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!

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.

The book is very entertaining and informative.. I deem it to be a very good popular science book. It's a shame that not all chapters are available for here in NetGalley but based on the one that I have read, the rest of the book seems very promising.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

This book was decent, and I enjoyed the humor in it but it didn't really have anything new for me to think about as much as I wanted it to. I enjoyed it however, and it earned a solid 4 stars from me, and I would definitely read another book from the authors.

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

The version of this that I read was the first 70 pages, so I am basing my review off of the excerpt I received from Netgalley rather than the book as a whole. 

Soonish is a very informative introduction to space travel, new technologies, giving reasons as to why we can't get up there like we do in sci-fi fiction just yet but providing possible ways we could, eventually. Although there were moments I was a bit lost, overall I followed what Kelly Weinersmith was detailing and actually really enjoyed reading it once I got into it. I love reading about space, and I like that this was easy to follow without being condescending, and I would love to read more.

However, that being said, I did have some issues. For one, I really didn't like the drawings. I found that they were a joke in the middle of a really interesting explanation that would distract me from what was happening, and, because I have a terrible habit of just forgetting things even if I was just reading them, I kept forgetting what had been said and having to go back and re-read paragraphs everytime there was a comic. Also, I wasn't a fan of the smattering of jokes. I know Zach is a comic artist, and that some people might enjoy the joking, but I just felt it distracted me from the serious science stuff being discussed. 

I'm considering reading this whole book, it's so easy to read and really interesting. The jokes and comics are making me hesitant, but I'll see how I feel!

It's difficult to write a full review from a partial of a book, but I did enjoy what I read, and I will probably buy the full version so I can read more.

I really enjoyed this book. I am definitely a science nerd. I love stuff like this, about technology and how it might impact our lives in the future. I only got to read an excerpt from the book, but I really enjoyed what I read. The book starts out with the very big and goes to the very small. The first chapter starts with cheaper space travel - because why can't we go all Star Trek yet and what's it going to take? The authors break it down, with what space travel involves and why it is so expensive. I also love the style. The whole book is written for readers like me, who really dig science, but aren't experts at it. Then there are cartoons, because we get a little distracted too. 

I would definitely recommend this one. I think it would also be a great gift for the science nerds you love, including your teenagers.

Only the first chapter is available through netgalley, and therefore my review will be pertinent to the first chapter only.

Soonish was an interesting read and provides a diverse number of examples that illustrate the problems associated with space exploration and mining asteroids. Cartoons throughout the book add a pleasant amount of quirkiness.

My main criticisms arise from the USA-centric information which detracts from the advances of other nations and their importance in the development of future technologies. Furthermore the chapter felt like it was lacking details and it could do with more references.

Only received one chapter.  It was thorough and informative.  The humorous tone helped make the difficult and complex subject matter more easily understood.

I found the book quite good. I liked that it was short. Many books seem to feel like they have to be super long, when their message can actually be condensed into a more suitable length. I particularly liked the metaphors used in the book. I feel like Kelly Weinersmith is a very good science writer, and the humour that is contained in the comics is great as well. Overall, I highly recommend people to check out the book.

A rather humorous look at ten technologies which might improve all our lives - or ruin everything. 

Informative AND entertaining.

I got a paper copy of this book from my library since the e-copy on NetGally was only a sample.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, perhaps an out-of-this-world, mind-bending look at future technologies. Although I did learn some very interesting facts, there was nothing that wowed me. I found myself going to the Web to get a visual on some of the things that were being talked about. Instead of the cartoons that were meant to insert humour, I would have appreciated some pictures related to the technologies being addressed. I understand that the authors were trying to lighten up the book with these cartoons and some other "funny" text, but I don't think it quite worked. As well, I think diagrams would have gone a long way to support some of the explanations. That augmented reality pic obtained by looking at the cover with a downloaded app was really cool. More of these throughout the book would have worked nicely!
Overall this was an interesting book but just ok for me.

Smart, funny, well researched and well worth a read.

Recently I requested a science book on NetGalleys and was promptly sent...a third of it.  The third comes from Soonish:  Ten Emerging Technologies that'll Improve or Ruin Everything,  a bit of futurism/science fusion. The authors are the creators of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, and their artwork is part of the text.   The part accessible via NetGalley only covered the falling costs of space travel, the feasibility of space elevators, and the potential if any in mining asteroids. Although the text itself was a nice mix of information and amusing commentary,  I wasn't particularly interested in this section of the book. I wanted to read about 3D printing and advances in medicine, and I got cannons that shot things into space.  It was perfectly entertaining,  but just a tease.

Netgalley only offers the first third of the book, although that isn’t mentioned anywhere (except I now notice, in other reviews). Still, what’s available to read is quite fun. I can only assume the rest of the book is equal in its level of humor and information. The drawings are charming and compliment the text well.  My only complaint is that it is not the complete book.

Unfortunately like other's said it is only a snippet of the full book. Overall I liked it but it did seem to gloss over quite a few things, and at times the humor got a little old. I would like to read the entire book because it's hard to judge based off one section.

Unfortunately it was only a small section of the book but I really enjoyed what I read and would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys learning new things in a fun way.

(Review based on the sampler of the first part of the book, provided by NetGalley)

I really enjoyed the humoristic approach to technology and all the details that were covered.

The subjects were smartly chosen, and as a reader you really did learn (even though you were learning about hypothetical theories in parts). If you aren't a fan of technical text, even though it was laced with humor it's still packed with science, this might not be for you.

I didn't feel like all the pictures necessarily brought anything more to the book.

I am a big fan of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, a very witty webcomic that plays on fairly clever ideas across disciplines such as philosophy, science, psychology, and the arts.

Soonish is a collaboration between the author of SMBC and his wife, a scientist. While I enjoyed this sample, I will say that it is less dark and satirical than SMBC, perhaps to appeal to a wider market.