Yeah, it's a weird little niche, but by God, it's my niche.

I specialize in science and history, with a special emphasis on including do-it-yourself projects in the mix. My dozen or so books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. I'm also a contributing editor at Popular Science and at Make Magazine.

I work with a lot of different editors at different publishers and magazines and so on, and having a system of shared folders makes keeping track of things a snap.

I spend a fair amount of time just thinking about whether something is feasible or not, and if it is feasible, whether it's really worth doing.

I started a funny book from the 1930s called The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse. Wodehouse is a comic genius.

My home office and workshop are on an overlook on the only deep river gorge on the entire length of the Mississippi River.

I have a large standalone workshop on the back of my property where I prototype and build stuff. It's bright, roomy, and has a giant door so it's easy to bring projects in or out.