How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi

October 15, 2023
A quirky compilation presents an engaging stroll through a forest of peculiar subjects. For anyone who often finds life difficult, depressing, and too serious, this book is for you. Balakrishnan and Wasowski collect dozens of presentations from their Nerd Nite events, which are held monthly. There is also a YouTube channel, curated by the authors, who between them have a good mix of expertise. The subjects are largely scientific and cover topics ranging from the chemical basis of hangovers to the complex math of gossip. Some of the presenters are established scientists, while others are doctoral students or people who just know a lot about a specific topic. Several of the essays are laugh-out-loud funny--e.g., Jane Gregory's piece about why some people are driven to paroxysms by small but repetitive sounds, such as those made by the annoying individuals who eat chips straight from the foil bag ("misophonia can attach itself to any repetitive sound, but the most common ones are things like chewing, breathing, sniffing, and throat clearing)." Others, such as the zombie creatures of the animal kingdom or dealing with excrement in space, are cleverly droll. Many, such as the piece titled "Why Nuclear Fusion Would Be Awesome--If We Get It to Work" or the one explaining how to manipulate perceptions of physical attractiveness ("Hot or Not? How To Be a Perfect 10"), are surprisingly informative. Most of the essays are only a few pages, so the book is a good one to dip into when a lift in mood is required, and Orr's wacky illustrations provide a further dimension. One regrettable omission is that there is no contribution on influencing fungi, although it is clear that Balakrishnan and Wasowski are fun guys. An enjoyable romp through the back alleys of scientific research, proving that knowledge and fun can easily go together.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 4, 2023
In this rollicking collection, Balakrishnan and Wasowski—founders of the Nerd Nite series, in which experts present short, accessible science talks—bring together brief essays by scholars and others on such topics as “sex change and gender roles in anemonefishes,” microbes’ role in creating human body odor, and the feasibility of sci-fi artificial gravity systems. Numerous entries focus on animals, including scientist Laura Chaibongsai’s study of the U.S. Navy’s successful efforts to train “dolphins to detect underwater mines” and primatologist Natalia Reagan’s survey of homosexual behavior among nonhuman primates. The selections are uniformly irreverent—in “To Boldly Go,” journalist Brendan Byrne discusses how astronauts pee and poop during space missions—while dispensing illuminating trivia, as when neuroscientist Paula Croxson explains that the hair-of-the-dog approach to treating hangovers actually does work because the methanol that builds up in the body during an alcohol binge can be partially neutralized afterward with ethanol from alcoholic drinks. The broad range of topics ensures most readers will find something of interest, and the brisk pace will keep them glued to their seats. Playful yet enlightening, this entertains. Illus. Agent: Danielle Svetcov, Levine Greenberg Rostan.

December 22, 2023
How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi is a selection of various Nerd Nite presentations collected in written form. As one would expect from Nerd Nite, these presentations range across a remarkable array of subjects, and they vary in length (although none is more than a handful of pages). The 71 essays collected here are loosely arranged into 11 topics (animals, space, math, bodily fluids, etc.) and span the gamut from stories of animal procreation to how cups of tea led to better scientific, experimental protocols to the multiple definitions of infinity. The appeal of Nerd Nites--people presenting information on subjects they're passionate about--translates well into book form. It's quirky, fun, engrossing, and informative. It's a delightful collection! Perfect for existing fans of Nerd Nite, it also serves as an ideal introduction for anyone who may not have heard of these gatherings before. It should appeal to nerds and information lovers of all ilk, despite some salty language and subject matter.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 1, 2024

In 2003, Balakrishan, then a Boston University graduate student and now the program director for the National Science Foundation, hosted the first Nerd Nite gathering at a Boston bar. The event combined several 20-minute presentations on any scientific topic with the opportunity for the audience to drink while they took in new facts. It was immediately popular and quickly moved on to New York City, where Wasowski took on the task of spreading these events worldwide. Today, Nerd Nite takes place monthly in more than 100 cities across the globe, and many presentations are featured on the brand's YouTube channel. Presenters are often grad students or professors just getting started in their fields. The Nerd Nite cofounders determined that the next logical step in their offerings would be a collection of articles by some of their most popular presenters. Topics range from wildlife and bodily fluids to space and mathematics. This book features 70 such articles, each designed to inform and delight readers with irreverent tones and factual accounts of particular subjects. VERDICT Delightful and eminently readable. This book about the Nerd Nite empire will be an excellent addition to science collections.--Jennifer Moore

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.