Randall Munroe 4 Books Collection Set - What If, Thing Explainer, How To - Non Fiction - Paperback

Titles in This Set
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Riverhead Books

Overview
This four-book paperback collection gathers Randall Munroe's most beloved works of science humor into one gift-ready set. What If? uses rigorous math and physics to answer outlandish questions with hilarious, illustrated precision. What If? 2 continues the tradition with fresh hypotheticals and even more stick-figure diagrams. Thing Explainer strips complex machines and phenomena down to the one thousand most common English words, turning jargon into charmingly plain language. How To rounds out the set with wildly impractical, scientifically grounded solutions to everyday problems. Together, these titles celebrate curiosity, careful reasoning, and the joy of learning how the world actually works.

About the Books
Randall Munroe built a devoted following with xkcd, his stick-figure webcomic about science, math, and everyday absurdity, and this collection shows why his books have become favorites in popular science writing. What If? started the trend, taking reader-submitted questions like what would happen if you tried to hit a baseball moving at near light speed and answering them with real physics, real math, and real humor, all illustrated with Munroe's signature simple drawings. What If? 2 picks the format back up years later with a fresh batch of reader questions, tackled with the same careful research and comic timing that made the original a hit. Thing Explainer takes a different approach, describing everyday objects and complex systems, like rockets, cells, and the internet, using only the one thousand most common words in English, forcing clarity through constraint. How To closes out the set with a hands-on flavor, offering absurd but scientifically grounded advice for common problems, like using a swimming pool of a certain chemical to move a couch. Across all four books, Munroe's research, sourcing, and genuine curiosity shine through the jokes, making this an ideal set for science lovers, engineers, teachers, and anyone who has wondered "but what would actually happen if...

Key Benefits

• Four science-humor titles from Randall Munroe, creator of the xkcd webcomic, in one paperback bundle
• Turns real physics, math, and engineering into laugh-out-loud reading
• Includes Thing Explainer's iconic simple-words diagrams alongside three What If?-style Q&A books
• Great for teens, adults, engineers, teachers, and STEM-curious gift recipients
• Perfect for birthdays, holidays, graduations, or building a science-themed home library
• Compact paperback format makes the set easy to gift, stack, or take on the go

Book-by-Book Guide
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions — Munroe answers reader questions like what happens if you fill a pool with molten sodium, using real physics and stick-figure charm.
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions — A follow-up volume of new reader questions, tackled with the same rigorous calculations and dry humor as the original.
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words — Munroe explains machines and natural phenomena using only the one thousand most common English words, paired with blueprint-style diagrams.
How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems — A guide to wildly impractical, scientifically sound approaches to everyday tasks, from moving heavy objects to boiling water on a mountain.

About the Author
Randall Munroe is a writer, cartoonist, and former NASA roboticist best known for creating xkcd, the long-running stick-figure webcomic that mixes math, science, language, and romance with a healthy dose of absurdity. After leaving robotics to draw comics full time, Munroe began fielding reader questions about bizarre hypothetical scenarios, which grew into the What If? series. He carries the same research-driven, plain-spoken style into Thing Explainer and How To, using careful calculations, cited sources, and simple diagrams to make science approachable, memorable, and consistently funny for readers of all backgrounds.

Why You'll Love This Collection
This bundle turns science into entertainment, mixing rigorous research with laugh-out-loud diagrams and reader-submitted absurdity. It's a smart pick for birthday gifts, holiday stockings, graduation presents, or a classroom library shelf, and a satisfying summer reading stack for curious teens and adults who love asking "but what if?" and actually getting an answer.

Please Note: This is the UK edition with the ISBN as listed; the cover may vary slightly from the image shown.