Hi David,
Yes...it can become a real addiction all right. And I think it can be a lifelong affair for curious people. I began in late 1957 and am still at it. The old gent who was teaching me would invite me to sit on his back porch in the evenings and tear apart mercury batteries while he drank coffee, chain smoked and told me about all sorts of things and sometimes put on radio shows. He'd save the mercury in a jar. Once a month or so a fellow would come through our village and buy the jar from him...which I figured was helping to fund his cigarette purchases. Imagine my surprise when later I learned mercury was dangerous and could cause dain bramage.
Another fun study is watchmaking. Sadly there isn't an interesting and clever book explaining it, but the study of fine jeweled spring-driven movements is still worthwhile...possibly more today than in past years as fewer and fewer young people are involving themselves in it.
