LET'S MAKE A LOT OF THINGS

Here's a competent and attractive little craft book which should help youngsters in the early teens enjoy making things out of clay, metal and leather. But the publishers apparently aren't satisfied with this substantial market, and make claims which to say the least, are of dubious value -- ""If you can read, you can be a craftsman""....""This book is addressed to youngsters from six to sixty""... Our reader's comment is to the point,- ""My six year old will have to tuck many years under her belt before I allow her to use sulphuric acid or nitric acid or an alcohol blowtorch. Nor do I regard her as quite ready for the essay on the manufacture of alloy steel in Chapter I. However, barring the aforesaid claims, this book serves a real purpose for camp, school and home use, at the age levels we indicate""....The first third of the text explains basic principles, scientifically as well as practically speaking. Next comes an excellent section on tools and equipment for metal work, generously illustrated, with subsequent diagrams and text on processes and how to make specific articles with sheet metal, wrought iron, and so on. Less space is devoted to clay modelling and leather, but enough to stimulate interest and experiment.