How often can you say a book has it all?  Well this 1635 edition of The Mysteries of Nature and Art by John Bate does.  This tiny book packs a real punch with topics ranging from fireworks to drawing.  It even has a section on do at home experiments to wow your friends and family. 

 What I love best about this book is the illustrations.  Some of them are both baffling and entertaining.  I have no idea why one would want to make a device where a figure of man would stand on a ball and sound a trumpet or why a skeleton is painting a wall while standing in a tank being filled with water but it must make sense to someone.  Maybe that someone is you!  If it is you, then can you explain what that man is doing to that poor dragon.