Spies

By Carol Hinz
Editorial Director, Millbrook Press

The recent news coverage of the Russian spies found living in the United States brought back memories of the Cold War for many people. For me, it also brought back memories of editing Spy Technology by Ron Fridell. This compact book, which is part of our Cool Science series, manages to cover all kinds of spy technology—from well before the Cold War to well after it.The gadgets featured in the book include a wheel cipher invented by Thomas Jefferson, a listening device in the heel of a shoe that belonged to the U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia, and the Robofly, a robotic fly that may one day conduct spy missions.

Spying is a serious—and dangerous—business, but it’s also a high-interest topic that may just convince a few more young people that science can be cool.