Cy Tymony wants to be MacGyver. But it’s not the women or
the glory the quirky author is after; it’s the clever
ingenuity MacGyver uses to turn ordinary objects into helpful
creations Tymony finds so intriguing.
With his recently released book “Sneaky Uses for Everyday
Things,” for which he will hold a book signing at the Santa
Monica Barnes & Noble tonight, Tymony has broken down into
layman’s terms how to do everything from detecting
counterfeit bills to constructing a fire extinguisher to obtaining
drinking water from plants, all from the most mundane of household
objects.
He believes the book will not only spark interest in his
experiments, but also provide some useful tips for people stuck in
a jam.
“What would you do if you had nothing and were caught in
the wilderness?” asked Tymony.
“If for some reason you got caught in the cold with no
coat and no hat? I’ve shown (readers) how to survive without
a coat and how to make fire in six different ways,” he
said.
Just like MacGyver, Tymony seems to have an uncanny ability to
transform seemingly unrelated items into life-saving devices. He
credits childhood gifts from his parents for bringing out his
talent within him to begin creating such inventions.
“(When I was) a kid, my parents bought comic books and
science kits, so I would read the books, try to get ideas, and try
to implement them,” said Tymony.
The Superman comic books provided the greatest inspiration.
However, it was the villain rather than the hero Tymony wanted to
emulate.
“It was Lex Luther that intrigued me. Every episode he
would start in prison, and he would always escape with the things
in his cell like a piece of bubblegum or a shoe string.”
The book is not the first of its kind to appear in the consumer
market. Multiple “Worst Case Scenario” handbooks have
been published, highlighting some of the same ideas with more
outlandish scenarios like what to do if attacked by an alligator.
However, there are many differences between Tymony’s book and
the “Worse Case Scenario” volumes.
“Most of (the “˜Worse Case Scenario’ handbooks)
are impractical. Maybe out of 50 things, they might have one
practical thing. And it’s a humor book,” said
Tymony.
“I wanted mine to be something practical where people
might buy it for different reasons, but they could use it in real
situations,” he continued.
Through his book, Tymony provides step-by-step directions in
creating handy devices so children of all ages can easily
understand. It’s not necessary to be a rocket scientist to
get out of tricky situations in life.
“We all have superpowers already; we just have to know how
to tap them,” said Tymony.
“As long as you have the sun, leaves on the trees,
floorboards you walk on, electricity and other techniques, you
always have something to work with if you just know how,” he
said.
Cy Tymony will be appearing at Barnes & Noble
Booksellers on Third St. Promenade in Santa Monica on Oct. 30 at
7:30 p.m.