King Alfred is perhaps best remembered for allowing cakes to become burnt, but he did something far more significant and of lasting value. He used ten commandments, given to the Jewish people centuries before, as the foundation of English law. He instinctively knew they contained the recipe for a safe and successful society. The secret they all contain is respect. Respect for God first, for his uniqueness, his nature, his name, his special day; then respect for each other, our families, life itself, marriage, property and reputation. Churches have urged members to memorise the Ten Commandments, along with the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed, often putting all three up on the wall as summaries of the Christian faith and life, as well as using them in worship. But how can principles laid down so long ago and so far away be relevant to contemporary society? Well, as one New Testament translator (J B Phillips) puts it: ‘By the straight edge of God’s law we find out how crooked we are.’ Only after this discovery are we ready to consider the gospel of Jesus.

THE WHIRLIGIG MAKER'S BOOK covers everything you need to know to get started in the craft and hobby of making animated whirligigs. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed and full-size patterns and step-by-step instructions and illustrations are given for making fifteen unique animated whirligigs: Dove; Folk Rooster; Flying Unicorn; Girl Gymnast; Penguins on Teeter-Totter; Dancing Man; Unicycling Roadrunner; Carousel; Kids on Teeter-Totter; Trampoline; Ferris Wheel; Unicyclist; Flying Duck; Acrobats; and Clown. The projects were selected to introduce you to whirligig making and then take you on to an advanced skill level. The Author Jack Wiley earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1968, did exercise physiology teaching and research, and has written fifty published books. Dr. Wiley first became interested in making whirligigs in the late 1980s, and has designed and built hundreds of them since then. THE WHIRLIGIG MAKER'S BOOK is the result of this interest and experience.

To get started, you'll need only what you can usually find in your home: items like paper, ziploc bags, index cards, coloring utensils, pencils, rubberbands, scissors, etc. As we progress in the world of making magic, we'll explore how to use 3D design tools like Tinkercad (you can register for a free account at tinkercad.com). You don't need a 3D printer in your home! Libraries, schools, and makerspaces around the world have 3D printers you can use! We'll explore simple programming using Arduino!

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.