Such is the case with Inventing Millions (25 inventions that changed the world and made millions for their inventors). For a start, what a marvellous title! No obscurity – just a bunch of well chosen words that tell the reader precisely what they can expect between the covers.

Although not required reading for any curriculum, students will love this new book (and we’re in lifelong learning mode here…we’re talking about students from six to 100). It is simply chock full of fascinating, short accounts of how things came to be.

Happily, there are no quagmires of didacticism or bouts of pseudo-intellectual pomposity along the way to fog the mind, slow the flow and act as literary speed-humps – as with some books.

In fact you get the immediate impression that Melbourne authors Paul Holper and Simon Torok (pictured right) had a lot of fun researching and putting all this together. It‘s a cheeky little read, bright and bouncy and salt and peppered with humorous quips that have become their style over the years. (Now well established educative authors, Holper and Torok wrote the bestselling Amazing Science series).

Holper and Torok, who work for the CSIRO in business development and communication respectively, have impressive academic backgrounds. Both are science communicators. Holper is a former chemistry teacher and Torok has a PhD in climate science. They know the education system well and this is probably why students, parents and teachers of all ages will warm to their new book.

Inventing Millions boosts general knowledge. You will discover how Bette Nesmith made her mark with Liquid Paper (and did you know that Bette was the mum of Mike Nesmith, singer guitarist with the 1960s pop group, the Monkees?). You’ll also find out how heart pacemakers came to be and the story behind magnetic strips and credit cards. Nanotechnology suddenly becomes less mysterious, the bionic ear is explained and even the genesis of Coco Chanel gets a guernsey in a scent up sort of way. (The authors’ play on words, not mine). And do you know the background to Google? You soon will.

This is a book of great value – and not just in the money sense. Each section has little bonus subsets under the headings of Early Days, You’re Kidding, How it Works and Success Scale. And, for those whose knowledge appetites are still not sated, there are lists of references for further information. Brilliant.

The educational value is obvious from the first page. Readers come away with wonderful tidbits of information, an enhanced knowledge bank and a better understanding of, well, stuff we might take for granted. If you get the ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ contestant phone call, beg, buy or steal the book. Odds on it will help you answer the questions.

In short, Inventing Millions is a friendly book that shuns pomposity and has no pretensions. It simply tells how innovation, discovery, science and technology have changed our lives – and, equally importantly, who did the changing for us.

Forgot Fathers’ Day? Inventing Millions would be a great square-off. Thinking about Santa sack fillers or Christmas gifts already? Ideal.

Other than taking a chance on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’, can any of us make millions? Holper and Torok pose the question in their introduction: "…great things can be achieved by each of us if we think, persevere and follow our dreams".

Exactly.

Inventing Millions, by Simon Torok and Paul Holper

(ABC Books, rrp $24.95)