Adventures from the Technology Underground技术王国探险几

Whatisthetechnologyunderground?AccordingtoengineerandtechnologyconsultantGurstelle,it'sacommunityoflike-mindedamateurs--inventors,mostly,althoughsomeofthemmightmoreaccuratelybecharacterizedasdaredevils.Menandwomenwhohavedevotedtheirlivestothethingsthatconventionalsciencehasdismissedasunworkable,impractical,orjustplainpointless.Flyingcars,forexample,ornewfangledcatapults,airguns,andflamethrowers.Orfightingrobotsand,ofcourse,LDRS(largeanddangerousrocketships).Theauthorexploresnotonlythepeoplewhodevisethesewondrousnewinventionsbutalsothetechnologicalwizardrybehindthem:everychapterfeaturesillustrationsandtechnicalexplanationsofthedevicesdiscussedwithin.Thewritingisabitscattershot,alternatingfrequentlybetweenclunky("itisreasonabletooutline,attheoutsetofaconceptualizationoraproject,therulesofconformance")andtheoutrightfunny:afterdescribinganearlyflying-cardesign,theauthordeadpans,"Itnevergotofftheground."Butthebook'stargetaudiencewon'tbebotheredbytheprose.Theywillbelookingforadventure,excitement,andreallywildstuff.Theywon'tbedisappointed.