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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Sometimes I need to google half a dozen things to really understand an xkcd comic, but most of the time I can enjoy its particular brand of esoteric humor unassisted.
All the pleasure of going back to read old XKCD comics, none of the helpless compulsion to keep going and reread the entire archive. Plus, a ternary page numbering system!
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
This book was on the staff recommends table at the library, and it made me smile, so I checked it out. I know, as I am admonished in the foreword by the author, that I can get all this on the internet for free (well, so's the library, but let's leave that aside for a moment), but I am one of those individuals who still finds words on paper much more enjoyable than words on a screen. I've never followed xkcd regularly, but I usually enjoy them when someone points me to one in particular. I've made a few attempts to "catch up," but never to the point where I've bookmarked my progress, and then I can't remember where I left off...
Which is a long way of saying that I really enjoyed reading this in book, rather than digital form.
If you don't know if xkcd is for you, you can find it on the internet. (But if you haven't found it by now, it's probably not.) Now that I've read it at length, I can say that I do generally appreciate it, at times find it hilarious, and a disturbing amount of the time find it whooshing right over my head. It seems that I am not quite geeky or nerdy enough to enjoy all of xkcd. (But definitely dorky enough.) It is, I suppose, somehow reassuring to be reminded that there are subcultures out there far geekier and nerdier than me. But still generally respectful of women. (As much as I disdain Twilight, I absolutely love xkcd's imagining of Stephenie Meyer outsmarting Anonymous.)
Which is a long way of saying that I really enjoyed reading this in book, rather than digital form.
If you don't know if xkcd is for you, you can find it on the internet. (But if you haven't found it by now, it's probably not.) Now that I've read it at length, I can say that I do generally appreciate it, at times find it hilarious, and a disturbing amount of the time find it whooshing right over my head. It seems that I am not quite geeky or nerdy enough to enjoy all of xkcd. (But definitely dorky enough.) It is, I suppose, somehow reassuring to be reminded that there are subcultures out there far geekier and nerdier than me. But still generally respectful of women. (As much as I disdain Twilight, I absolutely love xkcd's imagining of Stephenie Meyer outsmarting Anonymous.)
This contains most of what I consider to be "classic" xkcd, in terms of the comics I remember reading, the comics that I reference outside of obvious xkcd contexts, and the comics I sometimes wear as shirts. For the most part I remembered the jokes, although a number of them were refreshers where they weren't ones I had referenced or thought of since reading through xkcd the first time.
My one complaint with the layout is that what used to be the mouseover text (a key component of xkcd's humor, and something that is incidentally missing when reading current comics on a touchscreen device) is wedged kind of randomly in between panels. I think it would have made more sense to include it in a more standard caption position. I also noticed the lack of the original comic titles, something I found odd since that was at times also part of the humor.
As far as the "extras" included in the book version, I haven't taken the time to look at the cryptographic puzzle hidden in the margins, although I did enjoy some of the other additional jokes and annotations.
I'm pretty sure this is the first physical book I've read that was CC-licensed, unless one of Lessig's books that I've read was.
My one complaint with the layout is that what used to be the mouseover text (a key component of xkcd's humor, and something that is incidentally missing when reading current comics on a touchscreen device) is wedged kind of randomly in between panels. I think it would have made more sense to include it in a more standard caption position. I also noticed the lack of the original comic titles, something I found odd since that was at times also part of the humor.
As far as the "extras" included in the book version, I haven't taken the time to look at the cryptographic puzzle hidden in the margins, although I did enjoy some of the other additional jokes and annotations.
I'm pretty sure this is the first physical book I've read that was CC-licensed, unless one of Lessig's books that I've read was.
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
If you enjoy xkcd, you'll enjoy this collection. If you don't, why would you read this??
I've been a big fan of the xkcd webcomic for a long time now, but I got xkcd volume 0 for christmas, so it was a great chance to re-read some of the old comics.
The book is, fundamentally, just a bunch of xkcd strips in printed form, but with a nice layout and comments by the author. There really isn't much of a reason to spend money on this (you get basically the same experience from the website), but it is a nice way to support the creator, Randall Munroe, and it's nice to have it on a shelf.
So, read the website, and if you like it, consider buying one of his books - although [b:What If? : Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions|21413662|What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions|Randall Munroe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1451351509s/21413662.jpg|40714465] and [b:Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words|25329850|Thing Explainer Complicated Stuff in Simple Words|Randall Munroe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431518396s/25329850.jpg|45065096] are probably much better value for your money.
The book is, fundamentally, just a bunch of xkcd strips in printed form, but with a nice layout and comments by the author. There really isn't much of a reason to spend money on this (you get basically the same experience from the website), but it is a nice way to support the creator, Randall Munroe, and it's nice to have it on a shelf.
So, read the website, and if you like it, consider buying one of his books - although [b:What If? : Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions|21413662|What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions|Randall Munroe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1451351509s/21413662.jpg|40714465] and [b:Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words|25329850|Thing Explainer Complicated Stuff in Simple Words|Randall Munroe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431518396s/25329850.jpg|45065096] are probably much better value for your money.
This was a great compendium of xkcd comics, some of which were well over my head and some of which I found hilarious and totally relatable. Because of this, the book wasn't as relatable for me as "What If?", though msotly because I lack the hardcore math/software/science/computer bona fides needed to fully appreciate/interpret some of the wit and jokes (as well as the running puzzle throughout the book).
Regardless, found this overall a very enjoyable and quick read. A few quotes that made me laugh (in the context of the broader strip they appeared in), as well as a few that were heavier and provided some opportunities for deeper contemplation:
- "The problem with perspective is that it's bidirectional." (p. 10012)
- "Is your father a thief? Because that's totally my Jetta you parked outside." (p. 10120)
– "You must be tired, 'cause you've been running through my mind all night. Screaming." (p. 10120)
- "Why can't you have normal existential angst like all the other boys?" (p. 11001)
- "The robot is pregnant. It isn't mine." (p. 11002)
- "Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they're doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out." (p. 12000)
- "You're curious and smart. And bored, and all you see is the choice between working hard and slacking off. There are so many adventures that you miss because you're waiting to think of a plan. To find them, look for tiny interesting choices. And remember that you are always making up the future as you go." (p. 12000)
- "You were once shoved headfirst through someone's vagina. Why are you acting so dignified?" (p. 100020)
- "Correlation doesn't imply causation, but it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing 'look over there.'" (p. 110120)
Regardless, found this overall a very enjoyable and quick read. A few quotes that made me laugh (in the context of the broader strip they appeared in), as well as a few that were heavier and provided some opportunities for deeper contemplation:
- "The problem with perspective is that it's bidirectional." (p. 10012)
- "Is your father a thief? Because that's totally my Jetta you parked outside." (p. 10120)
– "You must be tired, 'cause you've been running through my mind all night. Screaming." (p. 10120)
- "Why can't you have normal existential angst like all the other boys?" (p. 11001)
- "The robot is pregnant. It isn't mine." (p. 11002)
- "Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they're doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out." (p. 12000)
- "You're curious and smart. And bored, and all you see is the choice between working hard and slacking off. There are so many adventures that you miss because you're waiting to think of a plan. To find them, look for tiny interesting choices. And remember that you are always making up the future as you go." (p. 12000)
- "You were once shoved headfirst through someone's vagina. Why are you acting so dignified?" (p. 100020)
- "Correlation doesn't imply causation, but it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing 'look over there.'" (p. 110120)