John Austin’s book, “Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction: Build Implements of Spitball Warfare,” can help you unleash your inner evil genius and be your guide to (mostly) harmless revenge, which of course is a dish best served cold.

Working with typical office supplies like pens, pencils, paper and rubber bands, the book takes you step-by-step through a series of build plans that range from harmless office pranks to Mythbusters-approved “do not try this at home.” Safety is, of course, priority number one in this book, so protective eyewear is advised for all projects.As William Shakespeare wrote in ‘Julius Cesar, “Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war.”

For the paranoid, please note: This is not “The Anarchist’s Cookbook.” In fact, even the most explosive projects are only designed to make a loud boom, at  most. “Mini Weapons” is more prank than terrorist blueprint and (probably) won’t get you listed on the Transportation Security Administration’s no-fly list. This book really is “for entertainment purposes only.”

The book is broken down into sections including “small launchers,” “bows and slingshots,” “darts,” “catapults” and the ever-popular “combustion shooters” and “minibombs and Claymore mines.” The projects range in complexity from 60 seconds to 60 minutes.

If you are fighting an intense battle of cubicle warfare, build yourself a bb Pencil. Using a mechanical pencil, rubber bands, tape and Airsoft bb’s for ammo, you can make yourself a shooter capable on inflicting, well, zero damage to your opponent. It will, however, get someone’s attention. And if you want to get really fancy, you can add a laser pointer for aim and a clip for holding additional ammunition.

The Maul Gun is particularly impressive. Capable of piercing cardboard with ease, the gun is made of nothing more than binder clips and rubber bands. While it’s not the most accurate weapon in your cubicle arsenal, it does throw pencils with admirable velocity. Never underestimate the power of rubber bands.

If you need to get the attention of someone in the next cubicle, well grab your #2 Catapult and unleash a torrent of erasers, paperclips or spitballs on all who chose to ignore you. In the wrong hands, rubber bands can, indeed, be potentially dangerous.

If you have a roommate who won’t leave the thermostat alone, simply booby trap said thermostat with a mousetrap claymore mine designed to shoot Nerds candy in the general direction of anyone foolish enough to change the thermostat. For a more Hollywood effect, replace the Nerds with flour for a big “poof.”

This book makes for  great “rainy-day” fun. It’s like Kindergarten crafts—only more entertaining. The projects are easy to build, require materials that can be easily found around the home or office and can provide hours of time-wasting fun.

So the next time you enter the Student Publications office, watch out for the sign that says, “Death from Above!!!!!”