3-D Printing, by Hal Marcovitz

In general, this book is somewhat informative about 3-D printing, and the book’s basic contents are enlivened by sidebars which provide short blurbs of information of interest to the reader. While this book is by no means a detailed discussion of 3-D printing, it is certainly suitable as an introductory text, especially for younger readers. The biggest criticism I would have about this particular book is that it seems to discourage the reader from being directly involved in 3-D printing, by its fearmongering concerning the making of unregistered guns with 3-D printing as well as the author’s comments that a lot of things made by ordinary people with 3-D printing appear to be junk. The book is also a bit short on details about how it is that ordinary people can create things with 3-D printing, though its discussion about the scientific and medical and commercial uses of 3-D printing is certainly worthwhile and enjoyable. While this book has some good information and occasional feel-good stories, overall the author’s approach is not one that I find all that enjoyable, personally speaking. One sidebar where the author makes the gimmicky praise of millennials as being creative people in 3-D printing was especially cringeworthy, and emblematic of the author’s approach as a whole.

This book is a bit less than 50 pages long and is divided into four chapters. The first chapter discusses 3-D printing as a new way to make things, and discusses the development and maturation of 3-D printing as a technique starting in the 1980’s but coming into its own within the past decade or so. After that there is a discussion on the emergence of the 3-D culture, which mainly discusses the commercial use of 3-D printing to make products out of materials that can be melted or are in liquid or powder form. The third chapter then discusses the maker community, which focuses on the ordinary people who use smaller and less expensive 3-D printers to make small items. Here the author, while praising the millennial generation, has some critical comments to make about the quality of the sorts of goods that are made by ordinary people, in contrast to his praise of more professional and commercial interests. The fourth chapter then looks at the future of 3-D printing, which again focuses on commercial interests as well as medical ones, demonstrating what the author considers to be most worthwhile. The book then closes with a glossary, writings that give more information, an index, and information about the author.

3D Printing, by Terence O’Neill and Josh Williams

When one is dealing with a subject like 3-D printing, there is a choice one has to make in terms of how one wants to approach the subject. Is one wishing to provide an implicit or explicit judgment of how people use this technology in order to praise some uses of the technology and not others as is the case with some writers with an agenda, or does one wish to provide practical information to the reader as if they are capable of learning how to use something well? This book, fortunately, provides the reader with the second approach, showing how it is that ordinary people can, through obtaining reasonably priced 3-D printers as well as specific computer software and files available readily online, can create from plastic various objects. The authors even spend time talking about how it is that people are to remain safe by avoiding touching the 3-D printer equipment because of its heart during operation, a useful safety tip. If there is some danger of a book like this becoming somewhat obsolete in its details, the fact that the book has practical aims and is designed for young readers but certainly also useful to older ones means that new editions of this book would not be hard to create as the software and technology changes over time.

This book is a relatively short one at 32 pages, divided into five brief but informative chapters. The book begins with a discussion of what a 3-D printer is, providing both text as well as pictures that show 3-D printing with a focus on those who are using such devices at home rather than the larger and more expensive commercial units. The second chapter of the book discusses how people are using 3-D printers, including both industrial as well as home uses. The authors then discuss 3-D printing now, which provides detailed information on where one can find useful and practical designs made by others as well as techniques for how to manage the 3-D printing process so that it works out well. The authors then talk about how it is that someone can design their own objects through the use of design software, should they wish to be more creative in their printing. The final chapter of the book discusses where the reader can find 3-D printers, again demonstrating the practical approach of the authors in terms of dealing with the logistics of 3-D printing rather than making statements critical of the 3-D modeling community. The book closes with a glossary, suggestions for further information, an index, and information about the authors. This is a book that I warmly recommend for children as well as parents who are interested in 3-D printing and want a practical guide on how to safely use 3-D printers and create useful and worthwhile objects from the process in plastic through commercially available means.