Bots and bods : How robots and humans work, from the inside out by John Andrews

This is a fascinating book which explores the similarities and differences between humans and robots, particularly how the basic features of the human body, such as movement, the senses and thinking, are copied in bots.

As more and more of our lives are assisted by what were once the stuff of futuristic cartoon series like The Jetsons, performing everything from mundane chores to intricate surgery, this is an intriguing insight into just how one is translated into the other.

With its appealing layout and straightforward text, this is one that will appeal to anyone with a deeper interest in this technology (and thus is going straight to Miss Year 9) while there are extensive teachers' notes focusing on science and digital technologies for those in tears 4-8.

Publications from CSIRO are always original, fascinating and worthwhile and this is no exception.

Themes: Robots, Human body, Technology, Science.

Barbara Braxton