Books like How To
How To by Randall Munroe reads as witty, informative. These 12 books share its genome — matched by how they actually read, not just their shelf label.
What How To is like to read
A cheerfully deadpan tour of the most absurdly overengineered ways to accomplish trivial tasks, blending real physics with cartoon-illustrated thought experiments. Episodic, browsable, and consistently funny in a dry, science-nerd register. Best for: readers who loved What If? and want rigorous science played for absurdist comedy.
What If?
Randall Munroe · 2014
Absurd hypotheticals answered with real physics, deadpan diagrams, and a cheerful willingness to end the world for the sake of the math.
Thing Explainer
Randall Munroe · 2015
A playful reference book that explains complex machines and concepts using only the thousand most common words, paired with simple line diagrams — browsable, clever, and disarmingly accessible.
The Body
Bill Bryson · 2019
A tour of human anatomy delivered as a stream of astonishing facts and warm anecdotes — Bryson's signature blend of curiosity, wit, and accessible science that reads like a friendly guided walk through your own body.
Packing for Mars
Mary Roach · 2010
A wry, curiosity-driven tour of the absurd human logistics of spaceflight — chatty, footnote-loving science journalism that mines humor from bodily indignities without losing genuine awe.
Stuff Matters
Mark Miodownik · 2013
A curious, warmly enthusiastic tour through the everyday materials we take for granted, structured as standalone essays that blend science, history, and personal anecdote.
The Way Things Work
David Macaulay · 1988
A browsable, illustration-driven tour of how machines work, moving from lawn sprinklers to smoke detectors with clear text and detailed cutaway diagrams.
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
Jon Ronson · 2015
An immersive, conversational reported-essay that moves case by case through modern shaming culture, balancing dark comedy with genuine empathy for its subjects.
Breath
James Nestor · 2020
An immersive journalistic tour through the science and lost art of breathing, mixing first-person experiments with pulmonology, biochemistry and ancient practice.
Why We Sleep
Matthew Walker · 2017
An enthusiastic, alarm-ringing tour through sleep science, delivered by a researcher who clearly wants to change your behavior by the last page.
The Invention of Nature
Andrea Wulf · 2015
A sweeping intellectual biography that traces Humboldt's ideas across continents and centuries, connecting his ecological vision to the thinkers he shaped.
The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
Simon Singh · 2013
A conversational, accessible deep-dive into the mathematical sophistication embedded in The Simpsons by its Ivy League–educated writers.
Following the Equator
Mark Twain · 1897
A sharp-eyed, conversational romp through the British Empire's colonial world, where Twain's trademark wit dissects cultural absurdities and human folly with affectionate skepticism.
About How To — what the genome says
Is How To a complete story or a cliffhanger?
It's a complete, standalone-satisfying story.
Who is How To for?
readers who loved What If? and want rigorous science played for absurdist comedy
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