Rube Goldberg: Inventions!

List Price: $25.00 Discount Price: $14.49

Customer Reviews:

I thought It Would Be Better [Posted on 2003-02-20]
The concept of accomplishing a ridiculously simple task with incredible complexity, is invented and taught here by Rube Goldberg.

As mechanical engineers in college, we used to play around with this concept quite often.

The use of unpredictable things in his cartoons (people, animals) make a cartoon look impossible, if it isn't enough already.

A plant being watered and growing (in a couple of seconds) to accompllish a task is to me, not possible, but at least predictable. An animal or person being heated up, causes Goldberg's desired effect only because he drew the human to do so. But for the human, the number of possible responses are many. We all know that the watered plant will do only one thing. Go up. The time suggested for it to do so; therein lies the humor.

"Do it the hard way." [Posted on 2005-04-19]

Finding this book was a real treat.I haven't seen much of his work for a long time.Little wonder,since Rube died in 1970.Goldberg is a national treasure,not only for his Inventions,but also for many other art forms.He graduated as a Mining Engineer,did Vaudville,wrote songs and plays,was in Motion pictures,Newsreels,Radio,and TV.He also took up Sculpture at the age of 80 selling about 300 works to private collectors,galleries and museums.
He created his own artform and was a resounding success by his early 30's and remained so the rest of his life of 87 years.His cartooning skills reflected the early years of cartoons where the message was more important than the artwork;which really came into its own and exploded after WWII.That is,more like the stuff we saw from Mutt and Jeff by Bud Fisher and R F Outault's Yellow Kid.Generally speaking,after the war,the great change in artwork after WWII became the world of comics,such as Dick Tracy by Chester Gould,Terry and the Pirates by Milton Caniff and what we see today in Doonesbury by Gary Trudeau.
I can't remember if I ever saw any of Rube's cartoons in color and there is no use or mention of color in the book.While he still produced well after color became popular in comics and cartoons,the question remains unanswered.On his website there is a Machine Contest 2005 in color,but it is obviously not his work.Does anyone know if any of Rube's cartoons were printed in color?
Overall,this is an excellent book and does a good job on the life and work of an artist who entertained so many for so long.

RUBE IN CLASSROOM [Posted on 2006-02-24]
I purchased this book to use in my HS physical science class. IT WAS A HIT! I mainly used it for transformation of energy. The kids were first pretty confused but it didn't take long to get the hang of Mr Goldberg's style. I have a student with autism who was just facinated and read it cover to cover. What a treasure to have that hisotry and "uniqueness" preserved!! Many thanks to the authors and family!!!!

A Primer for Bryan [Posted on 2007-05-15]
Rube is a role model for our 5 year old grandson, Bryan, who is busily engaged in creating wonderful, imaginative inventions using "found objects" of string, and spools, and boxes. Bryan also diagrams them..........he is the spiritual son of The Man, Rube.

Your efforts in preserving Rube's flights of creative imagination are being passed on to a new generation of young thinkers. Who knows where the ripples of this pebble cast upon the waters may wash ashore and take root?

Throwback Book Keeps Kids (and Adults( Engaged [Posted on 2008-05-09]
Wonderful and creative drawings set imaginations free and give a glimpse into American culture of the times. A lot of fun to look at the detailed drawings, especially in the company of inquisitive 6 year olds! This is one that they'll probably remember in 20 years...

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