William Gurstelle, P.E. is an award winning writer, state licensed engineer, best-selling author, inveterate tinkerer, and professional speaker. He is a contributing editor for Make Magazine and frequent contributor to several national technology magazines.

Bill's talks explore the most radical technology on earth. He's written about, as well as built, high-velocity air cannons, large gravity-powered catapults, warrior robots, pulsejets and flamethrowers.

He has been cited as an expert by The New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, The New Yorker, Make, and scores of other newspapers and magazines. His radio credits include National Public Radio, Westwood One, American Public Media, and Radio Canada. National television appearances include: The History Channel, G4/Tech TV, and CNN.  

Crown Books/Random House will publish his fifth book, Whoosh, Boom Splat, in 2007. Bill's previous books include Backyard Ballistics, The Art of the Catapult, and Building Bots.

Representative Past Clients:

• University of Oxford
• Cunard Lines
• Tripoli Rocket Society
• Maker Faire San Mateo
• Science Museum of Minnesota
• University of Wisconsin Extension

POPULAR LECTURES

FLING! The Most Important Machine in the World
Meet the king—the “king of machines”, that is. This machine and the people who made it had an impact on the world like few others in history. How will your technology project impact history?

Have Brain, Will Travel: Engineers of Fortune
Battles—military, commercial, and personal—are often won or lost based how well new technology is applied. Here’s why your technical staff is more important than generals.

Lessons from The (Technology) Underground
Come on a tour of the radical, self-expressive world of the Technology Underground. Bill spent two years spelunking the Technology Underground. Here, he relates the astonishing things he discovered.

Whoosh! Boom! Splat!—A Workshop
Explore the ethos of “life hacking”—a wonderful, important skill that puts you in control of the technology around you.

The World’s Loudest Lecture©
Earplugs supplied! Coming Soon.