How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems

A Cub Scout friend of my son had this book on one of our campouts last year, and all of the 5th-grade AOL scouts were clustered around laughing hysterically as they read every page with relish and delight. I knew I had to get it for my son, and it has been a book that he returns to again and again. This book by Randall Munroe of "XKCD" fame is full of wacky and interesting ways to tackle mundane problems. Kids think they're just reading the absurd, but in reality, they're absorbing some great knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. It's so fun, they don't realize they're learning STEM lessons by reading it. It's a must-have for any curious and inventive kid.

Ever wonder what it takes to land a plane on top of a train? Or what's the best way to send nuclear waste to the sun? Or how to take a selfie with yourself and the moon? Well, Randall Munroe has answers, filled in a humorous tone. The beauty of how science generalizes - particularly, physics - is how it applies to all sorts of absurd situations. Munroe understands how to create such situations in his mind and explain how science can address our craziest imaginations. I give this book my endorsement, but my biggest endorsement comes from my child. They heard me listening to it in the car and demanded that I look up other books by the author so that we can listen to them from the beginning in the car together. Both a science geek and their freshman-level child give Munroe's work a huge thumb's up. We start the What If? series tomorrow.

As someone who loves science but often finds traditional science books dry and boring, I was immediately drawn to "How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems" by Randall Munroe. Munroe, the creator of the popular webcomic XKCD, is known for his ability to make science accessible and entertaining. And he doesn't disappoint with this book. The premise of "How To" is simple: Munroe takes common everyday problems and offers up absurd and hilarious scientific solutions. Want to move your house? Why not attach rockets to it? Need to get rid of a spider? Why not use a flamethrower? The ideas may be outlandish, but they're based on real science and Munroe explains the principles behind them in a way that's both informative and entertaining. One of the things I love about this book is that it doesn't shy away from complex scientific concepts. Munroe dives deep into topics like thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and optics, but he does so in a way that's accessible to everyone. He uses humor and witty analogies to explain difficult ideas, making them not only understandable but also memorable. But "How To" isn't just a book about science. It's also a book about creativity and problem-solving. Munroe encourages readers to think outside the box and to approach problems with a scientific mindset. He shows that science can be fun and that even the most absurd ideas can lead to innovative solutions. The illustrations in "How To" are also worth mentioning. Munroe's simple, minimalist style is both charming and effective. His diagrams and charts are clear and easy to understand, even when dealing with complex concepts. Overall, "How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems" is a delightful read that will appeal to anyone with an interest in science or a sense of humor. Munroe's unique perspective and writing style make science fun again, and his book is sure to inspire readers to approach problems in a new and creative way. I highly recommend it.

how to is described by the author, Randall Munroe, as “absurd scientific advice for common real-world problems,” and it really can’t be said any better than that. It’s the most useless set of tutorials you can find, but Munrow’s sense of comedy through comics, as well as his scientific knowledge, make the book extremely intriguing regardless. One of the biggest concepts throughout out For example, he takes a concept such as producing energy, which many of us often take for granted, and spends the entire chapter discussing different solutions that, in theory, make sense, such as using escalators or tectonic plates. However, in reality, the repercussions behind them heavily outweigh the positive factors. In this way, it really puts the world into perspective, making you realize how complex our world is, no matter the task. This is also shown by Munroe’s use of scientific formulas to prove his insane ideas true or false. My personal favorite example of this is in the chapter “How to Ski,” where he demonstrates how you can find how steep you need your slope to be to ski on it, based on friction of the specific ski material. To do this, the equation coefficient of friction equals tan(slope angle) (pg.146) is used, and I loved this chapter because it combined two of my favorite things, skiing and science. In fact, Munrow covers so many various topics, that anyone can really find a chapter that involves their personal interests. To sum it up, Munroe hits the perfect balance of displaying scientific concepts that relate back to his advice, as well as sprinkling in comics, sarcasm, and traditional jokes to supplement the deep thinking behind the rest of the book. However, if you’re coming into how to with a very literature or art devised mind, this is most likely not the book for you.

My son has read all of his books cover to cover so many times. Great for a curious or gifted mind

How do you make a book that contains physics, math, and other obscure scientific equations enjoyable? I don’t know, but Randall Munroe does. Munroe has this inexplicable ability to wondrously weave together comic absurdity and applicable science. If you are familiar with his site ‘xkcd’ then you totally understand what I am trying to say. I wish his work was around when I was in high school; his creativity and imagery can explain large scientific concepts better than any textbook I have read. Now, don’t get me wrong, this book is created to entertain. It is not a science book or a teaching manual. It is a silly book that happens to address science. It is one of those rare books that makes we laugh out loud while thinking deeply. This is a must buy book and easily one of my favorites this year.

You could just click on the "Create Review" and just start writing about anything. I'm not sure anyone really validates the contents. For instance, if you look at the 1-star review, it complains about failing to share the audio version of this book in portugal. It is obvious that when one writes a review, you can give any number of stars for any reason: "5 stars - Wonderfully informative! I've been held hostage by a mad hermit for the past 20 years and managed to get this book by someone who disposed it in my prison (a very deep well on some salt plains). Didn't know half this stuff existed. This 'web' thing sounds really cool. Can't wait to try some of this out when I get out." "4 stars - cuz I really like numbers that are squares (and '1' does not count)" "3 stars - Great book but the people drawings lack faces thereby hiding the true and raw emotions of the characters. "2 stars - The book fails as a door stop because of the slick cover" "1 star - The book lacks clear instructions for most of the projects. For instance, I live on a fault line and wanted to try out the Tectonic Plate electrical generator. After a convincing argument in the book), I was expecting a shopping list and directions. But nooo... rather than put some work into it, the book just dismisses it as "ridiculous and technically infeasible". If I could give zero stars for this gross omission and author laziness I would." Thanks for another great book, Randall!

If you liked the "What If?" books, you will like this one. if you have no idea what those are, but you enjoy reading about how to do insane things in totally fact-based ways, including math equations to explain the processes, then you will like reading this. Fun, with a dry sense of humor that will make you smile while you learn a few things, even if those things are only useful in casual conversation. And really, the "What If?" books are totally worth reading as well.

Bought a set of three and my 11-year-old boys absolutely love them. Fun, clever, and engaging—great way to keep them entertained and thinking during the holidays.

My son loved this after reading the What if books. Full of lovely scientific stories and had fully captured his imagination. Well written and a joy for the curious mind.

Funny book

どんな馬鹿げたことでも、超マジメに科学的に可能かどうかを考えてみる。それが面白い。 一気に読むと疲れるので、暇なときに少しずつ読むのがお勧め。

"how to" est très interressant à lire dans le sens où tout ce qui est proposé dans le livre, bien que souvent absurde et impraticable, est très bien recherché. Il parle de problèmes simples, par exemple: quand on prend une photo de la Lune, elle apparaît beaucoup plus petite que ce qu'on voyait, explique pourquoi ce problème est là, et ensuite propose des solutions fantaisistes.