O'Reilly | No Starch PressFor Immediate Release
CONTACT:   Travis Peterson
[email protected]
415.863.9900 x300

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred—New from No Starch Press
Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids

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San Francisco, CA, October 6, 2010—Kids today are just as likely to be interested in electronics as they are in soccer. So what's a parent to do with a kid who'd rather solder than run laps? How can parents really keep geeky kids entertained, without spending yet another afternoon in front of the glowing rectangle of a TV or computer monitor?

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred (No Starch Press, October 2010, 368 pp., $24.95, ISBN 9781593272593) is a new and dangerously fun DIY book with step-by-step, illustrated instructions for making 24 quirky playthings. Projects are designed to cost $10 or less and include kid-friendly crafts like a Lock 'N Latch Treasure Chest and PVC Teepee, homemade musical instruments, and moving toys like a marshmallow-shooting muzzleloader and a steam-powered milk carton boat.

"Every project is written with the absolute beginner in mind. This can be the first time Mom or Dad has ever threaded a needle or warmed up a soldering iron, and they can expect to get a decent result," said the book's author David Erik Nelson. "These projects run the gamut: If you're a crafter who has never touched a saw, I've got projects for you. If you're a musician who's never soldered, you'll learn how to build cool stompbox effects, a dirt-cheap amplifier, an electric digeridoo, and more."

With the aid of Nelson's clear instructions, readers learn how to make:

As they build, kids (and parents!) learn useful skills in sewing, carpentry, electronics, and soldering that will equip them to go on to create their own seriously geeky stuff.

For more information or to request a review copy of Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred, contact Travis Peterson at No Starch Press ([email protected], +1.415.863.9900, x300), or visit www.nostarch.com.

About the Author
David Erik Nelson is a freelance writer and former high school teacher. His fiction has been nominated for a Nebula award and has appeared in Asimov's, The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, and the forthcoming Steampunk Reloaded anthology. He developed the projects in this book at an alternative school, with plenty of feedback from his students. He is a contributor to the "Ask the Giant Squid" advice column at Poor Mojo's Almanac(k), a weekly online literary journal.

Additional Resources
Project 3: "The Sock Squid" (PDF)
Table of Contents
Catalog Page and Sample Pages

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred
by David Erik Nelson
October 2010, 368 pp
ISBN 9781593272593, $24.95 USD
[email protected]
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
Request review copy

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About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, LEGO, science, and math. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. Visit http://www.nostarch.com for a complete catalog.

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