Gallery of great old How and Why Wonder Books

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Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/04/23/gallery-of-great-old-how-and-w.html

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I had the H&WWBs “Robots and Electronic Brains” and “The Human Body” as a kid. Probably helped get me into biomed. engineering.

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I have the atomic energy one on the bottom row.

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I read at least 20 of these in my otherwise mis-spent youth. They were marvelous!

Here’s a nearly complete set of cover illustrations.

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I loved these. Also the Golden Book Encyclopedia had the coolest cover illustrations.

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I know, right? My mom got the complete Golden Book Encyclopedia, 1 volume at a time, via giveaways at the ACME supermarket. I read them 'til the bindings fell apart. They made me the cultural imperialist I am today.

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“Robots and Electronic Brains” was in great demand in my Grade (4 or 5) classroom. From the title I’m guessing the publishers thought that the word “computer” was familiar enough to kids :slight_smile:.

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I have most of these, still! Definitely influenced me to get into science. But the one that I think affected me the most was the How and Why Wonder book of the Spoilt Earth. It made me an environmentalist for life.

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…which according to Wikipedia, never appeared in the American series - it was only in the British series. That explains a lot.

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I had a mountain of these in the 60s, everything put out until about 1967 or 68.

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I feel like the time machine’s doors have just opened and I’ve stepped out into my childhood.

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Had many of these as a child in the 1960s, they definitely had a significant effect on my early development. The link to the covers is also a link to the great John Vaughan’s collection of art and nostalgic imagery. It’s a little heaven.

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The folks casually leaning over that active reactor core are concerning.

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I had those, and I would totally buy them for my daughter. I really want to get her a kid’s encyclopedia set and not have her rely on the web.

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I had a stack of these as a kid, loved them, and wish I still had them (they were library discards when I got them and fell apart from much use).

I also enjoyed the many surprisingly-good Charlie Brown science books; this one in particular focused on the future of energy and space travel, and had a section filled with Don Davis’ wonderful space colony illustrations that really fired my imagination as a kid.
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Another favorite was Tell Me Why by Arkady Leokum, which was filled with lovely, dated early-60s illustrations.
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I thought you were kidding about the Spoilt Earth title. Nope.

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Thanks for the link. I was contemplating scanning my battered old copy, but now I don’t have to.

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Glad i’m not the only one who noticed that. I’ve seen that kind of lack in nuclear safety before. NplH

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Thanks. This is the first time i’ve ever even heard about SL-1. Someone was pinned to the ceiling?!?!?! YIkes!

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I had those Charlie Brown books! I feel like we got them from a gas station promo. I used to pester my mum to fill up so often…

I also think I had that Tell Me Why book.

I have a domain registered–“adapedia”–and I keep meaning to set up a wiki and collect the things my daughter asks me about.

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