For 20 years, Nerd Nite has delivered to live audiences the most interesting, fun, and informative presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, you name it. There hasn’t been a rabbit hole that their army of presenters hasn’t been afraid to explore. Finally, after countless requests to bring Nerd Nite to more fans across the globe, co-founders and college pals Matt Wasowski and Chris Balakrishnan are bringing readers the quirky and accessible science content that they crave in bookform, focused on STEM and paired with detailed illustrations that make the content pop. The resulting range of topics is quirky and vast, from kinky, spring-loaded spiders to the Webb telescope’s influence on movie special effects.
Hilariously named after Dale Carnegie’s iconic book, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi features narratives, bursts, and infographics on all things STEM from scientists around the world. Chapters are sure to make you laugh-out-loud, with titles such as \”The Importance of Talking Sh*t: How Microbes From Your Poop Can Save Lives\” and \”Be Annoying When it’s GOOD to be irritating!\”.
With fascinating details, facts, and illustrations, combined with Chris and Matt’s incredible connections to organizations such as the Discovery Network, How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi is sure to reach joyful STEM enthusiasts of all ages around the world.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Imprint: St Martins US
Publication date: 28/05/2024
Illustrator: Orr, Kristen
How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi
by Chris Balakrishnan and Matt Wasowski
Review by Mida
Have you ever watched a Ted Talk and gone ‘Dang, this is really interesting but I wish I had this in book form, written by people who are really knowledgeable about this and are ALSO funny’? Congrats, this book is for you. Nerd Nite describes itself as ‘The Discovery Channel but with beer’ and this book takes the knowledge, joy and chaos that that tagline promises and condenses it into segments that are a few pages long.
Broken into sections that are including but not limited to ‘Creature Features’, ‘Bodily Fluids’ and ‘Death and Taxes (but mostly just death)’ and more, there’s something for everyone. I think my favourite part about this book -other than it feels like skimming a bunch of text books at once – is how in love all of the presenters are with their work. They’re clearly so excited to share their knowledge with the world and their joy is infectious. There are little doodles for each essay that I frequently found myself distracted by but I was always drawn back to the text itself by the delight of each writer.
This is not an encyclopedia; it’s more like a collection of newspaper clippings. Each text is short enough that it whets your appetite but leaves you hungry for more. It’s meant to encourage you to do your own research.
This is perfect for the reader who liked Horrible Histories growing up. It understands that non-fiction doesn’t have to be dull – you can have fun! Add the silly little doodles, make jokes! Anyone who enjoys decimating their opponents at trivia nights or pub quizzes needs to read this, there’s endless ammunition squeezed into these pages. Also great for fans of The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful or Randall Munroe’s What If? Series.
SCORPIO BOOKS
Five Lanes, The BNZ Centre
120 Hereford Street
Christchurch Central City
Ph: (03) 379 2882
TELLING TALES
Five Lanes, The BNZ Centre
101-111 Cashel St
Christchurch Central City
Ph: (03) 741 3309
FREE NZ SHIPPING FOR ORDERS OVER $100
