Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Holy shit... my friend got published!

Yup, he did! Check it out on Amazon here. Buy it. Read it. I don't need to tell you to love it, because that'll come naturally. It's such an addicting read that you won't be able to help it.

One day I was perusing the closest Barnes & Noble when a book with a startling, hi-res cover caught my eye. I started paging through it, instantly entertained, when I was surprised to note that before I knew it, twenty minutes had passed. Yes... me, the least mathematically inclined person on the planet... had been ensnared by a physics book!

Wondering what author could have performed such sorcery, I checked the cover. No... it couldn't be THAT Aaron Santos, could it? I knew that guy! I checked the back flap, and yes, there was his picture smiling back at me. Holy shit... he got himself published!

I am so proud of him, you have no idea. This book is beyond cool. It's called How Many Licks: Or, How To Estimate Damn Near Anything. In it, he details formulas on how to approximate interesting problems. Like, you know in the movie Amélie, when she wonders aloud how many people are having an orgasm right that moment? Well, Aaron provides a formula with some humorous trivia on how to reach an actual approximation (hint: Amélie is waaaay off.) Other hypothetical problems he explores in the book are just as humorous:

How much would Spiderman have to eat each day to produce the webbing he makes in the movies?

What's the chance of meeting your Mr. or Mrs. Right?

How long would it take to eat the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters?

Which is more expensive: the NASA Probe or the subway in New York City?



You'll be surprised at the solutions he comes up with. I've been showing it around at work, and one of my employees has been quoting it every day since. Students majoring in mathematics have been loving it, and even the folks who study vastly different fields couldn't help turn page after page.

So seriously, check it out. You won't regret it.

And Aaron, I know I've told you before, but if you're reading this... congratulations! Your book kicks so much ass!

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