Scan barcode
A review by bailey_bea
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe
3.0
The concept for Things Explainer is an interesting one: explaining complicated ideas and machines using the 1000 most common words in the English language. While I did learn a few new things and enjoyed a few laughs, the book is better read as an experiment in and of itself. It challenges the reader to think differently about language and about everything around us, from our organs ("Bags of Stuff Inside You") to the Large Hadron Collider ("Big Tiny Things Hitter").
Overall, I'm glad I read the book, but I'm not really sure I'd recommend it. With its blueprints and tiny text, it takes forever to read. And though I learned a couple fascinating things from Things Explainer, it didn't equip me with the vocabulary to share my new knowledge. The terms are too simplistic to be helpful. In fact, their simplicity is often downright confusing!
If you're at a bookstore or library, pick it up and take a gander. But it's probably best to leave it on the shelf when you go.
Overall, I'm glad I read the book, but I'm not really sure I'd recommend it. With its blueprints and tiny text, it takes forever to read. And though I learned a couple fascinating things from Things Explainer, it didn't equip me with the vocabulary to share my new knowledge. The terms are too simplistic to be helpful. In fact, their simplicity is often downright confusing!
If you're at a bookstore or library, pick it up and take a gander. But it's probably best to leave it on the shelf when you go.