

I was astonished to receive the summer list from The New York Review Children Collection and to find this extraordinary book by James Thurber. It begins:

"Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn't go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales."

Neil Gaiman's Introduction was so good and so loving I had to read more, and I found this entry from November 2001 on his blog:

"So I'm reading James Thurber's "The 13 Clocks" to my daughter right now.

"I mentioned the fun I was having reading the book to American friends, expecting a chorus of "yes, it was our favourite book as children" and got nothing but blank looks and people shifting uncomfortably in their chairs. [I would have shifted just as uncomfortably three weeks ago.] ...

"To my surprise, and to my dismay, I discovered that it's more or less out of print (there's a hardback that may be in print, but Amazon have it listed as unavailable and won't let you order it), and even the rare bookfinder services don't have any Ronald Searle illustrated copies. Which leaves me perfectly gobsmacked. I mean, it's one of the great kids' books of the last century. It may be the best thing Thurber ever wrote. It's certainly the most fun that anybody can have reading anything aloud (I'm doing the Duke as Peter Sellers doing Olivier doing Richard III, and the Golux as Marty Feldman). If I ever wrote something half as good I'd be over the moon. And it's out of print."

I suppose Gaiman's love letter must have led to this wonderful new edition and to his being chosen to write the Introduction. Whatever the facts, my deepest gratitude to NYRB and to Gaiman and to Marc Simont for the wonderful illustrations. This is a treasure for kids and for adults.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Watch out for the Todal

James Thurber's The Thirteen Clocks is a delightful tale for people of all ages. I was first introduced to this seemingly conventional story at age five when my father read it to me as a pleasant bedtime story. It was not until I could read for myself that I began to notice what sets this story apart from so many other children's stories--its characters and great dialogue. Even re-reading it now, as a college student, I immensely enjoy its refreshing humor. Thurber uses a simple storyline, poetic devices, and clever characterization to make The Thirteen Clocks enjoyable to any and all ears.

The Thirteen Clocks is enjoyable for kids of all ages (meaning grown-ups as well) because it follows the basic and familiar "prince saves princess" storyline. Prince Zorn of Zorna must win the hand of Princess Saralinda by bringing back a thousand jewels to her uncle in "six and sixty days" (32). Though it seems that six and sixty days are not ample time for him to complete such a task, Zorn of Zorna miraculously succeeds. This follows the plot of most classic fairy tales I can think of (excluding Rumplestiltzkin and Beauty & the Beast). There are so many prince-princess stories because every child (and deep down, every adult, too) wants to be a prince or princess. There is something appealing to human nature about glory, fame, wealth, beauty, and general happiness, all of which are presented as direct benefits of being royalty. Also, everyone loves a happy ending where justice is served--the good guys win and the bad guys suffer. The Thirteen Clocks does indeed include a happy ending of this nature. Not only is the story simple enough, but it is also relatively short (my copy is seventy pages with fairly large text) and includes pictures. Bedtime stories are, by nature, short stories. When parents concede to read just "one more bedtime story," they do not want it to take all night. Furthermore, it is simply easier to understand a story when you sit down and read the entire thing at once. Children admittedly have short attention spans. The rest of us adults do too, but we pretend to have a more mature mind, especially when it comes to paying attention. The Thirteen Clocks appeals to everyone, young and old because it is a familiar and somewhat simple tale.

All audiences can also appreciate The Thirteen Clocks for its musical language as seen by the poetic devices of rhyme and rhythm. In the beginning of the story, Prince Zorn of Zorna disguises himself as a minstrel and sings of various things whose mention are forbidden by the evil Duke. A villager tells the Prince that one of the Duke's spies will "die because to name your sins, he'll have to mention mittens. I leave at once for other lands, since I have mentioned mittens...You'll never live to wed his niece. You'll only die to feed his geese" (17). The rhyme combined with the absolute hilarity of this statement amuses the reader and is rhythmically pleasing. Smaller children may not catch or understand the substance of this passage completely, but they will enjoy hearing the rhyme scheme (AAABB) and rhythm pattern (8-7, 8-7). Literary enthusiasts will take note and admire the patterns evident in Thurber's writing. Another great example of Thurber's amusing and rhyming style is, "'It's odd,' the Golux muttered to himself. 'I could have sworn that she had died. This is the only time my stomach ever lied'" (54). Here again, Thurber amuses his audience by using this constant pattern of rhyme and rhythm. Humans love to find patterns--it brings sense and order to the sometimes chaotic world we live in. By creating this literary and somewhat musical pattern, Thurber's tale appeals to both the young and old.

The Thirteen Clocks is appealing because its characters, the likes of which have never been seen before in literature, add excitement and flavor to this familiar story. There are three truly out-of-the ordinary characters--the Golux, who is "always on hand when people are in peril" (18), Hagga, the weeper of jewels; and the unpleasant Todal. Of these, the Todal is the most outrageous character. The Todal is "made of lip," "looks like a blob of gulp," and "smells of old, unopened rooms" (36, 29). This creature is "waiting for the Duke to fail in some endeavour such as setting you a task that you can do" and is "an agent of the devil, sent to punish evil-doers for having done less evil than they should" (29, 30). There is no monster as quirky, interesting, and terrifying as the Todal in real life or in a book. By presenting his readers with such bizarre characters, Thurber appeals to their sense of humor, as well as to their sense of terror. The creativity and flair for language possessed by Thurber are most obvious in the descriptions of his characters. This sets his tale apart from others with similar, but seemingly less lively stories. More than anything else, The Thirteen Clocks is enjoyable because of its uniqueness in characterization.

This truly wonderful and shockingly good fairy tale is full of enough excitement and goodness to be appropriate for a bedtime story. Yet Thurber's true talent lies in his creative and imaginative abilities which allow for readers and listeners alike to enjoy this book. It is set apart from other fairy tales by its clever use of words and unparalleled characters. Buy this book (though I would suggest the hardcover edition with colored illustrations) or run to your local library before the Todal gulps you!

A short but well written book that sheds light on an almost forgotten man who changed the world. Interesting and fun to read, worth checking out.

Dava Sobel's Longitude manages to be both entertaining and enlightening. It's hard to imagine a book based on such a taken for granted historical landmark could prove to be such a good read. Personally, I must to confess a preference for historical issues, and John Harrison proved to be an engaging figure if for nothing else than his single mindedness to the task at hand. He spend the larger part of his life trying to solve a single riddle, and in the process, solved many others.

John Harrison completes his first pendulum clock in 1713 before the age of 20. He made the gears for this out of wood which was radical for such a use, but as a carpenter, perhaps not to him---which is a mark of genius, I'd say; to reach beyond accepted norms in this manner. This he did after borrowing a book on math and the laws of motion; which he copied word for word, making his own copy. He incorporated different varieties of wood into his clock for strength and later invented a bi-metal pendulum to counteract the expansion and compression of various individual metals. He also employed friction-free movements so as to do away with problematic lubricants. When intrigued by the puzzle of time at sea and the issue of longitude he contemplated substituting something not prone to gravity, as a pendulum of course is, to track times passing. In 1737 he creates a cantilevered clock 4 foot square. This the longitude board (which had offered a cash bonus to anyone who could devise a method in which time at sea could be kept) admired. Four years later he returns with an improved model; then starts on a 3rd model, like the previous two, also a fairly large sized clock.But there exists a problem within this book: An artisan freemason by the name of John Jefferys at the Worshipful Company of clockmakers befriends Harrison and then later presents to him a pocket watch in 1753. Then in 1755, while still working on his 3rd model, Harrison says this to the Longitude board: I have..."good reason to think" on the basis of a watch "already executed that such small machines[he's referring to pocket watches] may be of great service with respect to longitude." He then completes version 3 in 1759. His fourth version appears just a year later, however, and is a 5 inch wide pocket watch! The obvious inference made by the author is that after he received the pocket watch from Jeffreys he seemingly put his version #3 on the back burner and soon started on the pocket watch 4th version. The author does not claim Harrison copied anything from the Jeffreys model, but she certainly phrases this section so as to lend one to believe that this may have been the case; that Jefferys had a hand in the masterstroke invention Harrison eventually produced in version #4. This is not true. Harrison commissioned the watch he received from Jeffreys and was based on Harrison's specifications. It seems that Harrison simply asked Jeffreys to test an idea which he himself hadn't the time to attack just then; as he was still working on his 3rd version of a table-top prototype clock. Hence Harrison's above statement to the board in 1755 whence his ideas were validated by Jeffreys. In addition, the author plays up the part of the Astronomer Royal's part in attempting to impede Harrison from convincing the longitude board of the efficacy of a time-piece solution to this problem over a celestial answer to this conundrum. The author also jazzes up the issue of whether Harrison received the prize the board promised to pay for a successful solution herein; even though the board supported him for upwards of 20 years as he pursued this quest. It's as if the author intentionally omitted some facts (that the Jefferys was a Harrison commission), and pumped up others (of a rival/foil on the board trying to impede Harrison and the compensation issue; implying that Harrison was jipped) just to make the story more compelling. John Harrison's story, however, is extremely compelling as it is and didn't need this extra spice served up by the author.Do read this (very short) book on how this Mr. Harrison solved the problem of knowing where one is when at sea; and if you're in London, visit the Old Royal Observatory and the Clockmakers museum (in the Guildhall) where you can see Harrison's wonderful creations in person. Enjoy!

What do Galileo and John Harrison have in common? They both had run-ins with bureaucracies that impeded the acceptance of their breakthrough ideas. And they are both subjects of books by Dava Sobel. Longitude is second book by her that I have read, the other being Galileo's Daughter. As with the latter book, Sobel combines the science of the times with a lot of background on the politics and religion of the age. She weaves these together into a coherent story that is entertaining and informative. I had never even considered that there was a ever a problem in determining longitude, so this book opened my eyes. The book I had purchased contained color illustrations that helped bring the devices that are the subject of this book to life (more can be found at http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.132/chapterId/2685/Greenwich-and-the-story-of-time.html). These devices were one inventor's way of solving the problem of determining longitude at sea. Sobel covers her topic with a great deal of sympathy. Indeed, the blatant way in which the establishment hampered Harrison was very frustrating, meaning that the writing was very compelling. Interestingly it speaks to Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific revolutions, which pointed out the great steps forward in science can be accomplished by those newer to the field and that science doesn't really change until the older generation passes. I recommend this book to anyone interested in boating or science or anyone who uses a GPS device to have an appreciation for how difficult travel used to be.

One of the most pressing issues for early sailors was the problem of longitude. Because it was impossible to determine longitude, many ships and sailors died. Also, captains used the same routes as pirates or enemies of the state, which made it easy to lie in wait for your next victim. In 1714, English Parliament passed the Longitude Act which created an award for the first person to accurately determine longitude. Longitude, by Dava Sobel, explores the work of John Harrison, the man credited with accurately determining longitude for ships at sea.

Contents:
Acknowledgements
Foreword, Neil Armstrong
Chapter 1: Imaginary Lines
Chapter 2: The Sea Before Time
Chapter 3: Adrift in a Clockwork Universe
Chapter 4: Time in a Bottle
Chapter 5: Powder of Sympathy
Chapter 6: The Prize
Chapter 7: Cogmaker's Journal
Chapter 8: The Grasshopper Goes to Sea
Chapter 9: Hands on Heaven's Clock
Chapter 10: The Diamond Timekeeper
Chapter 11: Trial by Fire and Water
Chapter 12: A Tale of Two Portraits
Chapter 13: The Second Voyage of John Cook
Chapter 14: The Mass Production of Genius
Chapter 15: In the Meridian Courtyard
Sources
Index

Today, ships have GPS to tell them where they are on the seas. But before John Harrison created his first sea worthy clock, sailors were pretty much lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Watches were not accurate and clocks worked on a pendulum, which didn't help on a rolling sea. Sobel weaves an interesting tale of John Harrison, a carpenter turned clockmaker, who created an extremely accurate clock for determining longitude. But this story isn't solely about Harrison. There are others that are attempting to do the impossible as well, using the heavens to find longitude. Harrison must battle prejudice, and himself, to get his timekeeper judged for the prize (£20,000 is the award). In the end, Harrison developed several chronometers, extremely accurate and able to withstand the seas and weather, that by the 1780's all log books had an entry for longitude readings by timekeeper.

This is a topic that many may not find interesting. But Sobel hasn't written an academic dissertation on the subject, she has created a highly engaging study of a man dedicated to solving one of the greatest issues facing the world at the time. Her writing style makes this an easy book to read, as there are few technical details. However, for those that need more information, she provides a rather detailed source listing. I found the book to be a fascinating look at early sailing and the answer to a problem that plagued those sailors. Also, the background on Harrison adds to the story. While he worked as a carpenter, his knowledge of wood aided him in his quest for an accurate timekeeper. His chronometer was accurate to less than a second, in the 1700's, when other, more learned clockmakers could only be accurate to 15 minutes a day (plus or minus).

This is a very good, enjoyable book on a fascinating subject.

I got this for my husband to use in our business. He says it's been very helpful. I got it to update his old one.

A good source for information but to refer to the guide as "complete" would be streching it a bit.

Use the book often in my work. A great addition. Thanks for the fast shipping.

One of the best watch books around, it basically plods along, virtually unchanged, year, after year. Except for price updates, and a new cover every year, this book is getting long in the tooth. My main problem is realistic pricing, which would not serve the authors, primarily Tom Engle, who is a high-end watch dealer. Many items are underpriced, in my opinion, and do not reflect real world pricing.

The pictures are small black and whites, so bad they almost look drawn. The prices are inline with what 'SELLERS' would pay for a watch. The definitive guide to watches. Not very good, but where else are you gonna get this info.

I checked this book out at the library, but had to have one of my own. I like it because, as it says, the meals can be put together very quickly and usually don't require any unusual ingredients. It is so flexible. We eat a lot of meatless dishes, and this cookbook has many of those dishes, or offers a meat-free alternative, such as soy products. The recipes all look delicous, healthy and no-fuss. The recipes I have tried, (Cheese Quesadillas with Lime Pesto, Salmon Burgers) were delicous and went over well with the family. The book is divided into Seasons, and at the end there are several short sections at the end of the book - Simple Side Dishes, Beyond Cheerios - ideas for feeding babies and toddlers, and School and Daycare snacks and lunches. One of my favorite features is that the nutritional information is included for all the recipes in the main sections. My list of recipes I'd like to try is very, very long. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves good, healthy food but doesn't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

This cookbook is great if you're looking for fast meals you can whip together without a lot of fuss. There are probably 200+ recipes in this book so in there you'll find at least a few things you like! Having found just one or two meals we'll add to our list of favorites makes it worth buying.

Having said that though, I didn't find the meals terribly interesting or incredibly tasty. Some don't even appear all that healthy, but I suppose 'healthy' can mean different things to different people. Some recipes were pretty good, like Goddess Chicken - but how can it be bad with a bottle of delicious dressing dumped in with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes! Other things seemed more like cookbook space fillers, such as 'taco night' (brown ground meat, serve with standard fixins'). There were a few recipes we tried that made me say, 'where's the flavor?' (like pasta with beans). And looking at the ingredients, it just wasn't in there, nothing magical happened upon cooking.

I didn't find the weekly menus all that helpful since I wasn't interested in a good number of the recipes, but overall it was worth the purchase. It's a little hard to navigate sometimes, as it's arranged by season and not by type of protein/pasta/cuisine, so I spend a little time just flipping through pages each week and picking out recipes to try that week. It won't replace my other favorite cookbooks (like my favorite from Cooking Light), but it's nice to have on hand for some quick & easy dinners.

My daughter in law had this cookbook. I looked through it and fell in love with it. I purchased one for myself and use it at least 3 times a week. Recipes are easy to follow and contain "normal" ingredients. So far, my husband has liked every one I have tried! I would recommend this to all women who need some new ideas for meals.

My cooking life would come to a screeching halt without this book. This is the cookbook I turn to when I've been working all day, look at the clock and think, "Oh no, what can I make for dinner within an hour that everyone will like?"

This book goes beyond the simple kid-friendly recipes, and provides a happy medium ground between food that kids will definitely eat and food that adults want to eat. It introduces kids to new spices and condiments (curry, peppers, dijon mustard, etc.) in ways that appeal to them and ease them along the path toward eating more sophisticated food. My kids are 5 and 2 - notoriously known as the "picky eater" phase. Both of them have liked many of the recipes I've made from this cookbook. Some they haven't liked, so I just make a notation and move on. There's so much here, it's virtually impossible not to find many that will appeal to any family.

Beyond the fact that the recipes are just plain good and crowd pleasing, most of them can be made with ingredients that you are most likely to already have in your pantry/fridge/freezer. At the beginning of the cookbook, Goldfarb provides a checklist of basics so you can stock up on anything you might be missing. This book has saved our family lots of dollars in takeout food. Highly recommended.

I absolutely love this cookbook! I love having everything planned out and the recipes are so accessible. I've tried a lot of other cookbooks that promise to only take 30 minutes, but this is the first cookbook I've tried that actually delivers on that promise. I love that I can print out the shopping list for the week, find all the ingredients at my local grocery store, and when it comes time to cook I'm actually interesting in eating the dish. There's a great variety and every recipe tastes great. My son actually told me the other day that he misses tacos and spaghetti; we just haven't needed to make the old stand by's.

It took longer than expected to receive this book and when I did get it, it was obviously damaged. I was not happy. It was described as new, and it looked used.

I loved it, my friend was not so thrilled by it..she already knew much of what was in the book BUT for younger people or those of us who did not pay attention the 1st time, this book has a TON of common sense, good ,EASY , practical ideas. An easy read a s well.
NOTE I tend to like EASY to do things that are also common sense "brilliant"
and healthy, It's been fun going back and doing things right..I've ventured off into new areas of changing for the better because of this.

This is a terrific guide to healthy and youthful eating and cooking, as well as an insightful look into the nutritional value of foods. I have cooked many of the recipes for my family, which they enjoyed greatly.

I also am very excited for this next book to be released at the end of this month (see below)-
ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover's Road Map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy

There is so much fluff and extraneous material in this book you are impatient to get to the real message of the book, and when I got there, it was not worth the journey. A very gimmicky presentation of not new material.

These are excellent recipes. Easy to make and health promoting. I did not need the depth the author went into on setting up a kitchen but it would be helpful for those folks who don't already know how to do this. The recipes are used frequently in our household and enjoyed by all.

This large book has a wealth of information on many watch types and styles, and primarily showcases a limited array of various manufacurer's offerings. Plenty of photos, and information on many brands, a few of which are very obscure and known to only a few true watch aficionados. Each listing, however, gives only a cursury history of the brand, and only a few of the watches they showcase. Helpful for the beginner, although most watches are financially out of reach for most people. A nice inclusion though is the addition of new brands, and rare watches they offer. Obviously not all manufacturers are included, or should be, and while the lack of certain brands and individual watches is frustrating at times, most people will be quite satisfied to drool over the many pictures and will undoubtedly come away from it with a broader knowledge and appreciation of horology.

Great compliation of wristwatches for those who want to know what's new to the wristwatch world. Great info on the manufacturers and their history.

If you like fine watches then this is a great book. It has a good range from almost all the major manufacturers and includes prices. Highly recommended.

This has always been a great watch reference book with exceptional pictures but this year the pictures are way too small so there's no detail. Don't know if I'll purchase next year if they continue with the small picture style.

I have read the reviews here and have to disagree. How can anyone give this book just 1 star.
Its a very nice book and has some great quality pictures. It does not have too much content but its not that sort of book, it is a 2008 catalog. The author has done a super job putting it togther.

I wanted a book that would help me understand and at the end allow me to repair or clean, oil and adjust a watch. This book didn't do it. It says you can start as a beginner. Wrong. Regardless of what other reviewers say, you will not end up disassembling and reassembling a vintage wristwatch. The material is too old and does not cover how you can do the tasks mentioned in the book with today's technology. You'll wind up falling to sleep.

As a watchmaker by Trade, i bought this out of curiosity. From the techinques of openning a watch case to the description of indiviual watch parts is grossly outdated. New technology in watch production rendered this book obsolete and would only be suited to someone whose advanced in their studies as a watchmaker rather than a novice.

I am amazed that this book (my edition printed in 2006) is an exact copy of a 1971 printing. Mechanical watches of today are readily described in this 35 year old text.

The 1971 dust jacket has hand drawn lettering. The 2006 dust jacket has been cleaned up by computer aided drawing. It was amazing to find out that the author passed away in 1989. He unfortunately lived long enough to see the Japanese demolish the mechanical watch industry.

This book does have a place in today's world...The mechanical Swiss Watch is making a comeback, although limited to those willing to invest in a $400 and up watch. But if you buy a good Swiss mechanical, it can be passed down and repaired by your heirs.. This book will probably still be available, when your heirloom is in need of repair...

SImple things using the right tools and procedures can allow you to get the satisfaction for the simple repairs. I would suggest doing classes etc or going to a professional for the more advanced types of repairs. The book also allows you to gain an appreciation of actually what makes then tick and tock.

This product, though very good, was not what I expected. It is apparently a very early book on watch repair (updated through the years), written by a watch repairman. The book targets persons wanting to begin a watch repair business, so it included the ideal work space, all the tools necessary to begin an ultimately profitable business, all good information but more than I wanted or needed. It is sometimes difficult to read because a few sections are quite technical and include jargon, but I was also able to locate and understand the information I needed for my own home watch repairs.

I have used this book annually as a resource when I am visiting Cape Cod. I have purchased other books similar, but always return to the latest Frommer's version. This is indeed, user friendly, accurate and provides the 'off the beaten path' type of things to do that one might easily miss. I would highly recommend this book over others. It's very user friendly and full of interesting tidbits.

What a fantastic idea. a clock that works made out of paper. it takes time to build it but it is fun and rewarding as the clock comes together.
my one suggestion is to photo copy the parts on card stock paper (i used 110# paper) and build that first, (easier to correct mistakes) then build up the clock in the book.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2D3DRDFNN044C Here is how the finished product looks like. Cool, isn' it?

Make Your Own Working Paper Clock

This book is a whole lot of fun. I haven't completed the clock yet, but have been working on perfecting the process through 3 books and ten years! I recommend that you buy at least two books, take your time, and enjoy the process. The clock will be running very soon - I'm convinced of this!

I've spent about 5 hours on it so far and have the frame and three of the large gear assemblies done (motor, movement and escapement). It hasn't been without hassles - the book is a reprint, correction and translation of an earlier book and all the cutout parts are drawn by hand and it's a bit imprecise (ie the lines are about 1mm thick and you don't know when to cut inside, outside or in the middle of the lines). There are some small misprints too that are mentioned in another review.

The trickiest part for me to understand was the locking cylinder (parts 40-45 I think) on the motor gear- as its counter-intuitive. Also putting the parts together in numerical order (as recommended in the book) is not always the best thing to do. In the case of the cylinder mentioned earlier especially - it is better to start with the circles that form the lips, that way they help maintain the cylindrical shape. If you go in numerical order - you end up with a weird shape that isn't a cylinder, and have to squeeze it into the circles for the lips.

Another problem is the various star shaped shafts - their shape is maintained by a cutout you insert them into - and they normally consist of just an accordion folded cylinder that could be any shape. It really needs to have an internal, well measured, piece to insure that the final shaft is equally spaced.

There is an issue with warping as well - some gears tend to warp if they're thin and require a lot of consistent pressure while drying to keep flat.

The size of beads for spacing isn't mentioned, so I'm going to get those after partial assembly.

Inserting wires through the gears for the axles is all well and good - except when doing it on the frame. It's very difficult to find a paperclip sized hole by feeling for it with a paperclip. I'd recommend some kind of guiding shape - a funnel or wedge, even just a strip of paper from one hole to the other - built inside the gear.

Some parts are not mentioned until later - such as a cork.

Overall though - an ingenious idea, and I look forward to rebuilding the clock with more accuracy.

Okay, first and foremost I love making 3d models out of paper, papercraft is one of my most beloved hobbies. With that said this is a great template to create an amazing working paper clock. It is challenging only in the fact that you must be accurate and cannot cut or fold slopply and get away with it. I had to make the main gear and two of the other sub gears several times before I could get the clock to work. It is a challange and it will take about a week to build if you work dilligently every night for about 1-2 hours. I enjoyed building it as much as I enjoy looking at it now. I have bought several copies of the book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in a good project that leaves you with an amazing piece of art when you are done. A definate conversation piece.