New York - Sept. 11, 2014 - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing announced today that WHAT IF?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by xkcd creator Randall Munroe will debut at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List for September 21.
"Randall's infectious curiosity, explanatory clarity, and unique visual style make this the rare science book that appeals far, far beyond a typical science readership,” commented Bruce Nichols, Senior Vice President of General Interest at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing. “Fans of xkcd already know and love Randall's unique perspective on the world, but just as we'd hoped, this book is appealing to an even broader audience. We’re thrilled."
Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Munroe’s iconic webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. WHAT IF? is based on the wildly popular xkcd question-and-answer blog of the same name, in which Munroe offers concrete scientific answers to charming hypotheticals like “How much Force power can Yoda output?” and “What would happen if someone’s DNA vanished?”
In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of wit and hilarity, complemented by signature stick-figure comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website.
“WHAT IF? maintains a delightfully free-wheeling tone throughout, especially when complicated calculations lead to whimsical results,” Entertainment Weekly raved. “Despite all the hard facts and gigantic numbers, it never feels like a textbook—and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy it.”
RANDALL MUNROE, a former NASA roboticist, is the creator of the webcomic xkcd and the author of xkcd: volume 0. The International Astronomical Union recently named an asteroid after him; asteroid 4942 Munroe is big enough to cause a mass extinction if it ever hits a planet like earth.
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