GYROSCOPES: What They Are and How They Work

The first gyroscope was fashioned as a toy in ancient China-- the delightful tilting top with wheels within wheels. Now, engineers are designing nuclear powered gyroscopes essential to the flight of missiles and experimenting with more sundane applications of the spinning rings. The author teaches as he writes and takes the instrument from its position as a toy to a first principle in various but especially space) sciences. This is a welcome addition to beginners' books, but it is not an easy one. However, readers at this age level are given every advantage afforded by logical organization, labeled diagrammatic drawings, and the discussion of practical applications.