Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of A Really Bad Day [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Peter J. Bentley Ph.D (Author), Phil Gigante (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

Your laptop mysteriously crashes. There’s a fresh red wine stain on the carpet. An overhead bird targets your windshield. Sh*t, as they say, happens – to all of us. But have you ever thought about why such accidents occur? It’s not just bad luck. . . What causes the mishaps that can ruin your day? In Why Sh*t Happens, esteemed scientist Peter J. Bentley tackles the realm of everyday disaster through a highly empirical approach informed by wit and humor. Bentley brilliantly explores accident on a molecular level, arming you with an essential understanding of what went wrong and explaining how to prevent future bouts of misfortune. Science is respected, trusted, and according to Bentley, widely misunderstood. When your car engine is damaged by the wrong gasoline or the milk goes bad in the fridge, science is not to blame, but rather can provide an explanation. As he makes his way, mishap by mishap, through an imaginary day in which Murphy’s Law reigns supreme, Bentley reveals the scientific truths from which our daily aggravations originate. Sh*t will always happen, and now you will know exactly why. Enter, if you dare, the most accident-prone day of your life. . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Everyone has one of those days when nothing seems to go right, but why? Unlike others who have broached the question, British computer science guru Bentley (Digital Biology) actually escorts readers through a really bad day, exploring the science behind all the little things that can go wrong: he looks at why you slept through the alarm (to explain the nature of sleep); why you then slipped on the spilled shampoo (a look at the nature of cleansers and lubricants); why that torrential downpour soaked you on your way to work (a look at the cycle of water in nature). This journey through the day, if sometimes strained (getting chewing gum stuck in one's hair on the bus), is a neat device for explaining the science behind everyday things such as how clothing is woven and why fabric is so strong (until it rips when you bend over) and how capsaicin in chilis fool the body and provoke a burning sensation. Each chapter ends with a brief tip on how to avoid future mishaps. Hopefully, readers and librarians won't be put off by the title and miss Bentley's reader-friendly explanations of the science behind everyday life. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Peter J. Bentley, PhD is one of the most creative thinkers working in computer science today. A senior research fellow and professor at University College London, he is well known for his prolific research covering all aspects of evolutionary computation and digital biology. He is the author of the popular science book, Digital Biology and a regular contributor to BBC Radio.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged Lib Ed; Library edition (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423376838
• ISBN-13: 978-1423376835
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,374,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting little book, March 17, 2009

By 

Charlie "Librarian" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day (Hardcover)

About: Bentley goes through a hypothetical very bad day in which the science behind 34 mishaps is explained. Oversleeping, shaving cuts, bad milk, bird poop, skipping CDs, skin burns and hard drive crashes are examples of what's covered (good thing this bad day is hypothetical!)

Some Interesting Things I Learned:

* To remove chewing gum, try peanut butter or mayonnaise (the oils in them help the molecules in the gum slide off whatever they are stuck too). You can also try icing the gum to freeze it, and then break the frozen mass.

* NASA didn't spend millions of dollars to develop a "Space Pen," They bought them from Fisher. Most normal ballpoint pens will work in zero gravity anyway.

* If you eat something very spicy and want to cool down your mouth, drink milk. It's thought that the mix of casein and fat will wash away the capsaicin molecules that give chilies their spice. Milk chocolate and several types of beans and nuts are thought to have a similar effect.

* Cut yourself shaving? Don't dab the cut with a tissue, you'll just keep disrupting your platelets that are trying to heal the area. Instead, apply steady pressure.

* Anti-lock brakes leave dotted skids that look like ======= . Non-anti-lock brakes leave solid line skids.


Pros: Well-written with very interesting and varied topics. Short chapters make for easy pick-up reading.

Cons: No cites, no full bibliography provided. No real sum up, book just sort of ends.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A horrible day becomes a wonderful teaching example, August 7, 2009

By 

Allison M. Perkel "I drank what?" (Boston) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day (Hardcover)

Dr Bentley has crafted a light hearted, easy to read book that takes you through one of the worst days imaginable and then teaches you exactly what the science behind the event is. He details 39 bad events with great humor, which quickly draws you into the idea, and then he follows with a 5 to 10 page discourse on the science behind the event.

Our protagonist, a business man who should have really never left the bed in the morning, Goes through a sequence of events; none of them particularly horrid, but all very annoying. Each event, whether its a bee sting or eating dirt and glass, is used as a launching point for a discussion on such topics as to why the bee stings, how the teeth work, how the digestive system protects you and so on.

There are 39 chapters in the book, each contains a mini lesson. In general, the lessons are:

1) sleeping through the alarm
2) slipping on soap
3) cutting yourself shaving
4) toast on fire
5) exploding liquids
6) milk gone bad
7) wet mp3 player
8) bird droppings
9) forgotten bag
10) skidding on the road
11) diesel instead of gas
12) tripping on the curb
13) chewing gum in hair
14) rain soaked clothing
15) being lost
16) bee sting
17) sticking yourself with superglue
18) electromagnetic interference from phone
19) puncture
20) leaking pens
21) mistaken identity
22) torn clothing
23) opening an e-mail virus
24) jammed finger
25) computer hard disk failure
26) broken finger
27) dropping keys down the drain
28) pulled muscle
29) sparking microwave
30) broken glass
31) stains
32) chile pepper in the eye
33) food on the floor
34) lighning kills the tv
35) burns and blisters
36) scratched cd
37) broken tooth
38) stubbed toe
39) overflowing bath

The chapters are fairly self contained, so reading out of order won't detract. A truly fun read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly science I already knew, July 21, 2009

By 

bhr "birdwoman" (Bryn Mawr, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day (Hardcover)

This is a neat little book about a really sad dude who has the worst day ever. Each chapter starts with something awful happening to him and then goes into the science behind why or how that happened.

Much of the science is something a person with any analytic background will already know. There is some new stuff, and I really liked the way it was presented.

The overall tone of the book had me thinking of some kind of british special that John Cleese might narrate - like the science behind beauty thing he did with that Hurley woman.

Overall, a very approachable book that explains the logic behind all the stuff that happens, and lets you explain way bad luck.

(*)>