Long ago an idea began turning in human minds - the idea was a wheel and once it started it couldn't be stopped. Throughout our history, wheels keep turning This book takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the world, exploring the history of the wheel, from a rolling log to air-filled tyres, from a potter's wheel to a spinning CD, taking in pulleys, clockwork and even wheelbarrows on the way In this manner, the book explains how wheels work and why their invention was so important. It shows how technology has transformed our lives and our history and how great inventions can come from the simplest ideas. This celebration of human ingenuity promotes a greater awareness of the past's influence on the present and is the perfect starting point for a child to explore the science and technology behind simple machines.