This morning, author William Gurstelle showed us how create a potato launcher, one of the 13 awesome ballistic devices featured in his book, Backyard Ballistics.

Gurstelle says ordinary folks can construct these devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive household or hardware store materials and this step-by-step guide.

Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple match-powered rocket to the more complex scale model, table-top catapult to the offbeat tennis ball cannon. With a strong emphasis on safety, the book also gives tips on troubleshooting, explains the physics behind the projects, and profiles scientists and extraordinary experimenters such as Alfred Nobel, Robert Goddard, and Isaac Newton.

Backyard Ballistics is available in bookstores everywhere.