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

Randall Munroe has a gift for taking the most basic human activities and making them needlessly, hilariously complicated. I bought this as a gift for my engineer father, but ended up devouring it myself before I could even wrap it. The logic used to explain things like how to jump really high or how to land a plane is technically sound, which makes the absurdity even funnier. Truth is, I actually learned a lot about physics and ballistics while laughing at the stick-figure carnage. It’s the perfect blend of high-level scientific inquiry and total nonsense. If you enjoy xkcd or just like thinking outside the box, this is a must-read for your coffee table.

Finally got around to reading this and I can say it's officially my favorite way to learn about the world. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton, and his enthusiastic delivery makes the complex physics sound like a grand adventure. The idea of using butterflies to transmit data is something I will never forget, even if it’s entirely impractical for my home internet setup. The book manages to be educational without feeling like a textbook, which is a rare feat in popular science writing. It encourages you to ask 'why not?' instead of 'how?', and that kind of mental exercise is incredibly refreshing. Highly recommended for nerds and normal people alike.

Picked this up on a whim and was immediately sucked into the strange logic of Randall Munroe’s brain. The book is an excellent reminder that science isn't just about finding the 'right' way to do things, but about exploring every possible way, no matter how absurd. I loved the chapter on how to power your house on Mars, mostly because it made me realize how much I take my terrestrial utilities for granted. The drawings are iconic and add so much personality to the text. Frankly, we need more books that encourage this level of creative, technical problem-solving. It's an excellent quick read that I'll likely return to.

Ever wonder how to move a house or build a lava moat to keep the neighbors away? This book provides those answers with a level of detail that is both impressive and deeply concerning. I found the chapter on how to tell if you’re a 90s kid to be particularly clever, though some of the math-heavy sections on orbital mechanics slowed me down a bit. It’s a quick read if you skim the formulas, but you’ll want to linger on the drawings. My only gripe is that it feels a bit more structured than What If, which makes it slightly less spontaneous. Still, it’s a brilliant display of curiosity.

After hearing my brother rave about it for weeks, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. It is a ridiculous, fun read that works surprisingly well for the whole family, assuming your family likes talking about the mass of the atmosphere. The way Munroe models a football team as a gas with large molecules is peak comedy for anyone who suffered through high school physics. Some of the solutions are so convoluted that you can't help but smile at the dedication to the bit. It's a bit too sciencey at times, which might scare off some readers, but the humor usually saves it. Worth the money for the laughs.

This book is basically a fever dream written by someone with a PhD and a very dark sense of humor. The instructions for digging a hole or crossing a river are so needlessly dangerous that you should probably keep this away from impressionable children. That being said, the section on building a giant teakettle was a highlight for me, even if it might upset a homeowner's association or two. Munroe has this dry wit that makes even the most boring logistical problems seem fascinating. It's a great gift for anyone who likes to overthink things to an extreme degree. It’s fast-paced, witty, and surprisingly thought-provoking.

To be fair, you have to be in a certain frame of mind to appreciate why someone would spend ten pages calculating how to drop a ring into a volcano using a drone. If you’re looking for actual life hacks, you are in the wrong place. However, if you want to know the physical limits of human achievement—or just how to cheat at the high jump—this is gold. The pacing is a bit uneven, with some chapters feeling much more inspired than others, but the high points are brilliant. It's the kind of book you can dip into for ten minutes and come away feeling slightly smarter.

Not what I expected, but in a good way. I thought this would be a parody of 'for dummies' books, but it’s actually a deep dive into the weirdest corners of engineering and physics. The instructions on how to land a plane by yourself are terrifyingly detailed, yet I still feel like I’d crash immediately. The humor is consistent with his other work, though I do miss the reader-submitted questions from his first book. It feels a bit more personal this way, like we're just hanging out in his lab. A solid choice for anyone who likes their science with a side of stick figures.

Gotta say, as someone who usually avoids math, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The trick is to not let the equations intimidate you; the real meat of the book is in the bizarre logic and the hilarious diagrams. I especially liked the segment on how to make an emergency exit from a building using a vacuum cleaner. It’s a very quick read, perfect for a plane ride or a lazy Sunday afternoon. While it's not quite as groundbreaking as his first book, it’s still a fantastic example of how to make STEM accessible and funny. It’s definitely worth picking up if you need a laugh.

Look, I’m a huge fan of the author’s webcomic, but this one didn't quite hit the same heights as his previous book. While What If felt like a community-driven project with wild questions, How To feels a bit more like Munroe just picking topics that allow him to show off his math skills. Some parts are genuinely funny, like the section on throwing a pool party, but other chapters felt a bit dry and overly technical for a casual read. I ended up skipping several pages of equations just to get back to the jokes. It’s still a decent book, but maybe wait for the paperback version or just stick to the website.