A Fun, Informative, Quick Read | Fun Science by Charlie McDonnell

Fun Science: A Guide to Life, the Universe, and Why Science is So Awesome by Charlie McDonnell
Publisher: Quadrille Publishing
Release Date: October 20th, 2016

Welcome, fellow humans (and others), to the the world of FUN SCIENCE! I'm Charlie, also known across the internet as charlieissocoollike.

In my book, I'll be taking you on an awesome journey through the cosmos, beginning with the Big Bang through to the Solar System and the origins of life on Earth, all the way down to the particles that make up everything around us (including you and me!).

Expect frequent digressions, tons of illustrations of not-so-sciencey things (NB a microwave flying through space), and pages packed with my all time favourite mind-bending science facts.

So, get ready for a faster-than-the-speed of-light (OK, not quite) tour of all of the best and most interesting things that science has to offer us… and most importantly: WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSE!

Disclaimer: I received a copy for review from Midas Public Relations for this blog tour. This did not affect my review in any way, nor am I being compensated for this post.

Let me start by expressing how thrilled I am to be a part of this blog tour and to be the last stop. But without further ado...

For starters, let me give you a little background in case you don't know me. I am not a science person. There are some things within the sciences that interest me but more on a surface level, like a "I think this is sort of interesting and just want to know about it as a layperson, without getting all technical about it" sort of feeling, but beyond that, I am definitely not a science student. Unless you count the social sciences, I suppose. ;)

But when I saw that Charlie, also known as charlieissocoollike on YouTube, was coming out with this book, I got super excited. So many YouTubers are coming out with books, to the point where it's just exasperating, but I actually really like this one because I knew Charlie would really put all the time and effort into making this the best it could be. I knew that it would actually be informative and offer something useful and practical for readers.

I quickly realized that Fun Science is very much organized like my science seminar this semester is organized, giving a broad overview of the major sciences, starting with the large and ending with the small. This is the perfect companion to what I'm learning now and is so much more fun!

What I think the book does best is to take what would normally be boring to those of us who just can't deal with the sciences and makes them exciting and less intimidating. The doodles and pictures are funny and quirky. Information is provided in extremely colloquial writing, with many jokes and puns abound. It's colorful, the fonts vary, the text is easy to read through, and more. I quite like the fun facts inserted, as well as the "notes" interspersed throughout. I actually quite liked that Charlie would refer to himself, so that it feels more personal and more like a conversation. And all of this is presented in a way that isn't too childish but also could be understood by younger audiences.

This is the perfect introduction to science and is perfect if you're looking to gain some knowledge on the major sciences and all of the stuff you should have (and hopefully did learn) over the years in science class. It's a nice refresher and keeps from being boring or slow. Fun Science does exactly what it sounds like it does...it makes science more fun! For a non-scientist, Charlie sure does get the information across well. Perhaps it is precisely because he isn't a scientist that he can effectively present the information this way. Whatever the case, it works.

The book is very well designed, from the gorgeous, colorful cover, to the starry endpapers, to the drawings I mentioned above. It's like a fun textbook!

If you're at all interested in upping your science knowledge a bit, I would highly recommend Fun Science! It's a lite, fun way that will make you sound like you've spent much more time studying basic science than you actually have.

Be sure to check Charlie out on YouTube as well! His videos are fabulous, and I believe he's making videos to go along with the book.

About Charlie McDonnell

Charlie McDonnell is a Vlogger, Filmmaker and Musician from Bath, who currently resides in London. Charlieissocoollike currently has 2.3m subscribers and Charlie has 686k twitter followers, 201k on Instagram and 313k Facebook followers. Charlie, who started posting YouTube videos in 2007, became the first Video Blogger in the UK to reach one million YouTube subscribers. Beyond his own channel, Charlie has worked on many online video projects, notably "Science of Attraction," hosted by Derren Brown, and a vlog series from behind the scenes of Doctor Who for the BBC. He's also worked with many brands to produce videos for his own channel, including Microsoft, Pixar and Disney and is a regular participant in Radio 1's Internet Takeover show. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his girlfriend and their cat, Gideon.

Fun Science: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Charlie McDonnell: YouTube | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook