Not Laughing with You

Hey, I just wanted to take a moment to talk about one of my favorite things growing up.  I, of course, refer to the Incredible Cross-Sections book series (generally known as ICS).  These books gave a detailed depiction of everyday life behind the walls of medieval castles, oil rigs, opera houses, and even Jedi Starfighters or Jabba's Palace!

I've held on to all of my ICS books and return to them often for the one thing that can rival my imagination for what might be going on inside these unfamiliar worlds.  And I took particular pleasure at the blatantly British touch of everyone's stiff-upper-lip demeanor.

I recommend checking these books out at your local library for the detail and the painstaking accuracy to the period.  If the thought of gaining a more complete understanding of the inner workings of some remote microcosm doesn't entice you, there is one other reason to thumb through one of these amazing books.  In the name of authenticity and with a dose of humor, this no-holds-barred series was never afraid to get a little dirty.  From steam trains to fishing trawlers, every illustration is blessed with at least one colored pencil sketch of some poor chap in the can, making it more like a scatological version of Where's Waldo?  I have sometimes found myself skimming over some of the really fascinating cross-sections in hopes of catching someone in a private and rather compromising moment right there on the page of my book!  Don't worry ladies.  Apparently, the women of Incredible Cross-Sections have no need for this kind of relief.  I am fairly certain that women poo daffodils anyway.  Still, you've got to respect the authors for realizing that kids are going to want to know how these people did their business along with all of the other tasks of the time.  It's a shame that I would go and make it the focus of my blog for one whole day!

Also recommended:  Disney's How It Works Series (slightly less disturbing)