AsapSCIENCE Answers to the world's weirdest questions, most persistent rumors, and unexplained phenomena

Moffit and Brown, the founders of AsapScience, are a pair of Canadian 20-somethings whose highly clickable YouTube videos, which bring science to younger adults and older teens, attract millions of hits. In their illustrated debut, the pair answers the kinds of questions kids often ask and adults occasionally ponder, such as why people hate photos of themselves, why people mostly catch colds during cold weather, whether humans can spontaneously combust, if sneezing can cause one's eyeball to pop out, and whether cracking one's joints in puberty leads to arthritis in old age. The book is accurate-for example, the authors do not overstate the importance of the endogenous chemical oxytocin to feelings of love-and entertaining, though it may not be a perfect gift for parents to give to teens, considering chapters entitled "Will Dancing Get you Laid?," "The Scientific Hangover Cure," and "The Science of Morning Wood." Questions of propriety aside, there is plenty of valuable material in the book, particularly for the young and curious. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Have you ever wondered if there is a guaranteed cure for hiccups? Why we get "brain freeze"? If someone could spontaneously combust? Coauthors Moffit and Brown, founders of the namesake AsapSCIENCE YouTube channel, explore these and many other strange questions and old wives' tales. From bodily functions to swearing and lying, love and lust, there is something in this book for readers of all ages. While sometimes catering to our more childish sides, the authors have nonetheless created a fun read that strikes a fine balance between science and levity, offering delightful drawings relevant to the text. Each topic is presented with enough information to explain the science involved but not so much that the reader is swimming in terminology and detailed descriptions. VERDICT Recommended for younger readers with a curiosity about the world around them. However, the work should be approached with guidance from adults, as some of the issues covered (orgasms, hangovers, and "nocturnal penile tumescence") may be inaccessible or a too mature.-John Kromer, Miami Univ. of Ohio Lib., Oxford, OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.