Impossible Inventions

A funky and fascinating collection of ideas, patents, and plans.

When Leonardo da Vinci, over five hundred years ago, invented the tank, car, helicopter, glider, parachute, submarine, elevator, and telescope, he was considered a dreamer. Or even crazy. Today he is understood to be a genius, ahead of his time.

This book collects ancient and modern inventions. Some are revolutionary, others comical, others simply impossible. But each testifies to the extraordinary imagination of its inventor. You'll find a flying bicycle, a bubble telegraph, passenger clouds and passenger birds, mechanical chess players, a water clock, a concentration hood, and many more incredible ideas.

About the Author

Alexandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski are graduates of the Faculty of Graphic Arts of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts and founders of the Hipopotam Studio. They are authors of internationally recognized children's books and creators of fonts, apps and websites. Their prize-winning book Maps was a worldwide bestseller. Malgorzata Mycielska is an art historian, publisher and book editor.