Anti Gravity: Allegedly Humorous Writing From Scientific American

by Steve Mirsky

Steve Mirsky, humorist-turned-podcaster, has entertained and provoked readers of Scientific American magazine in his “Anti Gravity” column for the past ten years. With his sharp wit, wide-ranging interests, and droll application of a scientific viewpoint to pop culture, he has covered topics ranging from CSI ’s influence on college majors to the cheap-Formica-billed woodpecker, from the absurdities of creation “science” to the inanities of politicians trying to address scientific topics on Sunday-morning talk shows. Podcasting is expanding Mirsky’s audience and this book is timed to serve the rising interest in this fresh writing talent.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Humor, Physics

220 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Carl Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of the light-hearted "Anti Gravity" columns from Scientific American magazine across a decade starting in the late 1990s. Great pick-up-and-read book; each column is only about 3 pages. The collection organizes them by subject matter. Mirsky has a pithy way of phrasing that can vary between quite dryly funny to pedantic to insightful to pointedly opinionated. The columns are at their best when their subject is science itself--unique techniques such as the space program's "smell testers", interesting trivia such as how long a viper may envenomate post-decapitation, and the development of urine test strips. The quality seems to drop when Mirsky turns his razor wit to people he disapproves of due to a sense of snide condescension (well, except for politicians, behind whose derision we can all rally). My favorites were some of the columns that hit the nerd humor buttons, such as a list of science-inspired designer fragrances, with snort-inducing scents such as J. Robert Oppenheimer's Cataclysm and its palette of desert sand and enriched geranium (marketing slogan: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds, but with a delicate floral hint").

[Eva Nickelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of columns done by Steve Mirsky for Scientific American was well done. Some were very biased, but most pointed out the hilarious side of science. Each column is only a couple of minutes read, which made the book a pretty easy read. I liked it so much that I now wish I subscribed to Scientific American.

[Mark Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to buy Scientific American at the news stand primarily just for Mirsky’s Anti-Gravity column. So I was very pleased to discover this printed collection of articles.

My only disappointment is that it includes no columns after its publication date (obviously!) in 2007. That leaves out a vast body of work comprising the final 13 years of Mirsky’s column. I am contemplating renewing a SciAm subscription just to gain access to the entire collection of “allegedly humorous writing“ which sadly ended with his retirement in 2020.

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to summarise I's say "didn't live up to expectations". A good judge of a book is how you feel towards the end - and this one I was thinking "don't put it down now, or you'll never bother to pick it up again".

My wife brought it home from the library and said "I thought you might like this". A quick review of the covers and discovered it was "allegedly humourous writing from Scientific American". My first thoughts were "I enjoy reading Scientific American, although New Scientist is better" and secondly "humourous scientific writing is usually pretty good!".

It was only much later that I thought "in all the Scientific Americans I have read I don't recall the "Anti Gravity column these articles come from!" A quick check of the magazine to discover that it fits within the Opinion section - which I have to say I usually flick over pretty quickly to get to the meaty stuff.

This was apparently the best of this column over a period of 10 years. The articles were apparently arranged into general topics eg "Wild and Wacky", "In Sickness and in Health", etc. This meant that you were jumping around in time a fair bit, which you usually didn't notice until there was reference to a world event that you knew, followed in the next article by one 5 years earlier.

I agree with a previous reviewer that it was particularly American. I can get American humour (too much US TV I'm afraid) - but the references to obscure US D-grade celebrities, TV shows and sports stars did miss the mark for me on numerous occasions.

Like all of these books based on accumulated work (eg blogs, magazine articles, etc) I would recommend having a read of the work on which it is based: Anti Gravity

It is a quick read, and there are some genuinely humourous bits (but nothing laugh out loud) - so not a complete waste of time!

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've only read half of this book - some columns are hilarious but it's very much focused at Americans with humour that only they would understand. Otherwise, when I understand the humour, it is very funny.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny book. Scientific writing can be very interesting, but rarely is it this fun. Mirsky is a master humorist in a field not known for humor.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very, very important to Steve Mirsky that you know he's a Democrat. Also, there's a little bit of science in the book as well.

[Zoffix Znet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is utterly hilarious and had me laughing out loud in public places. In some instances, I was too young or too ignorant to get the humorous allusions, but I still enjoyed this book a lot.