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hannahbee_97's review against another edition
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.0
I enjoyed this one! I would say I would probably have better luck reading this one with a visual format, but the audiobook was still a great time!
librarylandlisa's review against another edition
4.0
Randall Munroe is a CNU graduate with a degree in physics who now draws webcoming online on a site called xkcd. Before starting xkcd, Munroe worked on robots at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.
In this book, there are many absurd questions which are asked by his followers that Randall attempts to answer, no matter how ridiculous. My favorite section is determining if you could make a jetpack out of automatic rifles (yes, according to his theories, you can). I had many laugh out loud moments with this book and the audio version is read by Wil Wheaton who should read all the science and geeky themed nonfictions.
In this book, there are many absurd questions which are asked by his followers that Randall attempts to answer, no matter how ridiculous. My favorite section is determining if you could make a jetpack out of automatic rifles (yes, according to his theories, you can). I had many laugh out loud moments with this book and the audio version is read by Wil Wheaton who should read all the science and geeky themed nonfictions.
heathergstl's review against another edition
4.0
What a hilariously fun way to learn about all sorts of science!!
mathman329's review against another edition
5.0
2022 Book Review - Book No. 23: “What if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” by Randall Munroe
Date started: 11/24/22
Date finished: 12/19/22
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(would recommend reading this if you’re a fan of the web comic XKCD, math and science class, and explosions)
Almost Spoiler free review: “What if?” is first and foremost a nerdy read. If you don’t like science and math, it might be tough to hold or even grab your attention. Luckily for you, this isn’t your normal math or science read, though. This is a book about outlandish situations, proposed by every day people, to a guy who once worked for NASA but now draws a webcomic for a living. Many of these questions have answers that revolve around a central tenet (mild spoiler ahead): lots of things explode or end up in flames (or both).
One thing that author Randall Munroe does an excellent job of (aside from the scientific explanations and all the math) is tying in random pop culture references and literally laugh out loud commentary on some of the hypotheticals proposed (on multiple occasions, I found myself crying I was laughing so hard). Where Munroe truly excels, though, is finding ways to make the ultra scientific concepts more accessible. You needn’t have worked for NASA to understand everything in the book, thank goodness.
This is a fun read that is easy to pick up and put down due to the fact that many of the questions are answered over the course of only a few pages. The questions also run the gamut from earth science to physics to chemistry to human anatomy, meaning you never know what to expect from chapter to chapter. A few of my favorite questions/chapters dealt with a literal Periodic Table made of cubes of each element, the curious case of self-fertilization (as explained using the 6 standard D&D character stats as chromosomes), and the random chance of calling someone, saying “God bless you”, and that person having literally just sneezed. I guess only part of the credit goes to Munroe for answering the questions; the rest goes to the crazy people who came up with these questions.
Munroe just released a sequel, “What if? 2”, and I’m sure it will be just as good as the first. But seeing as how we typically read things in order, I’d say start here and see what you think. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Date started: 11/24/22
Date finished: 12/19/22
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(would recommend reading this if you’re a fan of the web comic XKCD, math and science class, and explosions)
Almost Spoiler free review: “What if?” is first and foremost a nerdy read. If you don’t like science and math, it might be tough to hold or even grab your attention. Luckily for you, this isn’t your normal math or science read, though. This is a book about outlandish situations, proposed by every day people, to a guy who once worked for NASA but now draws a webcomic for a living. Many of these questions have answers that revolve around a central tenet (mild spoiler ahead): lots of things explode or end up in flames (or both).
One thing that author Randall Munroe does an excellent job of (aside from the scientific explanations and all the math) is tying in random pop culture references and literally laugh out loud commentary on some of the hypotheticals proposed (on multiple occasions, I found myself crying I was laughing so hard). Where Munroe truly excels, though, is finding ways to make the ultra scientific concepts more accessible. You needn’t have worked for NASA to understand everything in the book, thank goodness.
This is a fun read that is easy to pick up and put down due to the fact that many of the questions are answered over the course of only a few pages. The questions also run the gamut from earth science to physics to chemistry to human anatomy, meaning you never know what to expect from chapter to chapter. A few of my favorite questions/chapters dealt with a literal Periodic Table made of cubes of each element, the curious case of self-fertilization (as explained using the 6 standard D&D character stats as chromosomes), and the random chance of calling someone, saying “God bless you”, and that person having literally just sneezed. I guess only part of the credit goes to Munroe for answering the questions; the rest goes to the crazy people who came up with these questions.
Munroe just released a sequel, “What if? 2”, and I’m sure it will be just as good as the first. But seeing as how we typically read things in order, I’d say start here and see what you think. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
Most of the questions explored in the book were so absurd there that I lost interest. I just didn't care about the answers to the questions Munroe explored. It was okay, but overall, I found this a disappointing read.