Thursday, March 11, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Book shows sneaky uses for ordinary objects to solve problems

A magnet will attract legitimate U.S. currency because of iron particles in the ink.

Have you ever feared that $20 bill the cashier is checking with her counterfeit pen will be rejected and in turn cause you loads of embarrassment?

If you have experienced that uneasiness, Cy Tymony's book, "Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things," tells you how to determine if your currency is legitimate before trekking to the store.

Tymony's book is filled with helpful insights on how to turn household items into unique gadgets and gifts. He tells how to open a door with a toy car, turn a penny into a radio and change milk into plastic.

The author was in town recently at Barnes & Noble, 8915 W. Charleston Blvd., to promote the book and demonstrate some of its "sneaky" tricks.

"The purpose of the book is to teach people how to never give up and to expand their attitude about what is around them," Tymony said.

The first step is to decide what you need to handle a specific situation. The second step is to look at the items or things around you, because the solution may be obvious.

A dramatic example occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Jan Demczur had worked as a window cleaner at the World Trade Center since 1991. He and five others were riding on an elevator in the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 flew into the building.

Realizing help was not on the way and how quickly the smoke was filling up the elevator car, Demczur used the only tool he had in his possession -- a squeegee -- to chisel through drywall and escape before the building came thundering down, Tymony said.

On his Web site, http://www.sneakyuses.com, Tymony noted mortal danger usually arrives unannounced, and the ability to improvise using ordinary objects may be the best hope for survival. Instead of giving up and dying in the elevator, Demczur evaluated the situation and adapted the only tool he had, which saved his life and the five others.

As a young boy, Tymony read comic and science books that helped him create clever gadgets to amaze his friends. He also watched popular programs such as "Gilligan's Island," "Columbo" and "MacGyver" and movies such as "Die Hard" and "Castaway" to sharpen his ability to use ordinary objects for extraordinary things.

His book was written about seven years ago, but was not immediately snapped up. Tymony was disappointed at the time, but now believes the delayed release turned out for the best.

He began to notice other books -- such as the "Worst Case Scenario" series and several books touting the many uses of duct tape -- in bookstores and imagined a new market for his book if he deleted the technical stuff and sold it to the general population.

"Repackaging the book worked out really well, especially since there are more avenues for me to market the book, like the Internet. I am glad it came out the way it did," Tymony said.

The book appeals to children and adults, and, according to Tymony, is good for jump-starting a science project that has stalled.

Projects range from high tech to low tech and are simple, safe and quick to assemble. Sybil Smith, the author's friend, and her 13-year-old daughter, Serrenity, helped Tymony test applications in the book to make sure ordinary people are able to do them easily.

"Tymony's book makes science fun, and it also shows you that you can actually do more with less," Smith said.

Tymony has written three books and works as a computer network specialist and a technical writer in Los Angeles.

The trick to determining if your currency is counterfeit?

According to Tymony's book, fold the bill in half crosswise and lay it on a table. Point a strong magnet near the portrait of the president on the bill. A legitimate bill will move toward the magnet because the ink used on U.S. currency has iron particles in it. A counterfeit bill will stay where it is.