William Gurstelle (born March 29, 1956) is an American academic, nonfiction author, magazine writer, and inventor.

He is also the author of several science “how-to” books published by Crown Books/Random House and Chicago Review Press.

[3] According to James A. Buczynski in Library Journal, Gurstelle's writing "balances scientific explanations of the technologies with profiles of the people who [explore] them."

His academic works explore the history of vernacular (i.e. popular) science writing as well as understanding the effects of such texts on culture and society.

He advocates for the use of re-creation and experimentation techniques as a possible source of historical knowledge regarding the history of technology and science.