Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76k reviews for:
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.14 AVERAGE
3.76k reviews for:
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.14 AVERAGE
lighthearted
I've been reading xkcd and the What if? scenarios for many a year now and this was always on my buy list. Let's face it, if you're a fan of Randall Munroe's particular brand of geekery and stick figures then you're going to love this. If you're curious about the world/physics/maths/likelihood of something exploding then you're going to love this. If you like funny stick figure based gags you're going to love this. If you like a wry humour spun with a warm heart and healthy interest in the ridiculous then you're going to love this.
Basically, this is brilliant. Entertaining, informative, funny and thought provoking. Bring on the next volume Randall and never stop.
Basically, this is brilliant. Entertaining, informative, funny and thought provoking. Bring on the next volume Randall and never stop.
Really fun to read.
I enjoy the science behind everything, even though I'm not as science literate as I would like.
XKCD will always be one of my favorite comic series and the humor from those comics was present from start to finish in this book.
This definitely has me wanting to read up a bit more on the science of things, maybe I'll start with Thing Explainer! ^_^
I enjoy the science behind everything, even though I'm not as science literate as I would like.
XKCD will always be one of my favorite comic series and the humor from those comics was present from start to finish in this book.
This definitely has me wanting to read up a bit more on the science of things, maybe I'll start with Thing Explainer! ^_^
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Disclaimer: I am a fan of Randall Munroe's wildly popular webcomic 'xkcd' already. I am not exactly a random reader here. I already have a taste for having fun with math and science.
Having said that, the premise of the book is made abundantly clear on the cover page: serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions. It seems like a fairly straightforward job for someone with a background in robotics at NASA.
First, the sheer simplicity with which he presents his estimations with a step by step breakdown on how he arrives at his conclusions will deceive into understanding what your textbooks couldn't teach you. There are very few places in these 300 pages where he will use a formula and not explain it. The clarity of his analyses speaks of not only how well he understands the core physics and mathematics behind these answers but also his empathy for the average person not inclined towards the subjects. The passion with which the explanations are drawn is almost palpable and will leave you with a sense of healthy curiosity for long after.
Second, his penchant for humour and comics is very well woven into his explanations. There are very few instances (they do exist) where the humour seems forced or unnatural. The cartoons lend levity without cheating the gravity of the problems at hand, which, to me, is an art form.
Third, while the text is not focused on the author at all, the narrative style reveals how the author does not take himself seriously at all. This has always been a very charming quality in an author for me and I believe it goes with the subject matter quite well. It also helps make the author more likeable which is an invaluable catalyst when picking up a book like it.
I think the end result of having read this book, seeing how unpractical and useless most of the knowledge itself is, is learning the APPROACH to seemingly impossible questions. The book will help the keen reader figure out how to take a one-sentence-long problem into its most intimate details and fetch answers from the world around you without any prompting. Gaining this ability, in whatever limited capacity, is a step closer to feeling the exhilaration associated with Godhood. Just make sure you don't take yourself too seriously when you get there.
Having said that, the premise of the book is made abundantly clear on the cover page: serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions. It seems like a fairly straightforward job for someone with a background in robotics at NASA.
First, the sheer simplicity with which he presents his estimations with a step by step breakdown on how he arrives at his conclusions will deceive into understanding what your textbooks couldn't teach you. There are very few places in these 300 pages where he will use a formula and not explain it. The clarity of his analyses speaks of not only how well he understands the core physics and mathematics behind these answers but also his empathy for the average person not inclined towards the subjects. The passion with which the explanations are drawn is almost palpable and will leave you with a sense of healthy curiosity for long after.
Second, his penchant for humour and comics is very well woven into his explanations. There are very few instances (they do exist) where the humour seems forced or unnatural. The cartoons lend levity without cheating the gravity of the problems at hand, which, to me, is an art form.
Third, while the text is not focused on the author at all, the narrative style reveals how the author does not take himself seriously at all. This has always been a very charming quality in an author for me and I believe it goes with the subject matter quite well. It also helps make the author more likeable which is an invaluable catalyst when picking up a book like it.
I think the end result of having read this book, seeing how unpractical and useless most of the knowledge itself is, is learning the APPROACH to seemingly impossible questions. The book will help the keen reader figure out how to take a one-sentence-long problem into its most intimate details and fetch answers from the world around you without any prompting. Gaining this ability, in whatever limited capacity, is a step closer to feeling the exhilaration associated with Godhood. Just make sure you don't take yourself too seriously when you get there.
Fun and interesting book that does exactly what it says on the tin. Lots of fun drawings and diagrams throughout in Munroe's signature stick man style too, which are both entertaining and help with visualising some of the concepts.
A short and easy read for those who are curious but not very science or maths literate.
A short and easy read for those who are curious but not very science or maths literate.
Ho amato questo libro, ogni cosa è fantastica. Se mai dovessi scrivere un libro sarebbe esattamente questo.
Una fuente de información curiosa, de esa que no va a salvarte la vida y que, por otra parte, si es usada adecuadamente, puede convertirse en algo verdaderamente valioso. Me gustó mucho
Los niños en edad de preguntar “¿por qué?” Ya saben leer? De ser así: cómprenles este libro para que al menos hagan preguntas más interesantes.