Got this book as a gift for my father, a former Navy Machinest's Mate. He loved it and it brought back old memories. The lessons were clear and concise with the text and copious detailed graphics working well together. Basic Machines and How They Work starts with explaining the classical simple machines, lever, inclined plane, pully and its relation to the lever, compound pully, and screw and its relation to the inclined plane. Book then proceeds to combine these simple machines and explain how these simple machines build up to more complicated mechanical structures: clutches, transmissions, and internal combustion engines, all with a sailor's point of view and sprinkled with nautical jargon. A good basis, too, for high school physics students.