"The mind behind the webcomic xkcd provides a slew of hilariously overcomplicated instructions for everything from throwing a pool party to winning an election, bringing his signature stick figures - and his singular wit - along for the ride. How To is a loving testament to the power of the human brain to take things to absurd lengths." --Glen Weldon, NPR

"[How To] tackles problems from the mundane--such as how to move to a new house--to those that may trouble a mad scientist building her first lava moat. The solutions are often hilariously, and purposefully, absurd. Embedded in these solutions, however, is solid scientific, engineering, and experimental understanding . . . [for] anyone who appreciates science-based, but Rube Goldberg-esque, solutions to life's problems." --Science Magazine

"How To is a pure delight, a salty-sweet mixture of hard science and bonkers whimsy." --BoingBoing

"A brilliant provocation of a book: clamber in for a wild ride." --Nature

"A witty, educational examination of 'unusual approaches to common tasks' . . . generously laced with dry humor . . . Munroe's comic stick-figure art is an added bonus. . . . Apart from generating laughter, the book also manages to achieve his serious objective: to get his audience thinking." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An enjoyable treat for fans of logic puzzles, brain hacking, kaizen, mad science, and other forms of mental stimulation." --Kirkus Reviews

"Munroe (creator of the webcomic xkcd; What If?; Thing Explainer) creates another fun series of questions and answers that explore forces, properties, and natural phenomena through pop-culture scenarios . . . With illustrated formulas that humorously explain the science behind Munroe's conjectures, this book is sure to entertain and educate thinkers from high school on up." --Library Journal

"How To is a gleefully nerdy hypothetical instruction book for armchair scientists of all ages." --Booklist