New Bike ¦ New Car ¦ New Shampoo ¦ New Shoes

Aimed at supporting National Curriculum technology, this new series looks at a familiar product (such as The Body Shop's banana shampoo) and follow it from first design sketches to finished product. A good clear explanatory text and attractive colour photographs aid the reader's understanding of the process.

The approach adopted - double-page spread per production stage - highlights the need for company planning, timetabling and linking of components, but is rather less successful in showing the relative complexity of a particular stage (an especial difficulty with New Car). Each title stands on its own but useful work could result from comparison of: advertising techniques and approaches; quality control; CAD/CAM; and the origination of the product.

These are useful new books, with the author's mix of description and pertinent questions a particular strength.