summary ofHow ToBook by Randall Munroe

first KEY POINT

There is no end to learning

An idea may sound ridiculous at first but later end up being a good one. Through math, previous knowledge, and experimentation, you can make an educated guess on what will happen when you try an idea.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wanted to land the Curiosity rover on Mars without crashing it on the surface or creating dust clouds that would decrease visibility — which is vital to a safe landing. A formerly ridiculous idea turned out to be the solution they needed — a sky crane. With a sky crane powered by rockets hovering high above the surface, they could avoid the dust clouds the rockets would have generated if they were close to the ground. And with a long tether, they could gently land the rover without crashing it on the Martian surface — a feat that would have been impossible with parachutes and airbags due to the rover’s size.

This summary describes uncommon ways of doing things like jumping, throwing a pool party, digging a hole, listening to music, crossing a river, throwing things, playing football, predicting the weather, skiing, generating power, taking a selfie, winning an election, and charging your phone. These are things you probably know how to do already, but the ideas shared in these pages will help you learn how to do them differently. And if you don’t already know how, you’re just one of about 10,000 people in America who are learning something for the first time every day.