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jasoncomely's review against another edition
4.0
Clever idea for an instruction manual, but it's probably better as a handy reference guide than a book you'd read right through to the end.
trid1977's review
3.0
This was way more fun to read than 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' and covered similar information.
jon288's review against another edition
4.0
Great fun; a pretty comprehensive answer to the game I used to play with Sean of what I could invent/introduce if transported back in time to 'Jesus times' (although I suspect I wouldn't remember much from the book if that happened)
radina's review against another edition
4.0
This book is entertaining, amusing, and extremely educational. I love Ryan North and this book definitely contains his trademark tone and writing style. At times it does read a bit like an encyclopedia, and the text can sometimes verge on annoyingly manic. But mostly, a thoroughly delightful read!
greywaren24's review against another edition
5.0
A really fun, unique and creative way to learn about how so many things work, how they were invented, and how someone (you) would invent them again if they already knew how they worked.
Ryan North is one of my favorite writers and, turns out, he's also very smart! I thoroughly enjoyed this. Even the bits that were about things I already knew or wasn't really interested in were fun to read again because of how charming his writing is and the trivia and fun facts he sprinkles everywhere to keep things interesting.
I strongly recommend this book if you plan on traveling through time at some point and are worried you may end up stranded in the past.
Ryan North is one of my favorite writers and, turns out, he's also very smart! I thoroughly enjoyed this. Even the bits that were about things I already knew or wasn't really interested in were fun to read again because of how charming his writing is and the trivia and fun facts he sprinkles everywhere to keep things interesting.
I strongly recommend this book if you plan on traveling through time at some point and are worried you may end up stranded in the past.
claytell's review against another edition
4.0
Amusing and interesting. I will refer to this every one in a while, I am sure
sparklelys's review against another edition
5.0
Your time machine has crashed. It is irreparable. Fortunately you have this handy-dandy survival guide for the stranded time-traveller! And if you can introduce such civilization-builders as language, or better yet, the written word, you would be like a god. Name everything after yourself! Have a list of all the most influential animals! (Chickens and horses: good. Mosquitoes and fleas: bad. But very influential.)
rpych2's review
3.0
When reading this, I couldn’t help but think of What If? by Randall Munroe, because it’s a similar kind of book except it’s written in a very different way and it’s way more practical. Instead of answering hypothetical questions, it was a guidebook for someone who wants to restart society when stuck in the past. It was full of quips and one-liners that made me laugh out loud. My favorite running gag was that any quote mentioned in the book was credited to “you” (originally ‘the name of the person who actually said it’) because technically if you go back in time and say a quote that you heard but it hasn’t been said yet, you originally said it (it’s a paradox!). Admittedly, it was probably closer to 3.5 stars because I did enjoy it, but it could be really dry in parts. If there’s some apocalyptic event, I know one of the books I’ll be grabbing when I leave the house.
andrejt's review
3.0
Basically, a goofy history of technology. Unfortunately, to achieve its purported goal -- "all the information you need to rebuild civilization" -- it would have to be much more detailed instead of just giving you general ideas of different historical inventions. The book would also benefit from more photos and diagrams -- and a higher quality of images. Finally, there are a small number of annoying inaccuracies. But it's a fun read for nerds.