Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words

• food-heating radio boxes (microwaves)
• tall roads (bridges)
• computer buildings (datacenters)
• the shared space house (the International Space Station)
• the other worlds around the sun (the solar system)
• the big flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates)
• the pieces everything is made of (the periodic table)
• planes with turning wings (helicopters)
• boxes that make clothes smell better (washers and dryers)
• the bags of stuff inside you (cells)

“Brilliant…a wonderful guide for curious minds.”—Bill Gates     “Like any good work of science writing, [Thing Explainer] is equal parts lucid, funny, and startling.’’—NewYorker.com   "Clever, intricate"—New York Magazine, The Approval Matrix ("highbrow, brilliant")   "Funny, precise and beautifully designed"—The Guardian   "...with witty, playful diagrams, you'll be understanding nuclear reactors ('heavy metal power buildings') in no time."—NPR.org, Best Books of 2015   "Whimsical...Munroe’s masterpiece is the antidote to scientific jargon, ably demonstrating that not knowing the exact name for something doesn’t mean you can’t grasp how it works. The same holds for those doing the explaining: you don’t need to use big words to convey meaning. If anything, it just gets in the way."—Gizmodo, Best Science Books of 2015   "Required reading for the curious."—Popular Science   "This book is a feast for the eyes and a party for your brain. I cannot more highly recommend that you get this for yourself, your favorite nerd, or someone who just loves beautiful drawings."—Scientific American   "One of the charms of this new book is that it imbues everything between its covers with a childlike and unpretentious sense of delight in humanity's intellectual achievements."—Tor.com   "[Thing Explainer] soars in both explanatory clarity and entertainment value...Munroe delightfully challenges us to reassess our preconceptions and think of things in new ways." —American Scientist   “Munroe’s signature humor and firm grasp on the underlying science and engineering make the book a delightful and informative read.” —Science Magazine   "Thing Explaineroverall is unintimidating and engaging, with lavish blueprint-like illustrations that draw you into just about every page...Munroe has a gift for turning his own curiosity into your own edification."  —CNET   "I think a lot of people will have a lot of fun rea