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3.77k reviews for:
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.14 AVERAGE
3.77k reviews for:
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.14 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
Listened to the audio book. It was hard to meander through because of all the math, data, formulae, etc. in an audio format.
In general, I thought the author tried unsuccessfully to be funny. The solutions also tended to go beyond the question, and sometimes seemed to answer what the author wanted to rather than what exactly the questioner was asking.
Strong potential, didn't live up. I really wanted to read this, I'm glad I had the library, so I didn't have to purchase it.
In general, I thought the author tried unsuccessfully to be funny. The solutions also tended to go beyond the question, and sometimes seemed to answer what the author wanted to rather than what exactly the questioner was asking.
Strong potential, didn't live up. I really wanted to read this, I'm glad I had the library, so I didn't have to purchase it.
I like the xkcd web comic very much, but I haven’t read many What If? blog posts. The questions in this book are wacky and wonderful, and it’s a large collection, but I often found myself wishing I had a book of xkcd comics instead. I wish the What If? format were pithier like the comics, or even more verbose so that I could learn more from the explanations. The book made me laugh a few times, but usually bored me by dissecting its own humor without teaching me much science.
For a fan of the web series, this would be a great gift. For fans of the comic only, maybe not.
For a fan of the web series, this would be a great gift. For fans of the comic only, maybe not.
Former NASA roboticist Randall Munroe has gained quite a fan following for regularly churning out hilarious and sometimes absurd cartoons on XKCD, “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.” In tandem with this endeavour, he had launched his blog, ‘What if?’ where he provided “serious scientific answers” to “absurd hypothetical questions” asked by readers, his responses often dotted with his trademark brand of funny caricatures.
Now, he has collated the blog’s most popular answers in a book called What if?, published in India by Hachette. Munroe, who undoubtedly receives a dozens of questions everyday, has included in the book only those “particularly neat questions” which he wanted to “spend a little more time on.” The book also features updated versions of some of his favorite articles from the site and a few brand new questions which he has answered for the first time in the book.
Some of the questions that Munroe tackles are seemingly bizarre but peculiarly enough, as one finds out after reading the book, they can be explained using rational thought. ‘What would happen if you tried to fly a normal Earth airplane above different solar system bodies? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? How hard would a puck have to be shot to be able to knock the goalie himself backward into the net? How close would you have to be to a supernova to get a lethal dose of neutrino radiation? Then there are questions that Munroe has set aside as ‘Weird (and worrying)’ which he deems unworthy of an explanation, but doesn’t ignore them altogether: Questions like ‘Given humanity’s current knowledge and capabilities, is it possible to build a new star? How fast would a human have to run in order to cut in half at the bellybutton by a cheese-cutting wire? Would Thor, with a spinning hammer, be able to create a tornado like in the movie, in real life?’ are accompanied by rib-tickling comments often put forth through cartoons.
What makes Munroe’s work worthwhile is the way he blends esoteric scientific analogies and logical reasoning with an unfaltering comic commentary. His dedication to answer one weird question after another using these facts (complemented with diagrams, equations, graphs) in the most imaginative and simplest way possible, underscores Munroe’s sound understanding of the subject.
What if? is like a textbook for the curious minds who at some point of their lives would have wondered if there is enough energy to move the entire current human population off the planet or while watching Star Wars, if Yoda can produce sustainable energy to power the entire planet. Having said that, even the not-so-scientifically inclined ones among the crowd can devour it.
http://svetlanalasrado.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/a-blend-of-science-and-humour/
Now, he has collated the blog’s most popular answers in a book called What if?, published in India by Hachette. Munroe, who undoubtedly receives a dozens of questions everyday, has included in the book only those “particularly neat questions” which he wanted to “spend a little more time on.” The book also features updated versions of some of his favorite articles from the site and a few brand new questions which he has answered for the first time in the book.
Some of the questions that Munroe tackles are seemingly bizarre but peculiarly enough, as one finds out after reading the book, they can be explained using rational thought. ‘What would happen if you tried to fly a normal Earth airplane above different solar system bodies? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? How hard would a puck have to be shot to be able to knock the goalie himself backward into the net? How close would you have to be to a supernova to get a lethal dose of neutrino radiation? Then there are questions that Munroe has set aside as ‘Weird (and worrying)’ which he deems unworthy of an explanation, but doesn’t ignore them altogether: Questions like ‘Given humanity’s current knowledge and capabilities, is it possible to build a new star? How fast would a human have to run in order to cut in half at the bellybutton by a cheese-cutting wire? Would Thor, with a spinning hammer, be able to create a tornado like in the movie, in real life?’ are accompanied by rib-tickling comments often put forth through cartoons.
What makes Munroe’s work worthwhile is the way he blends esoteric scientific analogies and logical reasoning with an unfaltering comic commentary. His dedication to answer one weird question after another using these facts (complemented with diagrams, equations, graphs) in the most imaginative and simplest way possible, underscores Munroe’s sound understanding of the subject.
What if? is like a textbook for the curious minds who at some point of their lives would have wondered if there is enough energy to move the entire current human population off the planet or while watching Star Wars, if Yoda can produce sustainable energy to power the entire planet. Having said that, even the not-so-scientifically inclined ones among the crowd can devour it.
http://svetlanalasrado.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/a-blend-of-science-and-humour/
funny
informative
lighthearted
Very fun. Not a book I can read all at once.
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
informative
fast-paced
I am a fervent reader of the weekly XKCD What If? posts so I could not wait to read this book. I was even more excited when I heard Wil Wheaton was reading it for the audio version. I really believe that this should be required reading or listening for every middle school child. Not only does it make science fun but it makes approachable and puts it into easy to understand terms. Pick this book up today!
This is pretty amusing book form the author of XKCD, but I found that I'd read a few questions and get bored. (That is probably due to the fact that I'm more interested in life science than non-life sciences, so I'm a good audience, but not the full-on target.) The questions themselves are occasionally interesting but, but a lot of the time he has to mangle them a bit to make them amusing. It's his humorous answers and cartoons that are the appealing part of the book. The success of the humor varied a bit I thought; some were great and some were meh. I got this for a book club and I'd recommend it for big fans, but I would wait for used copies to start showing up if you're just kind of interested.