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How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science & Technology (2019)The world's most entertaining and useless self-help guide, from the brilliant mind behind the wildly popular webcomic xkcd and the million-selling What If? and Thing Explainer
For any task you might want to do, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally bad that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It's full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole.
Bestselling author and cartoonist Randall Munroe explains how to predict the weather by analyzing the pixels of your Facebook photos. He teaches you how to tell if you're a baby boomer or a millennial by measuring the radioactivity of your teeth. He offers tips for taking a selfie with a telescope, crossing a river by boiling it, and getting to your appointments on time by destroying the moon. And if you want to get rid of this book once you're done with it, he walks you through your options for proper disposal, including dissolving it in the ocean, converting it to a vapour, using tectonic plates to subduct it into the Earth's mantle, or launching it into the sun.
By exploring the most complicated ways to do simple tasks, Munroe doesn't just make things difficult for himself and his readers. As he did so brilliantly in What If?, he invites us to explore the most absurd reaches of the possible. Full of clever infographics and amusing illustrations, How To is a delightfully mind-bending way to better understand the science and technology underlying the things we do every day.
322 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
4604 people are currently reading
57826 people want to read
About the author
Randall Munroe
21 books5,685 followersRandall Munroe, a former NASA roboticist, is the creator of the webcomic xkcd and the author of xkcd: volume 0. The International Astronomical Union recently named an asteroid after him; asteroid 4942 Munroe is big enough to cause a mass extinction if it ever hits a planet like Earth. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,009 reviews
December 9, 2020
3.75 stars
If you have ever been curious about how to dig a hole, how to cross a river or how to jump really high - then look no further!
So if you are curious about all the weirdly specific things out there - this book is for you!
Okay. So.
This book was fun, but it didn't work as well for me this round.
The first book was tied together by this question-answer format where Munroe was seeking the answers to wild and weird questions sent in via internet - a concept which I loved.
However this round...it just didn't appeal to me as much. Maybe it's cause we just have Munroe picking random-ish things to calculate? I don't know.
But what I once found charmingly specific because a bit much to follow:
If I ever have the need to throw the wildest pool party in the world or (for some reason) needed to find out if I was born in the nineties...then I guess I have the right book for that!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Then this is the book for you!
If you’re worried that the house will blow away, or that some prankster will attach jet engines and send it blasting off into the distance...
If you have ever been curious about how to dig a hole, how to cross a river or how to jump really high - then look no further!
If you want to beat a high jumper, you have two options:Much like Munroe's first book - we learn how to do seemingly mundane things in (quite possible) the most complicated and convoluted way possible.
1. Dedicate your life to athletic training, from an early age, until you become the world's best high jumper.
2. Cheat.
So if you are curious about all the weirdly specific things out there - this book is for you!
Okay. So.
This book was fun, but it didn't work as well for me this round.
The first book was tied together by this question-answer format where Munroe was seeking the answers to wild and weird questions sent in via internet - a concept which I loved.
However this round...it just didn't appeal to me as much. Maybe it's cause we just have Munroe picking random-ish things to calculate? I don't know.
But what I once found charmingly specific because a bit much to follow:
Without shielding, spacecraft break up in the atmosphere. When large spacecraft enter the atmosphere without a heat shield, between 10 percent and 40 percent of their mass usually makes it to the surface, and the rest melts or evaporates. This is why heat shields are so popular.That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I did have fun within these pages (I loved the tea-kettle-river segment!).
If I ever have the need to throw the wildest pool party in the world or (for some reason) needed to find out if I was born in the nineties...then I guess I have the right book for that!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
December 22, 2019
Nonfiction books that are based on answering questions in unconventional ways, giving different answers to one question like in John Brockman´s series, extrapolating ideas and general taking the boooooring out of science, are a great way to get everyone fascinated.
This book has some crazy, but well explained and profound ideas for more or less daily problems and gets one interested in the technology and physics of many ignored details of life. Mind games, creativity techniques, free associations and simple experimentation are keystones of both science education and real, practiced science.
Outgoing from the ideas of this book, one could go outside inside a complex building, nature, a social machinery, virtual (worlds)ly everywhere and simply try some unconventional approach to functioning systems. Once with a focus on maximal productivity, another time on the highest grade of silliness. Both is great for getting fresh ideas, solving problems, improving functioning systems and so on.
It´s a pity that the audience hasn´t been included to choose the questions as in Munroe´s first book, which would have given the whole thing even more quality. Probably I am a bit biased regarding this deep connection to the audience, but especially when this collective intelligence is connected with a voting system to enable all users to filter out the trash and find the best, most creative, probably even unique questions, the whole potential is unleashed. Hopefully, his next book will go back to the roots.
Another problem is that "What if" was a unique masterpiece and the author has the insolvable problem of fulfilling those expectations. Because especially deep wit and weirdality take much time to produce it, as it can´t be just written down like an average article but has to be uniquely created. Also, some of the technical and theoretical aspects could have been more broken down to a better understandable level.
All in all, as I tend to say far too often, another good example of modern science education and probably the reason for why I will try to forget my concerns about building a lava pool when I visit a volcano the next time, because I am well prepared now.
A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science...
This book has some crazy, but well explained and profound ideas for more or less daily problems and gets one interested in the technology and physics of many ignored details of life. Mind games, creativity techniques, free associations and simple experimentation are keystones of both science education and real, practiced science.
Outgoing from the ideas of this book, one could go outside inside a complex building, nature, a social machinery, virtual (worlds)ly everywhere and simply try some unconventional approach to functioning systems. Once with a focus on maximal productivity, another time on the highest grade of silliness. Both is great for getting fresh ideas, solving problems, improving functioning systems and so on.
It´s a pity that the audience hasn´t been included to choose the questions as in Munroe´s first book, which would have given the whole thing even more quality. Probably I am a bit biased regarding this deep connection to the audience, but especially when this collective intelligence is connected with a voting system to enable all users to filter out the trash and find the best, most creative, probably even unique questions, the whole potential is unleashed. Hopefully, his next book will go back to the roots.
Another problem is that "What if" was a unique masterpiece and the author has the insolvable problem of fulfilling those expectations. Because especially deep wit and weirdality take much time to produce it, as it can´t be just written down like an average article but has to be uniquely created. Also, some of the technical and theoretical aspects could have been more broken down to a better understandable level.
All in all, as I tend to say far too often, another good example of modern science education and probably the reason for why I will try to forget my concerns about building a lava pool when I visit a volcano the next time, because I am well prepared now.
A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science...
March 21, 2022
How to Read This Book
You may think that reading this book is easy, and all you have to do is let your eyes move over the words in the right order while paying attention. You probably expect that method to work and not take more than a few hours. On the other hand, suppose that the only language you know is Kalaallisut, an Inuit-Aleut language spoken by about 50,000 people most of whom live in Greenland. Kalaallisut and English are completely different, and if you only know Kalaallisut you probably won't be able to make sense of the book at all except for a bit you might be able to figure out from looking at the xkcd-style pictures. If you said you'd read it, other Greenlanders would laugh at you.
When you think about it a bit more, of course you need to know something to be able to read a book. Is it enough just to know the language it's written in? Nearly always, the answer is no. Leaf through this particular book for a minute or two and you'll see that it's got quite a lot of mathematical formulas in it. They aren't very difficult formulas, but if you've never seen a mathematical formula before you'll miss the point so often that unkind people will again say you haven't really read the book. There are also a lot of references to other books. When Randall Munroe is explaining how to play football and move the ball towards the goal, he doesn't just suggest modelling the opposing team as a gas with unusually large molecules, which requires some experience with physics and mathematics, he also segues into a fantasy about dropping a ring down a volcano. If you've never read The Lord of the Rings, you'll have no idea what he's talking about.
In general, before you can read one thing you've got to read other things. For example, look at this classic Far Side cartoon:
To get the point, you need to have read The Picture of Dorian Gray. Gary Larson is giving you a pretty big clue, since he actually mentions Dorian Gray by name. But often authors think it's more fun not to give you the clues, and you might not even realise that something was being referenced.
According to an estimate made by Google, there are about 130 million books in the world. Most of these books are extremely obscure. But Randall Munroe loves obscure pieces of information, and any one of them just might turn out to be necessary background. The only way you could be sure you weren't missing something important would be to read all of them first. You couldn't read 130 million books. However, computers are getting to be quite good at reading. It doesn't seem unreasonable to hope that a high-end machine with the right software could read the books in an average time of ten seconds per book, checking each one against How To and telling you if it's relevant. 130 million times ten seconds is 1.3 gigaseconds, or about 41 years. Even if it's a large project, you could be done by 2063.
Unfortunately, just checking every book against the one you're planning to read isn't enough either. Going back to The Picture of Dorian Gray, there's the problem that you won't be sure you've understood that book unless you've checked it against all the other books that it could be referencing. In fact, many people who've studied Oscar Wilde's novel think that you don't really get what it's about if you don't know what the "yellow book" is that corrupts Dorian's soul. The leading theory is that this is A Rebours, an 1884 novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans. But, who knows, there could be some other book that fits better. If you want to be careful and say that you've really read a book, you not only need to compare it with every other book that could be connected to it, you also need to compare all of those books with each other. If we say that your reading computer can do a comparison in ten seconds, the task will take 130 million times 130 million times 10 seconds, which makes 169 petaseconds or about 5.3 billion years. It so happens that this is about when astronomers expect the Sun to turn into a red giant and engulf the inner solar system. You are probably best advised to put your reading computer deep under the surface of Pluto, where it should be safe.
As you can see, it's not quite as straightforward as you thought to read this book. But if we plan carefully, there's absolutely no reason why our distant mechanical descendants should not hope to complete the task well before the end of the universe.
You may think that reading this book is easy, and all you have to do is let your eyes move over the words in the right order while paying attention. You probably expect that method to work and not take more than a few hours. On the other hand, suppose that the only language you know is Kalaallisut, an Inuit-Aleut language spoken by about 50,000 people most of whom live in Greenland. Kalaallisut and English are completely different, and if you only know Kalaallisut you probably won't be able to make sense of the book at all except for a bit you might be able to figure out from looking at the xkcd-style pictures. If you said you'd read it, other Greenlanders would laugh at you.
When you think about it a bit more, of course you need to know something to be able to read a book. Is it enough just to know the language it's written in? Nearly always, the answer is no. Leaf through this particular book for a minute or two and you'll see that it's got quite a lot of mathematical formulas in it. They aren't very difficult formulas, but if you've never seen a mathematical formula before you'll miss the point so often that unkind people will again say you haven't really read the book. There are also a lot of references to other books. When Randall Munroe is explaining how to play football and move the ball towards the goal, he doesn't just suggest modelling the opposing team as a gas with unusually large molecules, which requires some experience with physics and mathematics, he also segues into a fantasy about dropping a ring down a volcano. If you've never read The Lord of the Rings, you'll have no idea what he's talking about.
In general, before you can read one thing you've got to read other things. For example, look at this classic Far Side cartoon:
To get the point, you need to have read The Picture of Dorian Gray. Gary Larson is giving you a pretty big clue, since he actually mentions Dorian Gray by name. But often authors think it's more fun not to give you the clues, and you might not even realise that something was being referenced.
According to an estimate made by Google, there are about 130 million books in the world. Most of these books are extremely obscure. But Randall Munroe loves obscure pieces of information, and any one of them just might turn out to be necessary background. The only way you could be sure you weren't missing something important would be to read all of them first. You couldn't read 130 million books. However, computers are getting to be quite good at reading. It doesn't seem unreasonable to hope that a high-end machine with the right software could read the books in an average time of ten seconds per book, checking each one against How To and telling you if it's relevant. 130 million times ten seconds is 1.3 gigaseconds, or about 41 years. Even if it's a large project, you could be done by 2063.
Unfortunately, just checking every book against the one you're planning to read isn't enough either. Going back to The Picture of Dorian Gray, there's the problem that you won't be sure you've understood that book unless you've checked it against all the other books that it could be referencing. In fact, many people who've studied Oscar Wilde's novel think that you don't really get what it's about if you don't know what the "yellow book" is that corrupts Dorian's soul. The leading theory is that this is A Rebours, an 1884 novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans. But, who knows, there could be some other book that fits better. If you want to be careful and say that you've really read a book, you not only need to compare it with every other book that could be connected to it, you also need to compare all of those books with each other. If we say that your reading computer can do a comparison in ten seconds, the task will take 130 million times 130 million times 10 seconds, which makes 169 petaseconds or about 5.3 billion years. It so happens that this is about when astronomers expect the Sun to turn into a red giant and engulf the inner solar system. You are probably best advised to put your reading computer deep under the surface of Pluto, where it should be safe.
As you can see, it's not quite as straightforward as you thought to read this book. But if we plan carefully, there's absolutely no reason why our distant mechanical descendants should not hope to complete the task well before the end of the universe.
May 23, 2020
Many thanks to Brooke at Penguin Random House for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
So… How To. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. I painfully choose to give this 3.5 stars. I am honestly as shocked as the rest of you. There were quite a few things I loved and quite a few things I didn’t. I’d like to get the negative out of the way so here we go.
For starters, this book is not What If. I know you’re probably thinking Yeah, no sh*t I (foolishly) expected this to be like What If. The title should have given it away. How To tells the reader how to perform normal tasks in not at all normal ways. What If asks and answers absurd questions like Can you make a jetpack out of machine guns? This book, on it’s own, was decent but compared to What If, it all falls apart.
How To didn’t have nearly as much… absurdity as What If. It also excluded the community aspect. While What If answered questions submitted from the internet, How To did not, eliminating the personal and outrageous feel.
Also, this book wasn’t as fun because as I said, it was much too down to earth. We want weirdness! We want craziness! WE WANT RAVIOLI! See, that sentence is weird and fun. (Or maybe it isn’t and I’m just being weird.) How To was still decently silly but not as much as What If.
That said, this book still had the classic humor and dry wit of Randall Munroe. The doodles and drawings were creative, hilarious and fun. Also, I love Will Wheaton, the narrator of the audio. He’s one of my favorite narrators!
Overall, this book was objectively a good book but compared to the masterpiece that is What If it fell flat, even with the funnish parts.
Bottom Line:
3 Stars
Age Rating: [ PG ]
Cover: 5/5 ~
Publication Date: September 4th, 2019
Publisher: Riverhead
Genre: Science/Humor
*********
and now back down to three.
*********
I originally rated this four stars but I'm moving it up to five because... Just because
*********
Re-reading this one more time. Just because
*********
Good but not as good as What If... RTC
*********
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I HAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER!!!!
*********
PSYCH! I am gonna hold out to see if I can get a physical copy. If I don't, I'll read my digital one.
*********
I HAVE A DIGITAL GALLEY AND I AM F**KING QUAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*********
A subtitle and a cover!!! *HYPERVENTILATES*
Another What if book?!?
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November 3, 2019
Did you ever wonder how to build a lava moat around your house or how to send a package from space? Well, you're in luck! Randall Munroe's How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems explains how to do these and several other weird things you might have wondered about. I'm not saying you're weird if you've pondered these things; I'm saying they're weird questions. Don't blame me: The author himself claims they're absurd. Other absurd questions asked (and answered) in this book include:
•How to keep your house from moving
•How to power your house on Mars (in case you forget to do the above?)
•How to jump really high (perhaps you need to get to Mars because your house has moved?)
In the beginning I found the book entertaining but quickly tired of the silliness. The mathematical equations used to explain the how-tos were over my head and the questions so far out there that even though the science still applies, I found it hard to stay interested. Half way through the book I found myself skimming and that's never a good sign. Still, I continued on and found some amusing and interesting parts. Some. Not many. It wasn't a total waste of time reading this book but I don't think I'll be signing up for the author's other books any time soon. Others might enjoy it more than I did. It's certainly good for some laughs -- they just got farther and farther in between for me.
BTW, if you want to stop people knocking on your door you don't need to do anything as drastic as building a lava moat around it. Simply move your house to Mars and wah-lah! Problem solved! You're welcome.
December 17, 2019
As always, when I read a funny book, BUT I'm also listening to a narration by Wil Wheaton, I'm suddenly nearly incapable of figuring out whether I love the book for its content or presentation.
Gaaaah!
Fortunately, I had a great time with both, seamlessly upping my chuckle factor by a few magnitudes as I learn how wrong it would be to make a really, really huge teakettle. *hint* (the rivers of lava might make your homeowner's association a bit upset.)
The most fascinating feature, other than just enjoying the ride when it comes to science explaining how to do the most ABSURD things imaginable, such as transmitting data across long distances by one of the most efficient forces of nature... such as BUTTERFLIES... is how much I was able to learn, regardless of the humor. :)
So, two thumbs up for a very, very enjoyable science book.
Um, why isn't this required reading in school? It should be. If only for every single possible reason in the universe. :)
Gaaaah!
Fortunately, I had a great time with both, seamlessly upping my chuckle factor by a few magnitudes as I learn how wrong it would be to make a really, really huge teakettle. *hint* (the rivers of lava might make your homeowner's association a bit upset.)
The most fascinating feature, other than just enjoying the ride when it comes to science explaining how to do the most ABSURD things imaginable, such as transmitting data across long distances by one of the most efficient forces of nature... such as BUTTERFLIES... is how much I was able to learn, regardless of the humor. :)
So, two thumbs up for a very, very enjoyable science book.
Um, why isn't this required reading in school? It should be. If only for every single possible reason in the universe. :)
December 18, 2019
Excellent set of real life problems with unreal solutions, but all of them based on pure science. Each of them are to enjoy and think about.
May 19, 2021
This was a lot of fun. The amount of drawings and diagrams make this feel like a textbook. If you're feeling burnt out from the typical read this makes for a great palette cleanser. The majority of chapters were filled with interesting knowledge, but I will admit there were a few duds (chapters are fairly short, so not as bad as a chapter of GoT where you truly don't care wtf happens to Sansa). I failed to click the blue asterisks in the eBook version to read the footnotes which is a considerable amount of information. When I revisit this novel I'm looking forward to the new-to-me content.
September 11, 2019
So much about author Randall Munroe can be explained by a quote from this book:
Illustrated throughout in Randall's brilliant style and hilariously footnoted, this is an excellent fun science book. Maybe not quite as brilliant as What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, but still a great read.
I really love that we can ask physics ridiculous questions like, “What kind of gas mileage would my house get on the highway?” and physics has to answer us.Most of the rest can be illuminated by his approach to most topics in this book. Tongue firmly planted in cheek and nerd flag raised proudly high. Frankly, I have no idea why it's taken this long for the creator of the brilliant xkcd comic to tell us the winning strategy in football (as Randall informs us, neither the FIFA or NFL rules say anything about the use of cavalry).
Illustrated throughout in Randall's brilliant style and hilariously footnoted, this is an excellent fun science book. Maybe not quite as brilliant as What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, but still a great read.
October 8, 2021
Randall Munroe is becoming famous (notorious?) for this type of book. Create a problem or ask a ridiculous question and then find even more ridiculous ways of “solving” that challenge.
Interested in throwing things, perhaps a silver dollar across a river as George Washington was reputed to have done? Here is Munroe’s less than completely helpful advice:
"This model isn’t perfect. It’s an unwieldy set of equations, and it’s based on just a few input variables and extremely simple assumptions, so it can’t be more than an approximation. We could make it much more accurate by putting in a more specific model of throwing mechanics, or more accurate data about pitchers. But if we make the model more specific, it becomes narrower in what we can apply it to. What’s really fun is how broad it is. We can plug in anything. Sure, we can use it to figure out how far a quarterback can throw a football. The longest NFL passes tend to travel 60-something yards through the air, and our equation gives a result that’s pretty close. (NFL quarterback, football) → 73 yards But we can also use it to figure out how far a quarterback can throw other objects. Let’s try an 11½-lb Vitamix 750 blender: (NFL quarterback, 11½-lb blender) → 18 yards"
Here is a sample from creating your own backyard swimming pool. It deals with everything from deciding whether to dig an in-ground pool to choosing the materials for an above-ground version. This quotation only deals with one (of many) options in filling the pool with water:
"In many areas, online retailers like Amazon offer same-day delivery. A 24-pack of Fiji water bottles currently costs about $25. If you have $150,000 to spare—plus another $100,000 or so for same-day delivery—you can simply order a pool in bottle form. As a bonus, your new pool will consist entirely of water shipped from Fiji. This will present a new challenge. When the water is delivered, you’ll need to get it all into the pool. This will be trickier than you might have thought. Sure, you could unscrew the cap on each bottle and dump the water into the pool one by one, but this would take a few seconds per bottle. Since there are 150,000 bottles and only 86,400 seconds in a day, anything that takes more than a second per bottle is definitely not going to work….You could try slicing the caps off an entire 24-pack of bottles with a sword. Many slow-motion videos online show people cutting through a row of water bottles with a sword. Judging from the videos, it’s surprisingly hard to do—the sword tends to be deflected up or down as it passes through the bottles…" (and it continues but we won’t go any further).
Irrelevant (in most instances) and entertaining. I prefer it in small doses. 3.5*
Interested in throwing things, perhaps a silver dollar across a river as George Washington was reputed to have done? Here is Munroe’s less than completely helpful advice:
"This model isn’t perfect. It’s an unwieldy set of equations, and it’s based on just a few input variables and extremely simple assumptions, so it can’t be more than an approximation. We could make it much more accurate by putting in a more specific model of throwing mechanics, or more accurate data about pitchers. But if we make the model more specific, it becomes narrower in what we can apply it to. What’s really fun is how broad it is. We can plug in anything. Sure, we can use it to figure out how far a quarterback can throw a football. The longest NFL passes tend to travel 60-something yards through the air, and our equation gives a result that’s pretty close. (NFL quarterback, football) → 73 yards But we can also use it to figure out how far a quarterback can throw other objects. Let’s try an 11½-lb Vitamix 750 blender: (NFL quarterback, 11½-lb blender) → 18 yards"
Here is a sample from creating your own backyard swimming pool. It deals with everything from deciding whether to dig an in-ground pool to choosing the materials for an above-ground version. This quotation only deals with one (of many) options in filling the pool with water:
"In many areas, online retailers like Amazon offer same-day delivery. A 24-pack of Fiji water bottles currently costs about $25. If you have $150,000 to spare—plus another $100,000 or so for same-day delivery—you can simply order a pool in bottle form. As a bonus, your new pool will consist entirely of water shipped from Fiji. This will present a new challenge. When the water is delivered, you’ll need to get it all into the pool. This will be trickier than you might have thought. Sure, you could unscrew the cap on each bottle and dump the water into the pool one by one, but this would take a few seconds per bottle. Since there are 150,000 bottles and only 86,400 seconds in a day, anything that takes more than a second per bottle is definitely not going to work….You could try slicing the caps off an entire 24-pack of bottles with a sword. Many slow-motion videos online show people cutting through a row of water bottles with a sword. Judging from the videos, it’s surprisingly hard to do—the sword tends to be deflected up or down as it passes through the bottles…" (and it continues but we won’t go any further).
Irrelevant (in most instances) and entertaining. I prefer it in small doses. 3.5*
December 22, 2019
A bit too sciencey for my tastes. I skimmed the math-filled parts and the rest of it just wasn't enough to tickle the funny bone.
December 27, 2020
Randall Munroe is the author of the web site xkcd.com, The web site is a collection of science-oriented absurdist cartoons. If you have never had the opportunity to visit this web site--do so immediately! It's a lot of fun!.
This book follows closely on the web site's approach, and that of his previous book What If?: Randall Munroe Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions Summary & Takeaways. This is obviously a "How To ..." sort of book. Some of the questions it asks, like "How to Throw a Pool Party", "How to Dig a Hole", "How to Play the Piano", or "How to Play Tag" sound like normal How-to questions. At the beginning of each chapter, you might get a standard sort of answer. But it never> stops there. Each answer quickly segues into an altogether absurd approach. The answers often use physics and simple mathematics to illustrate the answers, along with a liberal sprinkling of stick-figure illustrations.
The book is hilarious. The physics/mathematics approach is especially appealing to nerds. The book is highly entertaining. You never know--you might someday have a real need to know how to catch a drone, or how to power your house on Mars.
This book follows closely on the web site's approach, and that of his previous book What If?: Randall Munroe Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions Summary & Takeaways. This is obviously a "How To ..." sort of book. Some of the questions it asks, like "How to Throw a Pool Party", "How to Dig a Hole", "How to Play the Piano", or "How to Play Tag" sound like normal How-to questions. At the beginning of each chapter, you might get a standard sort of answer. But it never> stops there. Each answer quickly segues into an altogether absurd approach. The answers often use physics and simple mathematics to illustrate the answers, along with a liberal sprinkling of stick-figure illustrations.
The book is hilarious. The physics/mathematics approach is especially appealing to nerds. The book is highly entertaining. You never know--you might someday have a real need to know how to catch a drone, or how to power your house on Mars.
October 10, 2022
you might not know how to power your house on mars but i do after reading this so yk when we are moving to mars stick with me ;)
June 28, 2020
Munroe writes the xkcd comic, so this is humorous, but there are a lot examples of the proper use of physics. Besides, who doesn't want to explore the myriad ways to dig a hole or create a lava moat around your house? I thought I'd have to read another book in between, but between intriguing investigations & Wil Wheaton narrating, it had no trouble keeping my attention & it kept me chuckling the whole time.
I'll let the ToC speak for the rest. Those marked with an arrow weren't in the audio book.
Introduction
1. How to Jump Really High
2. How to Throw a Pool Party
3. How to Dig a Hole
4. How to Play the Piano
→ How to Listen to Music
5. How to Make an Emergency Landing
6. How to Cross a River
7. How to Move
8. How to Keep Your House from Moving
→ How to Chase a Tornado
9. How to Build a Lava Moat
10. How to Throw Things
11. How to Play Football
12. How to Predict the Weather
→ How to Go Places
13. How to Play Tag
14. How to Ski
15. How to Mail a Package
16. How to Power Your House (on Earth)
17. How to Power Your House (on Mars)
18. How to Make Friends
→ How to Blow out Birthday Candles
→ How to Walk a Dog
19. How to Send a File
20. How to Charge Your Phone
21. How to Take a Selfie
22. How to Catch a Drone
23. How to Tell If You’re a Nineties Kid
24. How to Win an Election
25. How to Decorate a Tree
→ How to Build a Highway
26. How to Get Somewhere Fast
27. How to Be On Time
28. How to Dispose of This Book
I'll let the ToC speak for the rest. Those marked with an arrow weren't in the audio book.
Introduction
1. How to Jump Really High
2. How to Throw a Pool Party
3. How to Dig a Hole
4. How to Play the Piano
→ How to Listen to Music
5. How to Make an Emergency Landing
6. How to Cross a River
7. How to Move
8. How to Keep Your House from Moving
→ How to Chase a Tornado
9. How to Build a Lava Moat
10. How to Throw Things
11. How to Play Football
12. How to Predict the Weather
→ How to Go Places
13. How to Play Tag
14. How to Ski
15. How to Mail a Package
16. How to Power Your House (on Earth)
17. How to Power Your House (on Mars)
18. How to Make Friends
→ How to Blow out Birthday Candles
→ How to Walk a Dog
19. How to Send a File
20. How to Charge Your Phone
21. How to Take a Selfie
22. How to Catch a Drone
23. How to Tell If You’re a Nineties Kid
24. How to Win an Election
25. How to Decorate a Tree
→ How to Build a Highway
26. How to Get Somewhere Fast
27. How to Be On Time
28. How to Dispose of This Book
November 29, 2019
Meh
Really liked the author's first book, this one just was too ridiculous. I ended up skipping big sections of it.
Really liked the author's first book, this one just was too ridiculous. I ended up skipping big sections of it.
January 21, 2020
(3.5/5 stars) This book is so interesting and entertainingly funny lol Randall Munroe is someone you hope to meet at a party and get to laugh at his jokes while at the same time he teaches you things XD
Really odd random questions providing scientific answers. You learn some random scientific facts along the way. They're questions you'd never ask but once you hear it you want to know the answer. Some of the questions are kinda boring lol but overall this book is entertaining and interesting
"How to land a plane" was probably the funniest one, where he questions the first Canadian astronaut to land on the moon.
"How to play the piano" was pretty interesting because he talks about sound and how humans and animals hear certain wavelengths.
"How to take a selfie" XD Because of camera perspectives Randall gives the example of taking a picture of the giant moon in the sky being tiny in the picture.
"How to accurately hit a drone" lmao he actually called upon Serena Williams to see how many shots it would take to hit the drone with a tennis ball (3 lol)."
"How to Dispose of this Book" was the last one lol
Really odd random questions providing scientific answers. You learn some random scientific facts along the way. They're questions you'd never ask but once you hear it you want to know the answer. Some of the questions are kinda boring lol but overall this book is entertaining and interesting
"How to land a plane" was probably the funniest one, where he questions the first Canadian astronaut to land on the moon.
"How to play the piano" was pretty interesting because he talks about sound and how humans and animals hear certain wavelengths.
"How to take a selfie" XD Because of camera perspectives Randall gives the example of taking a picture of the giant moon in the sky being tiny in the picture.
"How to accurately hit a drone" lmao he actually called upon Serena Williams to see how many shots it would take to hit the drone with a tennis ball (3 lol)."
"How to Dispose of this Book" was the last one lol
Read
February 7, 2019IM SCREAMING I NEED THIS NOW
INJECT THE SPILLAGE OF YOUR NERD MIND DEEP INSIDE MY CRAVING BONES!!! FILL ME WITH POINTLESS KNOWLEDGE!!!
INJECT THE SPILLAGE OF YOUR NERD MIND DEEP INSIDE MY CRAVING BONES!!! FILL ME WITH POINTLESS KNOWLEDGE!!!
December 31, 2019
Looking back over my year of reading, it really feels like I read more crappy books than good ones. Even the ones I enjoyed, I tended to fill my reviews with the things that were flawed and disappointing. Is it my cynicism? Is it the lurid state of book publishing these days?
Well, whatever it is, this book is a refreshing remedy, and a perfect high-note to end my 2019 reading with. I earnestly don't think I had a single problem with "How To: Absurd Science Advice for Common Real-World Problems".
Randall Munroe gives fascinating, thought-provoking explanations for scientific scenarios, both mundane and far-fetched. His humor is phenomenal, and his explanations clever and (99% of the time) easy for a layman to understand. The things that spin out of Randall's imagination are a never-ending pleasure to read. I normally am not that fond of minimalist art, but Randall's stick-figure comics perfectly capture his explanations while adding extra comedy and absurdity.
If I were to wish anything were different, they would be trivial changes. I wish more of the science was turned into talking points to get people talking about opinions and issues. I wish some of the science was dumbed down to a simpler level. But, these wishes are because I have limitations, not the book!
Okay, I have one other complaint. Chapter 5 is a cooperative work between the author and astronaut Chris Hadfield on how to land aircraft (and shuttles, houses, etc.) on increasingly bizarre platforms. Why is this not an animated series??? I would pay money. For a cartoon of Chris Hadfield landing a space shuttle in downtown LA? Do you want a blank check? Get on it!
Well, whatever it is, this book is a refreshing remedy, and a perfect high-note to end my 2019 reading with. I earnestly don't think I had a single problem with "How To: Absurd Science Advice for Common Real-World Problems".
Randall Munroe gives fascinating, thought-provoking explanations for scientific scenarios, both mundane and far-fetched. His humor is phenomenal, and his explanations clever and (99% of the time) easy for a layman to understand. The things that spin out of Randall's imagination are a never-ending pleasure to read. I normally am not that fond of minimalist art, but Randall's stick-figure comics perfectly capture his explanations while adding extra comedy and absurdity.
If I were to wish anything were different, they would be trivial changes. I wish more of the science was turned into talking points to get people talking about opinions and issues. I wish some of the science was dumbed down to a simpler level. But, these wishes are because I have limitations, not the book!
Okay, I have one other complaint. Chapter 5 is a cooperative work between the author and astronaut Chris Hadfield on how to land aircraft (and shuttles, houses, etc.) on increasingly bizarre platforms. Why is this not an animated series??? I would pay money. For a cartoon of Chris Hadfield landing a space shuttle in downtown LA? Do you want a blank check? Get on it!
August 13, 2019
I don't know how Randall does it but every single book he writes is as good as every single XKCD he puts out.
Want to know how to have a pool party? It's not as easier as it sounds. First you have to build a pool, and to build a pool, you're gonna need a lot of math, and math is fun!
No, seriously. Math is fun.
This book revolves around the literal how-tos when it comes to doing things. Let's take our pool for example. Do you know the compression strength of the material you're about to build your swank new above-ground set up out of? Well, you should, and you're about to find out. Do you want to know how to build a moat made of lava around your house? Well, first you need to know what direction the wind is blowing so you don't accidentally set your home alight.
Absurdist, informative, and easy to read, Randall gives us another volume on his unending quest to teach us... everything, it seems. A few of the chapters do get a little bogged down with technicalities, but considering this is a book about technicalities, the fact that most of it is endlessly readable is already a true achievement. Plus, comics! Stick figures! Hilarious scenarios! That one guy with the hat! Munroe gives you everything you've come to love from XKCD and more. An excellent third installment in his non-web-based endeavors.
Want to know how to have a pool party? It's not as easier as it sounds. First you have to build a pool, and to build a pool, you're gonna need a lot of math, and math is fun!
No, seriously. Math is fun.
This book revolves around the literal how-tos when it comes to doing things. Let's take our pool for example. Do you know the compression strength of the material you're about to build your swank new above-ground set up out of? Well, you should, and you're about to find out. Do you want to know how to build a moat made of lava around your house? Well, first you need to know what direction the wind is blowing so you don't accidentally set your home alight.
Absurdist, informative, and easy to read, Randall gives us another volume on his unending quest to teach us... everything, it seems. A few of the chapters do get a little bogged down with technicalities, but considering this is a book about technicalities, the fact that most of it is endlessly readable is already a true achievement. Plus, comics! Stick figures! Hilarious scenarios! That one guy with the hat! Munroe gives you everything you've come to love from XKCD and more. An excellent third installment in his non-web-based endeavors.
September 26, 2019
I enjoyed myself reading this book. This is the first book I read written by this author.
Since this is a non fiction book, there’s no plot or main characters to talk about.
How To is informative and easy to read. A lot of How tos in doing things. Even how to send a package. There are some useful informations that I think I can use. For example how to take a selfie with Venus in the background, how to blow out birthday candles with a jet engine and most interesting part is how to dispose of the book when you’re finished reading. Some of the how tos are just too technical for me and I couldn’t understand but it was still fun nevertheless.
This book is amazing, hilarious statement and so creative. The illustrations made this book more interesting to read.
Thank you, Pansing for sending me a copy of How To in return for an honest review. This book is available in all good bookstores.
Since this is a non fiction book, there’s no plot or main characters to talk about.
How To is informative and easy to read. A lot of How tos in doing things. Even how to send a package. There are some useful informations that I think I can use. For example how to take a selfie with Venus in the background, how to blow out birthday candles with a jet engine and most interesting part is how to dispose of the book when you’re finished reading. Some of the how tos are just too technical for me and I couldn’t understand but it was still fun nevertheless.
This book is amazing, hilarious statement and so creative. The illustrations made this book more interesting to read.
Thank you, Pansing for sending me a copy of How To in return for an honest review. This book is available in all good bookstores.
February 5, 2023
Recently having read "What if?..." by the same author, I expected this book to be similar to the former. That being, a funny and a little absurd book portraying science in an understandable and entertaining way.
However, this one just felt very dry to me and kept dragging on and on. I caught myself merely skimming pages instead of properly reading them quite a lot because the corresponding chapter didn't capture my interest at all.
I am still planning to check out the author's other books because this one might have just been a blip.
However, this one just felt very dry to me and kept dragging on and on. I caught myself merely skimming pages instead of properly reading them quite a lot because the corresponding chapter didn't capture my interest at all.
I am still planning to check out the author's other books because this one might have just been a blip.
January 26, 2020
در درجه اول، خیلی بامزه بود. مخصوصا با کارتون هایی که اضافه شده بود.
اما محتوای کتاب، یک سری ایده مسخره برای کارهای روزمره و گاهی غیر روزمره بود که از نظر علمی بررسی و امکانسنجی و محاسبه میشد، ولی اصولاً دلیلی نداشت از این ایده ها استفاده بشه.
مثلاً برای شارژ تلفن همراه چند تا روش مثل استفاده از انرژی خورشیدی، انرژی باد، انرژی آب شیر یا حتی پله برقی رو بررسی و محاسبه کرده بود.
در مجموع خوندنش سرگرمی علمی خوبی بود.
اما محتوای کتاب، یک سری ایده مسخره برای کارهای روزمره و گاهی غیر روزمره بود که از نظر علمی بررسی و امکانسنجی و محاسبه میشد، ولی اصولاً دلیلی نداشت از این ایده ها استفاده بشه.
مثلاً برای شارژ تلفن همراه چند تا روش مثل استفاده از انرژی خورشیدی، انرژی باد، انرژی آب شیر یا حتی پله برقی رو بررسی و محاسبه کرده بود.
در مجموع خوندنش سرگرمی علمی خوبی بود.
November 4, 2019
The principal problem with Randall Munroe books, is that they go by way too fast. I like to savor a good book, reading a little bit at a time, then thinking that part over for a day before going on to the next. With "how to", like its predecessor "what if", I gobbled it up in a day or two. Someone with money please fund a grant to get Mary Roach and Randall Munroe to write a series of science textbooks for junior high and high schoolers.
There are chapters on how to take out a drone with a tennis ball, if you happen to be Serena Williams. A pilot who has flown on both Space Shuttle and Soyuz missions gives us his estimate of Dorothy's options for flying her house so as to miss the witch. We see some ideas about how to build a real lava moat around your house (and also some of the downsides). There is a discussion of how long people can throw things, which led apparently to the web comic at xkcd.com/throw, where you can find out that Carly Rae Jepsen can throw a squirrel a distance of 15 smoots.
There is a chapter on "How To Play Football", wherein the first few pages are devoted to figuring out, without actually asking anybody or knowing beforehand or otherwise cheating like that, which kind of football you are playing, whether it is soccer or rugby or Canadian football or what. From there, we have a discussion of how to take the ball to the goal, including whether or not you should use a horse. This takes us to an analysis of how many orcs a good sized galloping horse could actually knock out of the way, wherein the physics analysis of air resistance is used with the air molecules replaced by orcs.
The basic point of the book (yes, there is one) is expressed in the following quote:
"I really love that we can ask physics ridiculous questions like, 'What kind of gas mileage would my house get on the highway?', and physics has to answer us."
This, is missing from most science education. Once you have learned how to do the math to find the answers to questions that somebody else already knows the answer to, you can then use the same skills to ask (and answer) questions that no one knows the answer to. This, is one of the great things about science, and it was found almost nowhere in my education. The reason being, of course, that science is extraordinarily useful, and anything which is useful, can also be dangerous.
In other words, our education (science and otherwise) wasn't boring by accident, it was boring on purpose. They don't teach you enough chemistry to make explosives, or enough physics and engineering to make good trebuchets, or enough history to catch the flaws in your teachers' political beliefs, or enough of anything to get yourself into trouble, because...you would get yourself into trouble. Our education, is boring because it has had all the danger removed. In prehistoric times, you learned by doing alongside the adults in your tribe of hunter/gatherers on the African savannah. Everything you learned, had a purpose and a use, otherwise why would you learn it? But, nowadays, our education is all the trappings of learning without anything learned that can result in a child hurting themselves or misbehaving, which is more or less all the interesting bits.
What Randall Munroe has done with this book, consciously or not, is imagine what physics education could be like, if we weren't worried about giving the students crazy dangerous ideas, like how to make a wheel that rolls smoothly on an escalator, so that you can use the energy provided by the escalator to charge your phone when there are no available outlets.
"Pro tip: You should probably make the wheel narrow, rather than having it take up the whole width of the escalator. It's going to be unsafe either way, but if it takes up the whole escalator, and someone gets on without noticing, it will inadvertedly turn your contraption into a nightmarish human grinder, which will likely harm its efficiency."
The book has Munroe's generic-yet-somehow-distinctive style of illustration throughout, as for example the diagram on p.71 of how one could use a giant field of kettles to boil a river, so that you can cross it without having to touch the water. It has humor, science, and occasional offbeat historical details like the near-nonexistence of buried pirate treasure and George Washington's ability to throw things. It was great. I want another.
There are chapters on how to take out a drone with a tennis ball, if you happen to be Serena Williams. A pilot who has flown on both Space Shuttle and Soyuz missions gives us his estimate of Dorothy's options for flying her house so as to miss the witch. We see some ideas about how to build a real lava moat around your house (and also some of the downsides). There is a discussion of how long people can throw things, which led apparently to the web comic at xkcd.com/throw, where you can find out that Carly Rae Jepsen can throw a squirrel a distance of 15 smoots.
There is a chapter on "How To Play Football", wherein the first few pages are devoted to figuring out, without actually asking anybody or knowing beforehand or otherwise cheating like that, which kind of football you are playing, whether it is soccer or rugby or Canadian football or what. From there, we have a discussion of how to take the ball to the goal, including whether or not you should use a horse. This takes us to an analysis of how many orcs a good sized galloping horse could actually knock out of the way, wherein the physics analysis of air resistance is used with the air molecules replaced by orcs.
The basic point of the book (yes, there is one) is expressed in the following quote:
"I really love that we can ask physics ridiculous questions like, 'What kind of gas mileage would my house get on the highway?', and physics has to answer us."
This, is missing from most science education. Once you have learned how to do the math to find the answers to questions that somebody else already knows the answer to, you can then use the same skills to ask (and answer) questions that no one knows the answer to. This, is one of the great things about science, and it was found almost nowhere in my education. The reason being, of course, that science is extraordinarily useful, and anything which is useful, can also be dangerous.
In other words, our education (science and otherwise) wasn't boring by accident, it was boring on purpose. They don't teach you enough chemistry to make explosives, or enough physics and engineering to make good trebuchets, or enough history to catch the flaws in your teachers' political beliefs, or enough of anything to get yourself into trouble, because...you would get yourself into trouble. Our education, is boring because it has had all the danger removed. In prehistoric times, you learned by doing alongside the adults in your tribe of hunter/gatherers on the African savannah. Everything you learned, had a purpose and a use, otherwise why would you learn it? But, nowadays, our education is all the trappings of learning without anything learned that can result in a child hurting themselves or misbehaving, which is more or less all the interesting bits.
What Randall Munroe has done with this book, consciously or not, is imagine what physics education could be like, if we weren't worried about giving the students crazy dangerous ideas, like how to make a wheel that rolls smoothly on an escalator, so that you can use the energy provided by the escalator to charge your phone when there are no available outlets.
"Pro tip: You should probably make the wheel narrow, rather than having it take up the whole width of the escalator. It's going to be unsafe either way, but if it takes up the whole escalator, and someone gets on without noticing, it will inadvertedly turn your contraption into a nightmarish human grinder, which will likely harm its efficiency."
The book has Munroe's generic-yet-somehow-distinctive style of illustration throughout, as for example the diagram on p.71 of how one could use a giant field of kettles to boil a river, so that you can cross it without having to touch the water. It has humor, science, and occasional offbeat historical details like the near-nonexistence of buried pirate treasure and George Washington's ability to throw things. It was great. I want another.
September 12, 2020
I like this shit. So impractical!
How come we didn't learn more impractical science in school? You can learn so many scientific ideas by applying them in ridiculous ways to ridiculous degrees. Instead we did shit like filling out charts of Jupiter's mass. Which I do not remember, is not a useful fact, probably will not play any part in my life, and saying that something is a bajillion kilometers in diameter? That doesn't mean shit. Let's talk about how long it would take to drive the circumference.
Anyway, give this a shot. I didn't follow all the science, sometimes it's a little beyond me. Or a lot beyond me. But you don't need to fully grasp all the science to have fun with this one.
How come we didn't learn more impractical science in school? You can learn so many scientific ideas by applying them in ridiculous ways to ridiculous degrees. Instead we did shit like filling out charts of Jupiter's mass. Which I do not remember, is not a useful fact, probably will not play any part in my life, and saying that something is a bajillion kilometers in diameter? That doesn't mean shit. Let's talk about how long it would take to drive the circumference.
Anyway, give this a shot. I didn't follow all the science, sometimes it's a little beyond me. Or a lot beyond me. But you don't need to fully grasp all the science to have fun with this one.
February 6, 2021
Short, but fun.
The problems covered are not really that weird, nevertheless, it's the solutions that are the real source of fun - how far Munroe's considerations go, w/o all the constraints brought by the common sense (which is completely banned here).
I was listening to the audiobook version and it comes with one big pro and one big con. The pro is (obviously) Will Wheaton - super-engaged, naturally enthusiastic, a real pleasure to listen to. The con is the fact that this book would probably work much better when richly illustrated, otherwise, you need to rely on your imagination only.
In the end: technically this book doesn't deserve full five stars, but I had a lot of fun reading it, so what the hell :)
The problems covered are not really that weird, nevertheless, it's the solutions that are the real source of fun - how far Munroe's considerations go, w/o all the constraints brought by the common sense (which is completely banned here).
I was listening to the audiobook version and it comes with one big pro and one big con. The pro is (obviously) Will Wheaton - super-engaged, naturally enthusiastic, a real pleasure to listen to. The con is the fact that this book would probably work much better when richly illustrated, otherwise, you need to rely on your imagination only.
In the end: technically this book doesn't deserve full five stars, but I had a lot of fun reading it, so what the hell :)
September 9, 2019
Ein gutes und nützliches Buch. Lieblingssatz (Einstieg ins Kapitel "How to Build a Lava Moat"): "There are lots of reasons for wanting a lava moat around your house, some more practical than others." Außerdem viele hervorragende Fußnoten.
September 16, 2019
Quirky, funny, and at times ridiculous. I love Munroe’s sense of humor and his approach to all matters but this was just okay for me.
December 24, 2019
This is an abridged review, to see the full one with all the pictures please visit https://amanjareads.com/2019/12/24/ho...
Randall Munroe is the engineer/cartoonist behind that science positive comic strip with the stick figures that you may have seen before.
I've been a fan of his for years now. He has an absurdist sense of humor and marvelous creativity, both of which are on full display in his latest book How To.
How to answers many every day and not so every day questions such as how to dig a hole or how to mail a package from space. The answers are all scientifically sound however impractical they may be. Although in the case of mailing a package from space it turns out you may just be able to drop it out the airlock.
In the chapter How to Build a Lava Moat he explains how wide your moat would need to be in order to deter intruders, how deep it would need to be to maintain its structure, and how expensive it would be to maintain the heat needed to keep it glowing. See, it's very important that your lava moat be glowing or it's simply not as intimidating. He also explains how much energy would be needed to cool your house to a livable temperature with it so near that much lava.
No matter how ridiculous the question, science has the answer. The main appeal of this book is just how insane the questions can get. His creativity in coming up with weirder and weirder problems for science to solve is impressive.
He consults with experts when something isn't in his particular niche. He contacted a former NASA astronaut and retired pilot about how to land a flying house under various extreme circumstances and convinced Serena Williams to hit tennis balls at her husbands drone, for science.
The book is laugh out loud funny but also educational. It's nice to see an entertaining way to apply mathematical formulas. Maybe, somewhere, a young person reads this book and sees their potential as an engineer or other great mind. The applications found in this book are far more intriguing than text book calculations about how many watermelons you'd have if your neighbor's horse ate six sevenths of your watermelons after you planted 57% more than last year's yield of a 16th the national average of Cuba's population per hectare for three quarters of your field and 68% more for the remaining quarter. Although those questions have always been equally bizarre.
Humorous nonfiction books are a favorite of mine if for no other reason than they get people thinking without them thinking about it. Curious minds will be roused by this book and we can always use more curious minds.
If you have read Randall Munroe's other books I can assure you this one is much more like his first, What if?, in that it is truly readable. His second book, Thing Explainer, is very interesting and informative but it's pages of blueprints with no narrative. How To, is entertaining enough to sit down and read for an hour without feeling bored. And of course it still has pictures.
I can fully recommend this book even to people who do not typically read nonfiction. It's entertaining but also has short easy to digest chapters that you can pick up and put down without missing a beat. Read it in between your more serious books for when you need a little laugh.
Randall Munroe is the engineer/cartoonist behind that science positive comic strip with the stick figures that you may have seen before.
I've been a fan of his for years now. He has an absurdist sense of humor and marvelous creativity, both of which are on full display in his latest book How To.
How to answers many every day and not so every day questions such as how to dig a hole or how to mail a package from space. The answers are all scientifically sound however impractical they may be. Although in the case of mailing a package from space it turns out you may just be able to drop it out the airlock.
In the chapter How to Build a Lava Moat he explains how wide your moat would need to be in order to deter intruders, how deep it would need to be to maintain its structure, and how expensive it would be to maintain the heat needed to keep it glowing. See, it's very important that your lava moat be glowing or it's simply not as intimidating. He also explains how much energy would be needed to cool your house to a livable temperature with it so near that much lava.
No matter how ridiculous the question, science has the answer. The main appeal of this book is just how insane the questions can get. His creativity in coming up with weirder and weirder problems for science to solve is impressive.
He consults with experts when something isn't in his particular niche. He contacted a former NASA astronaut and retired pilot about how to land a flying house under various extreme circumstances and convinced Serena Williams to hit tennis balls at her husbands drone, for science.
The book is laugh out loud funny but also educational. It's nice to see an entertaining way to apply mathematical formulas. Maybe, somewhere, a young person reads this book and sees their potential as an engineer or other great mind. The applications found in this book are far more intriguing than text book calculations about how many watermelons you'd have if your neighbor's horse ate six sevenths of your watermelons after you planted 57% more than last year's yield of a 16th the national average of Cuba's population per hectare for three quarters of your field and 68% more for the remaining quarter. Although those questions have always been equally bizarre.
Humorous nonfiction books are a favorite of mine if for no other reason than they get people thinking without them thinking about it. Curious minds will be roused by this book and we can always use more curious minds.
If you have read Randall Munroe's other books I can assure you this one is much more like his first, What if?, in that it is truly readable. His second book, Thing Explainer, is very interesting and informative but it's pages of blueprints with no narrative. How To, is entertaining enough to sit down and read for an hour without feeling bored. And of course it still has pictures.
I can fully recommend this book even to people who do not typically read nonfiction. It's entertaining but also has short easy to digest chapters that you can pick up and put down without missing a beat. Read it in between your more serious books for when you need a little laugh.
June 15, 2020
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
How to ... Read This Review?
Traditionally one would open the website or perhaps the app and simply read the review I am about to write. But what if you prefer something more unconventional, or maybe you have been staring at screens more than enough lately, but would still like to know what it says. You could ask/hire someone to read it for you, of course. But what if you were to hire an add-plane and read it from there. Nice outdoors. How big would the sheets have to be to display all of the review? Can the simple plane keep all that weight afloat? Would the links still be clickable?
If you have ever wondered about this, or have started to wonder now, How To: will be a great book for you. It takes seemingly ridiculous questions and then goes on to science an answer to them. Ever wondered what the gas mileage of your house would? Or, how much energy it would take to get you own lava moat. Look no further the answers are in this book.
This was the first book by Randall Munroe that I read (except for some snippets from What if?) and I enjoyed it a lot. Will definitely read What if? soon.
Thanks to my sister for the great birthday gift ;)
How to ... Read This Review?
Traditionally one would open the website or perhaps the app and simply read the review I am about to write. But what if you prefer something more unconventional, or maybe you have been staring at screens more than enough lately, but would still like to know what it says. You could ask/hire someone to read it for you, of course. But what if you were to hire an add-plane and read it from there. Nice outdoors. How big would the sheets have to be to display all of the review? Can the simple plane keep all that weight afloat? Would the links still be clickable?
If you have ever wondered about this, or have started to wonder now, How To: will be a great book for you. It takes seemingly ridiculous questions and then goes on to science an answer to them. Ever wondered what the gas mileage of your house would? Or, how much energy it would take to get you own lava moat. Look no further the answers are in this book.
This was the first book by Randall Munroe that I read (except for some snippets from What if?) and I enjoyed it a lot. Will definitely read What if? soon.
Thanks to my sister for the great birthday gift ;)
January 23, 2021
Rating : 3.5 stars
Have you ever wondered if you could open bottles using nuclear bombs because regular bottle openers are boring? Or how much cheese it would take to contain a pool because who needs concrete? No? Never fear! Randall Munroe has you covered in his book How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems. The title really says it all on this one.
It's an entertaining and silly read. Scenarios in the book include:
• How to jump really high
• How to land a plane
• How to dig a hole
• How to get rid of a book (the horror!)
You get the idea. Problems that don't really need solving but if you did want a highly impractical solution, Randall Munroe is your man! He also provides the mundane, boring solutions to each problem first for comparison.
I listened to the the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. He gives a fantastic delivery as always with spot on comedic timing.
As enjoyable as this was to listen to, turns out I preferred the bonkers scenarios in What If much more. Either way, I hope Munroe keeps writing these types of science books. Science can be fun. Wish it was taught this way in school when I was growing up.
Have you ever wondered if you could open bottles using nuclear bombs because regular bottle openers are boring? Or how much cheese it would take to contain a pool because who needs concrete? No? Never fear! Randall Munroe has you covered in his book How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems. The title really says it all on this one.
It's an entertaining and silly read. Scenarios in the book include:
• How to jump really high
• How to land a plane
• How to dig a hole
• How to get rid of a book (the horror!)
You get the idea. Problems that don't really need solving but if you did want a highly impractical solution, Randall Munroe is your man! He also provides the mundane, boring solutions to each problem first for comparison.
I listened to the the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. He gives a fantastic delivery as always with spot on comedic timing.
As enjoyable as this was to listen to, turns out I preferred the bonkers scenarios in What If much more. Either way, I hope Munroe keeps writing these types of science books. Science can be fun. Wish it was taught this way in school when I was growing up.
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