Burt Constable, Arlington Heights Daily Herald
"Offers a safe, cheap, and legal, labor-intensive and intellectually challenging to the 'oops I blew off my fingers' debacle."


Time Out New York
If you'd like to launch a potato in a blazing fireball of combusting hairspray, this is your best source.


DallasNews.com
Your inner boy will get a bang out of these devices to build and shoot in your own back yard.


The Daily Oklahoman
...shows the safe way to amaze and annoy your neighbors with amateur science projects.


Chicago Tribune
"Would-be rocketeers, take note: Engineer William Gurstelle has written a book for you."


The Plain Dealer
"To inspire kids to spend more time exploring science"


St. Paul Pioneer Press
"13 projects engineered to be safe yet exciting and able to be built with household and hardware-store supplies"


Journal of Chemical Education
"Fun and thrilling"


Book Description
Ordinary folks can construct 13 awesome ballistic devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive household or hardware store materials and this step-by-step guide. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple-a match-powered rocket-to the more complex-a scale-model, table-top catapult-to the offbeat-a tennis ball cannon. With a strong emphasis on safety, the book also gives tips on troubleshooting, explains the physics behind the projects, and profiles scientists and extraordinary experimenters such as Alfred Nobel, Robert Goddard, and Isaac Newton. This book will be indispensable for the legions of backyard toy-rocket launchers and fireworks fanatics who wish every day was the fourth of July.


About the Author
William Gurstelle is a professional engineer who has designed, constructed, and collected ballistics experiments for more than 20 years. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This step-by-step guide enables ordinary folks to construct 13 awesome ballistic devices using inexpensive household or hardware store materials. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple -- a match-powered rocket -- to the more complex -- a tabletop catapult -- to the classic -- the infamous potato cannon -- to the offbeat -- a Cincinnati fire kite. With a strong emphasis on safety, Backyard Ballistics also provides troubleshooting tips, explains the physics behind each project, and profiles such scientists and extraordinary experimenters as Alfred Nobel, Robert Goddard, and Isaac Newton, among others. This book will be indispensable for the legions of backyard toy-rocket launchers and fireworks fanatics who wish every day were the Fourth of July.

FROM THE CRITICS

The Daily Oklahoman

"...shows the safe way to amaze and annoy your neighbors with amateur science projects."

Constable - Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Offers a safe, cheap, and legal, labor-intensive and intellectually challenging to the 'oops I blew off my fingers' debacle.

Chicago Tribune

Would-be rocketeers, take note: Engineer William Gurstelle has written a book for you.

St. Paul Pioneer Press

13 projects engineered to be safe yet exciting and able to be built with household and hardware-store supplies.

Journal of Chemical Education

Fun and thrilling.Read all 8 "From The Critics" >

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"If you'd like to launch a potato in a blazing fireball of combusting hairspray from a PVC pipe, this is your best source.
 — New York, New York