Virtual Event: Ryan North

Harvard Book Store's virtual event series welcomes New York Times bestselling author RYAN NORTH for a discussion of his latest book How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain. He will be joined in conversation by beloved cartoonist RANDALL MUNROE, author of What If and creator of the webcomic xkcd.

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While payment is not required, we are suggesting a $5 contribution to support this author series, our staff, and the future of Harvard Book Store—a locally owned, independently run Cambridge institution. In addition, by purchasing a copy of How to Take Over the World on harvard.com, you support indie bookselling and the writing community during this difficult time.

About How to Take Over the World

Taking over the world is a lot of work. Any supervillain is bound to have questions: What’s the perfect location for a floating secret base? What zany heist will fund my wildly ambitious plans? How do I control the weather, destroy the internet, and never, ever die?

Bestselling author and award-winning comics writer Ryan North has the answers. In this introduction to the science of comic-book supervillainy, he details a number of outlandish villainous schemes that harness the potential of today’s most advanced technologies. Picking up where How to Invent Everything left off, his explanations are as fun and elucidating as they are completely absurd.

You don’t have to be a criminal mastermind to share a supervillain’s interest in cutting-edge science and technology. This book doesn’t just reveal how to take over the world—it also shows how you could save it. This sly guide to some of the greatest threats facing humanity accessibly explores emerging techniques to extend human life spans, combat cyberterrorism, communicate across millennia, and finally make Jurassic Park a reality.

Praise for How to Take Over the World

“How to Take Over the World isn’t just an amazing how-to manual, it’s a fun, insightful look into our place on the planet and in time. I found myself thinking about it for weeks after. Honestly, I think it changed my life!” —Chip Zdarsky, writer for Spider-Man: Life Story

“This book is so brilliant that it’s frankly suspicious. Nobody should be surprised when Ryan North inevitably does take over the world. If this wildly entertaining, whip-smart, and hilarious book is his confession, he’s more than capable of it. And now, thanks to reading it . . . so am I.” —Elan Mastai, author of All Our Wrong Todays

“I can attest that How to Take Over the World is both a) filled with actual science (including linguistics!) and b) hilarious.” —Gretchen McCulloch, New York Times bestselling author of Because Internet