Book Log 2015 #8: What If by Randall Munroe

A scientist by training, Munroe is the mind behind xkcd, described as "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." An offshoot of the webcomic is What If?, where readers submit wacky questions that Munroe answers using his knowledge of physics. This book is a compendium of such questions and answers, accompanied by drawings and occasional asides.

It may surprise you (or not, given how the Internet goes) that most questions result in some sort of grievous harm, either to the individual attempting the action in the question or to the planet at large (and in cases where there isn't such harm, Munroe is keen to take the answer to it's most grisly end). But it's all done with tremendous wit and humor, in both the writing and the drawing.

I took this book on vacation, thinking its short entries would make it a perfect book to fill the gaps. It did that in spades, but I found that I usually couldn't read just one or two questions. I finished the book about halfway through the trip. Very enjoyable, with added appeal if you have an interest in science.

(Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book written by someone under 30)