Details Condition: BRAND NEW Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781473680340 Publisher: John Murray Overview How To is the gloriously impractical follow-up guide from Randall Munroe, creator of the webcomic xkcd and bestselling author of What If? and Thing Explainer. Rather than offering sensible solutions, Munroe applies rigorous scientific method to the most absurd possible approach for everyday tasks, resulting in a book that's equal parts hilarious, informative, and gloriously nonsensical. It's a celebration of curiosity, over-engineering, and the joy of asking "what if we did it the hard way?" About the Book For any task you might want to do, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally wrong that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. Drawing on the same blend of stick-figure illustration, careful research, and deadpan humour that made xkcd a global phenomenon, Munroe tackles questions nobody asked but everybody secretly wants answered: how to cross a river by boiling it, how to play the piano using lasers and fire, how to build a lava moat, and how to dig a hole using physics, chemistry, and questionable judgement. Real experts — including former astronauts, world-record athletes, and engineers — are enlisted to explain why these terrible ideas would technically work, and exactly why you should never attempt them. The result is a laugh-out-loud tour through real science: rocketry, thermodynamics, structural engineering, and more, delivered with Munroe's trademark charm and comic timing. Whether you're a die-hard xkcd fan or simply enjoy learning why things go spectacularly wrong, How To turns everyday problems into brilliantly entertaining science lessons — ideal for readers who loved What If? or Thing Explainer. Key Benefits Written by Randall Munroe, creator of the globally beloved xkcd webcomic Combines genuine scientific research with laugh-out-loud absurd advice Features input from real experts, astronauts, and record-holders Packed with Munroe's signature stick-figure illustrations and diagrams Perfect gift for science lovers, engineers, and comedy fans From the bestselling author of What If? and Thing Explainer About the Author Randall Munroe is the creator of the webcomic xkcd and author of the bestsellers What If?, Thing Explainer, and How To. Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, and raised outside Richmond, Virginia, he studied physics at Christopher Newport University before working as a robotics engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center. In 2006 he left NASA to draw comics full time, and has since been nominated for a Hugo Award three times, celebrated worldwide for his blend of science, wit, and stick-figure artistry. Why You'll Love This Book If you love science explained with humour, absurdity, and genuine expertise, How To is unmissable — perfect for xkcd fans, curious minds, and anyone who's ever wondered "what's the worst way to do this?" Please Note: Cover shown is the UK edition; ISBN and edition correspond exactly to the listing.