Reviews (6)

nice learning deep understanding
The book has many good ideas in order to ilustrate every chemical concept and make the learning easy.

Love the Cartoon Guide to Chem
This is an excellent illustration of the major principles of chemistry. Great for general chemistry students searching for an alternative way to learn the basic concepts.
Comes Up Short
As a high school student, I made the very bad decision to skip 11th and 12th grade science - both of which were electives.Although I was just a kid, the school board and my parents (who I love) should have known better.So, rather than continuing to complain about my inadequate science education, I decided to try to fill the gap in my spare time.As part of this effort, I purchased this book.
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Subjects:  1. Caricatures and cartoons    2. Chemistry    3. Chemistry (General)    4. Chemistry - General    5. Form - Limericks & Verse    6. Humor    7. Popular works    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Science / Chemistry / General   

Reviews (9)

An enjoyable primer before physics class
Just reading these very short question and answer chapters on physics related to everyday observations and questions in a quick-reading, casual, and humorous style helped me tremendously in grasping and applying the concepts to my radiographic physics class.I wasn't searching for something to help me...just saw the book in the gift shop at our city's science center and thought it looked interesting.I was ahead of a lot of people in my class because of it.(God helps me!)

What Einstein Told His Barber
Brilliant read, The author has the ability to make complex themes very understandable to the layman.

Good answers to interesting questions
The second book by chemistry professor Robert Wolke provide clear and interesting answers to everyday questions (some of which you may not have thoguht of, but he did). Wolke has a gift for explaining science conceptually, without a lot of technical language or mathematics. For the more scientifically expereinced, he has "the nitpickers" section. (And there are plenty of nitpickers.) More students might study science if it was presented as clearly and imaginatively as Wolke does here. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Applied Sciences    2. General    3. Humor    4. Miscellanea    5. Science    6. Science (Specific Aspects)    7. Science And Civilization    8. Humor / General   

Reviews (14)

One of my first books, and still one of my favorites
I was born in 1952.This is the second book I remember having owning, after Dr Suess.I can't place the year exactly, but it was in the 50s.
Twisted, Charming, Educational, and Just Plain Fun
Rubber-band mathematics, telekenisis, Moebius strips and Klein bottles, multi-dimensional space-folds, a model of a scientific theory, postulates and relative time frames would not seem to be material suitable for children, but this slim book will quickly disabuse you of that idea. This book is a marvelous re-working of the old Mother Goose rhymes, updated to today's scientifically oriented world.

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. General    3. Humor    4. Poetry    5. science   

Reviews (24)

Fantastic approach to understanding electricity
This book brought the concept of electricity to life. It made the subject easy to understand and if you can forgive the title it could go a long way in helping people who are new to the subject get a better grasp of the concept. This book would make a great introduction to the fundamentals of electricity for a young reader or a person with little background in the subject. they could then use this new found knowledge to expand their understanding.

Electrifying Journey!
Kenn's book on basic electronics is an absolutely wonderful book. This book is employed with great humor that keeps the reader interested in the subject and as a result, making it easier to remember the concepts. You will be gauranteed to LAUGH at how he teaches electronics through his skillfull art of storytelling. I know you will learn something and not be disappointed with this "electrifying" book. I think whoever is interested in electricity and electronics should possess a copy of this resource right now.

an amazing book
if you're looking for an amazing book about basic electricity this one is a must! I found myself reading chapter after chapter smiling at the funniest part of it and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen in the next chapter. I recommend it to everybody who can't walk after the third page in the boring electricity textbooks: you'll be as surprised ad I've been to find out that electricity can be fun. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Electricity    2. Electromagnetism    3. Electronics    4. Electronics - General    5. Miscellanea    6. Popular works    7. Science    8. Science / Electricity    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Technology / Electricity    12. Humor   

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Reviews (4)

Research that appears absurd, almost always is, but sometimes there is a potential gold nugget
While the criteria for receiving an Ig Nobel prize:
Silly Science (& Some Serious Stuff)
Virtually all of the topics treated are a hoot to read, though this sometimes owes more to the comedic skill of the writers than the to the nature of each subject itself.
Is Science Funny? You Bet!
I have kept up with the 'Annals of Improbable Research' for several years, and must say that this book reflects the best of the highbrow, yet offbeat sense of humor found in 'AIR'. Read more

Subjects:  1. Science    2. Miscellanea    3. Research    4. American Satire And Humor    5. Science (General)    6. Humor    7. Research & Methodology    8. General    9. Bargain   

Reviews (4)

Boff - Pow - Zap
I liked the book.I have several others that are similar (The Science of Christmas).I find it interesting how science can explain super powers and gadget and even how science mirrors them in some way.Good book.

Science good.
This is a nice - light - book that hopefully gets people thinking about science in a fun and painless way.
"An insightful look into the diabolical villains of comics."
Reviewer: Brian Wilkinson, for ComiX-Fan.com
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Comic books, strips, etc    3. Comic books, strips, etc.    4. General    5. Graphic Satire And Humor    6. History and criticism    7. Popular Culture - General    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Special Subjects In Literature    11. Techniques - Cartooning    12. Villains in literature    13. Science / General    14. Science: General Issues   

Editorial Review

"Science is too human, too much fun, and too important Read more

Reviews (7)

The Ubiquitous Holy Grail
As a scientist and technical professional I couldn't put this book down. I have kept up with the the Annals of Improbable Research for many years and this truly reflects some of the best efforts of scientists the world over. In this volume we have works by legitimate Nobel prize winners, and lesser known works such as "Gummy Worm on a Sidewalk" by Kate and Jesse Eppers, ages 12 and 10, respectively. (In their conclusion they noted that: "We came to a conclusion that three out of five people will accidentally step on a gummy worm thrown on a sidewalk." Brilliant.) NO SCIENCE, NO HUMOR
I thought I was buying a book about funny things that have happened in the name of science, but that was not the case with this book.It's just a collection of not-so-funny articles that have appeared in the magazine "Annals of Improbable Research". They are not funny, and,you won't learn anything new about the scientific world.So, if you want to have a laugh while reading true stories about scientists, do not buy this book.

Very Funny, Enjoyable Humor
As a scientist, I really enjoyed reading about the many funny quirks of scientific experimentation. Perhaps without these eccentricities, there would be no innovation! Great book!! If you enjoy "behind-the-bench" humor, I would like to suggest yet another book filled with hilarious situations and lots of candid, satirical wit on the life of scientists and their managers in high-tech R&D industry, from the point-of-view of the technical staff. This new, insightful American satire is entitled, "Management by Vice" by C.B. Don and is highly recommended as an entertaining, adjunct-read to the incredible "Annals of Improbable Research". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Annals of improbable research    3. General    4. Humor    5. Research    6. Research & Methodology    7. Science    8. Science (General)    9. Humour    10. Italian    11. Science: General Issues    12. USA   

Reviews (6)

Light infinite
If you are interested in infinity and you are not familar with Cantor or Borges' "The Library of Babel", then you may be amazed by this book. Otherwise, you can find it too light. Probably good as a light summer reading.
A finite review about the section of the book 'Living Forever'
This book is a consideration of the idea of 'infinity' in many different ways. It considersInfinity in relation to number theory, and cosmology, in relation to history, and literature.
World without end--AMEN!
The value of "The Infinite Book" is definitely summed up in the chapter "The Madness of Georg Cantor." Believe it or not, "new math", that strange evolution of math teaching that stumped homework for a generation in the 60's was a direct result of Cantor's theories about sets, and the supposition that some infinite sets could be larger than others--which is the first thing you REALLY learn about infinity in mathematics.
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Subjects:  1. History & Philosophy    2. Humor    3. Infinite    4. Mathematics    5. Metaphysics    6. Philosophy & Social Aspects    7. Philosophy Of Mathematics    8. Popular works    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Science / Physics   

Reviews (3)

A Brief History of "A Briefer History..."
It is a very rare occurance for a book to come out that will make you laugh out loud as well as teach you something.It is even rarer for a book to be funnier and funnier as the reader has more and more education.Frompersonal adds to and from chloroplasts to a "Jerry Springer"-ishscript on the rise of sexual reporduction.Great book, although (and thisis few and far between) some of the science seems, to this reader, to be alittle suspect (such as the author's contention that everything possiblewill happen in the universe).All in all, a great book and a great value.

Monty Python meets Einstein
With a real gift for both science and humor, the author takes us from the Big Bang to The Internet. Many of the short sketches remind me of either Monty Python or the Farsign Theater (anyone who can describe the"birth of Netscape to the theme of the Beverly hillbillies is truelywarped, or gifted.)Careful where you read this book or you will findyourself laughing out loud in airplanes, the subway, ect. After manypresents that were ok-this was one of the best gifts that I ever got.Anexcellent purchase and a keeper. PS-Get Your Library to Order onw so youdon't have to lend yours

Funny and informative -- the perfect package!
This book will appeal to scientists and non-scientists alike.The only requirement is a sense of humor -- the excessively serious-minded need not apply.The glossary is one of the best parts -- and I can't think of asingle other book about which such a statement could be made. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Astronomy - Universe    3. Cosmology    4. Form - Essays    5. General    6. History    7. History Of Science    8. Popular works    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. English    12. Essays, journals, letters & other prose works    13. Literary studies: general    14. USA   

Reviews (4)

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into the Universe
This is an excellant book to use either as a reference for school or to read for fun (or both). This (as well as all of the others) is a great gift for anyone who is interested in learning about inner and outer space.All of the Bathroom books make interesting reading on a vast variety of subjects.As the saying goes,"Try it, you'll like it".

the ultimate guy book
The husband starts telling me that the heart isn't really on the left side of the chest, it's just that the left ventricle is bigger, and why it developed that way.How did he acquire this arcane knowledge?Uncle John's "Plunges Into the Universe," of course. More fun than I expected
Lots of quick enjoyable reads in this book and a good laugh or two -- something for almost everybody.I especially liked the article about using flowers and fish to predict the weather... the sort of thing you'd only find in Uncle John.My hubby liked the info about the sturdiness of houses built out of dung.He's ready to try it if our rent goes up again... Yep there's good stuff in this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Humor    3. Miscellanea    4. Reference    5. Science    6. Trivia   

Reviews (1)

The wise wizards of wacky but sometimes wonderful ideas
Back at the height of the Dot-Com boom, just before George Bush became president, billions of dollars were spent to attract viewers to specific web sites.
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Subjects:  1. Form - Essays    2. General    3. Humor    4. Miscellanea    5. Research    6. Satire And Humor    7. Science    8. Science (General)    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Humor / Essays   

Reviews (10)

Entertaining and simple
Great book on recreational mathematics that you can actually curl up in bed with! Very few books on mathematics, let alone chaos and complexity will let you read it laying down in bed at midnight. I think the fact that one of the author (Edward Burger) is a stand up comedian as well as professor of mathematics has something to do with making the book approachable and fun to read.

Gee Whiz...!
This is a terrific "Gee whiz...!" book - full of fun items that stimulate your thinking while illustrating and explaining challenging concepts.
A math book for the math-phobic
Burger and Starbird have decided to take math and try and make it fun for their readers. They cover a vast range of topics such as why we seem to notice so many coincidences in our daily lives, why certain geometric shapes seem more aesthetically pleasing than others, and how an infinite number of housekeepers would go about cleaning an infinite number of hotel rooms.
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Subjects:  1. Essays    2. General    3. Humor    4. Mathematics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Mathematical foundations   

Reviews (1)

Good Book
"The Odd Body" is on of the most fascinating books I have read so far. It is
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Subjects:  1. Body, Human    2. General    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Human physiology    6. Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology    7. Miscellanea    8. Science    9. Humor / General   

Reviews (13)

Hysterical, wonderful parody!
I suspect that if you could somehow assemble all the photocopies ever made from individual pages in this book by businesses, labs and research houses around the country, you could reassemble the entire book.Every page is a gem.Weller's sense of the style and form of a traditional high or junior high science book is impeccable, and his sense of humor is inspired. "Science Made Stupid" is hysterical and a classic!

Out of print?Typical....
All other reviewers are correct.This book is a classic and while I'm glad I didn't have to pay current used prices for it, it's worth doing so if you don't have it.Just be forewarned, it's not terribly long, so you won't be getting a giant tome.
As stupid as it gets!
It is a tragedy that this is out of print.It's one of the funniest books I've ever read.Anyone with any knowledge of science whatsoever finds it hilarious, and I show it to anyone and everyone who I think can appreciate it.No-one's ever been disappointed.Three thumbs up! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Humor    3. Popular works    4. Science    5. Science: General Issues   

Reviews (1)

A humorous view at typically boring subjects
If you want to get a good laugh at scientific studies on almost anything, read this book!Anyoone with a little intelligence will appreciate the thought that went into this book.I only wish there was a followup!Imagine scientific proof that you can lose weight by eating frozen food!The calories burned by the body just to heat up the food can offset thecaloric content of the food itself!Guranteed weight loss. See how toplunge a room into darkness with a 'dark bulb', removing all light andenabling a person to sleep at any time of the day. Lots more! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes, facetiae, satire, e    2. Anecdotes, facetiae, satire, etc    3. General    4. Humor    5. Science    6. Scientific Methodology And Research    7. American English    8. Humour    9. Reference / Research    10. Scientific equipment & techniques, laboratory equipment   

Reviews (6)

Biizarre, comical facts about insects and entomologists
With Buzzwords, May Berenbaum presents a collection of essays, many previously published, that show the lighter-and usually humorous side-of entomology. Berenbaum divides her book into four sections: how entomologists see insects, how the world sees insects, how entomologists see themselves and how an entomologist sees science. Topics include insect flatulence, the misrepresentation of insects in comic books, the stereotypical role of entomologists in movies, aged ants, the smoking of insects, naming insects and, as the name suggest, insect sex life. None of this, of course, would ever have been considered a humorous topic to me prior to this book. A few pages into it, however, and I was reading aloud the amazing, bizarre and comical facts about insects and entomologists. I must add, though, that the final section was not nearly as interesting and it took me a lot longer to read it than I did the others; the first two sections were especially droll and I flew through those hundred pages with amazing speed.
A hilarious introduction to the insect community
It is clear from the prologue of May Berenbaum's Buzzwords that readers of the book are in for a good time. The author's breezy, conversational description of the bug-related essays to follow--most of them written in the 1990s and reprinted, with minor revisions, from the author's column in American Entomologist--culminates in her apologia for including in her otherwise user-friendly prose the scientific names of the critters under discussion:
Love 'em, hate 'em, laugh at 'em.
Buzzwords, a compilation of humor columns written for American Entomologist by May Berenbaum from 1991-1999, combines science and wit with a little bit of everyday life to come up with some pretty funny - and interesting - stuff for entomologists and entomologist wanna-bes. Read more

Subjects:  1. Entomology    2. Humor    3. Insects    4. Insects & Spiders    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Topic - Business and Professional    9. Humour    10. Insects (entomology)    11. Popular science   

Reviews (4)

This book will definitelytickle the funny bone of both scientists & non-scientists alike!
This is just a collectionof jokes, anecdotes, limericks & riddles revealing the funny side of physics, biology, mathematics, & other branches of science. I often buy books like this one - in fact, I have already amassed a vast collection over the years. I will often browse them from time to time, just to keep my intellectual mind, - not just my funny bone - alive! Absolute Zero Gravity is a great gift idea for Geeks!
This is one of those Rolling-On-The-Floor (LMAO) books that really only makes sense if you are a Geek yourself. It's a great gift and it's very lighthearted.Most of the jokes/anecdotes are short.Warning: it's adictive...

Tremendously Funny!
By far, the best collection of Science, math, and computer jokes I've seen. Few of the jokes are misses, and there's even an explanation for some of the most obscure gags. The section on how various professions prove numbers prime is a scream. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Horror    3. Humor    4. Science    5. Humour   

Editorial Review

A series of anecdotes shouldn't by rights add up to anautobiography, but that's just one of the many pieces of receivedwisdom that Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88)cheerfully ignores in his engagingly eccentric book, a bestsellerever since its initial publication in 1985. Fiercely independent (readthe chapter entitled "Judging Books by Their Covers"), intolerant ofstupidity even when it comes packaged as high intellectualism (checkout "Is Electricity Fire?"), unafraid to offend (see "You JustRead more

Reviews (204)

Think while laughing !
A really great book by a great man.I almost laughed out loud while on a train and am sure people thought I was crazy. The book made me wonder how can you lead such an interesting life and yet win a Nobel Prize in physics (I guess you can).
Fantastic read
This is a fantastic book!Richard Feynman is a fascinating person and an excellent writer.His view of the world is exciting and interesting and his life experiences make for enjoyable stories.One lesson that comes through in this book is 'Think', don't be afraid to stop and think about something, a problem, a point of view, etc.Through these stories and the life of Richard Feynman, we are all shown what it is to live a life well.Get this book!
Feynman at his Finest
This book is by far the best non-technical science book. Period. You don't have to be a scientist to love the spirit of Richard Feynman. From discovering the behaviors of ants with sugar to his stints as an artist and musician, Feynman reminds us all that the world is still our playground, waiting to be discovered.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Feynman, Richard Phillips    5. General    6. Humor    7. Physicists    8. Science    9. United States    10. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (1)

a story of how one man can make a difference
reads like a novel and yet informs the reader in the complexities of the northern Illinois ecosystem.A real major accomplishment. Inspiring enough to make you want to never mow your lawn again. A great intro to nature reading for the serious minded. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. General    3. Life Sciences - Ecology    4. Natural Resources    5. Nature    6. Nature / Field Guide Books    7. Nature conservation    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Restoration ecology    10. Science    11. United States    12. Humor-General    13. Modern fiction    14. Nature / General    15. Nature / Natural Resources