Cover Image: Soonish

Soonish

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Member Reviews

Received a review copy of the first chapter of this book on Netgalley. Will update when I read the rest of the book.

The authors blended current science with prediction and humor. The best part of the research is the interviews they had with exhibits in the field. The cartoon asides brought a lightness to what could (in other circumstances) be rather dry.

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I was unable to properly review this book (unfortunately, as I am very much a fan of the authors) because the review copy seems rather damaged / dysfunctional.
The contents purport to cover 12 chapters, however the book ended at the end of chapter 2. Chapter 3 was supposed to start on page 73 - by the time I had got to the end of chapter 2, the page count on kindle (ipad version) was reporting page 768. Each page flip advanced the page counter by around 6 to 12 pages!
Rather a shame, really.

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Very interesting, some new discoveries and an amazing read filled with illustrations and humor very recommended. The only downside is the PDF format but still a good book.

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Very interesting and amusing publication predicting what new inventions may be around the corner
Enjoyed it.
Recommended.

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I find this funny, informative and very enjoyable which in unusual for a nonfiction about rocket science.
Book come across as written well researched and written with a sense of fun.

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A hilarious book trying to predict the future of technology. Very well researched and highly informative, it's an enjoyable read packed with serious scientific explanations and funny comics at the same time.

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“Soonish” presents us hilarious predictions about the future focusing on science and technology. This may have been the only time I laughed out loud at a science book, which I think is pretty high praise indeed. I also bought this for my science-loving teenager, and he loved it so much he moved it to university with him, which surely is the highest praise of all.

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This book was a well-researched and informative look at technologies that affect space travel in the near (and not so near) future. I liked the talk of space guns sending goods to the space station, and the comics interspersed throughout the narrative were a fun cute way to get the point across. Interesting to think that the thing that is stopping more space travel is the cost when we spend billions each year on warfare and other not so pleasant things.

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YES. YES. YES.
Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this amazing book. I don’t normally read ‘non-fiction’ for a spot of light reading on the way to work, but this one ticked all the boxes. The humour that runs throughout this book is right up my street, as well as the language, making it easy for us Space Nerds who don’t neccarsily know the lingo able to read and enjoy this too.

There’s really not that much more to say, other than it’s absolutely fantastic and read it now!

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This book is absolutely funny, informative and highly enjoyable. This shows nonfiction can make you laugh and rocket science can be made as simple as opening your packet of chips.🚶🏃

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This book by one scientist and her cartoonist husband, describes new developments in the field of space travel.
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It has cartoons which are funny and it is written in a prose that doesnot let you go before you finish it. I found parts describing supergun and asteroid mining too impressive and book tickles reader throughout.
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mini encyclopedia with tongue of a funny kid; it is surely a fun read for nonfiction lovers; particularly fans of space travel.
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.My rating 4/5
🍩🍩🍩🍩
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I have only recently started to truly enjoy non-fiction books and to read about science in general makes my nerdy little heart very happy, if I may say so. In this book, the authors (a husband and wife duo) give us information about ten upcoming technologies. They did a lot of research for this and it shows, they start each of those technology segment with explaining what it is, how far we have come to bring that technology into reality and how much further we still have to go. It is all explained in such an easy, witty way that reading about it is just plain fun.

Some of the topics covered are cheap access to space travel, fusion power, synthetic biology and augmented reality as well as precision medicine. It was all presented in such an engaging way that it almost doesn't feel as if I am reading non-fiction. For someone who is a huge fan of Star Trek, this was such a treat.

Back in 1960s, people had such hopes for advanced technology in the 2000s, and they weren't exactly wrong to dream of that. The only problem they didn't imagine was the money factor, I think, majority of people simply didn't take into account exactly how much money and resources were needed to make space travel a reality for example. I mean, I knew it is a ridiculous amount but till I read up on it, I didn't realise exactly how much is needed just to send a rocket in space.

Things like these in different technologies were something of a surprise to me and frankly, I am a teeny bit more informed now that I have read up on it. The best thing about this is the wit and the little comic panels used throughout the book. I absolutely loved that extra touch. They were weird and just funny in an odd way. When I had started to read the book, I was wondering about the longevity of the relelvance this book might have but after reading it, I have realised that certain technologies have ways to go before this book is irrelevant.

I would totally recommend it to people who are interested in science and technology and how it works. To those science fiction fans, this is the sort of book to read if you are in the mood to dream of things to come.

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Unfortunately, this title will have no longevity in a school library, as the information about these technologies is changing quickly. That said, it's well-written and informative, and is a good read.

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With rapid advances of technology and far reaching promises that _the future is here_, what can we expect to see ... Soonish? Will these advances change the world for better or worse? Combining extensive research, insightful interviews with those in the field (or lab), humor and art, Dr Kelly Weinersmith and her husband cartoonist Zach Weinersmith attempt to answer that very question for ten emerging technologies. It's a hard question and there's a lot of ground and space to cover and the Weinersmiths make it approachable. For each topic--from advances to lower the cost of space travel to bioprinting and beyond--they begin with background information to explain how it fits into today's world. Relying on interviews and research each technology is then further explored to answer a range of questions about the direction of research. They also cover concerns of practical application and ethical natures. Finally the authors look at how it could revolutionize the world. Soonish is an enjoyable read and it will be fun to look back in a few years and see how their predictions fared.

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Great read. The authors are really good at explaining then technology in terms that can easily be understood by anyone and the visual comic strips add to the overall humorous tone which makes the book both informative and really fun to read.

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My feeling is that this book falls between being a realistic prediction of future scientific progress and a jokey primer for school kids. None of the ideas were new to the average newspaper reader and no distinction was made between ideas likely to be achieved in the foreseeable future and science fiction.

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This book was on my list. It was a preview but i really enjoyed it. I liked illustrations and reading style is funny and educated. I definitely going to buy it.

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This was actually only a preview excerpt with three or four of the sections from the full book. It was good though, I'll probably read the full book later. Amusing looks at new/upcoming tech advances, with some funny illustrations.

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Soonish
Ten Emerging Technologies That Will Improve and/or Ruin Everything
by Dr. Kelly Weinersmith; Zach Weinersmith
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary.
This book is an informative and fun book to read. Not only does it give the reader ideas for what might be coming along in the future and what that might mean for mankind (good or bad) but it is done in a very humorous way! It sure got a few chuckles and giggles out of me! That's the best way to read science! Make it fun! I would definitely recommend this to anyone! A fun coffee table book, bathroom reading book, a book for that person who has everything! Great job!

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The first section of this book, as that is all that was provided for review by NetGalley, made for an enjoyable read. The concepts introduced were interesting, and the authors' insights entertaining.

The style is descriptive, and above all light, making the concepts discussed very accessible. However, I found that some elements could have benefited from a more in-depth exploration.

The friendly writing style adopted by the authors is conversational and engaging but at times, perhaps, detracts slightly from the topics at hand.

Overall I enjoyed the section provided for review, and would certainly recommend 'Soonish' to anyone looking for a first step into some genuinely interesting concepts, although those with a decent grounding and in search of more detail may wish to look elsewhere.

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Unfortunately, I am unable to read this book as I keep getting an error in ADE when I try to open it.

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