Thing Explainer
by Randall Munroe · first published 2015
33% recommend61% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Blueprint-style xkcd diagrams explain complex machines using only the 1,000 most common English words. Funny, informative coffee-table browsing for curious adults, and a good fit for kids too.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The creator of the webcomic "xkcd" uses line drawings and just ten hundred common words to provide simple explanations for how things work, including microwaves, bridges, tectonic plates, the solar system, the periodic table, helicopters, and other essential concepts.
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Looking for "coffee table books" from which you can learn something by reading just a couple of pages, optionally with some imagery. Something in the lines of: Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe (xkcd), The secret lives of color by Kassia St.Clair.
on “Ask HN: What's your favorite coffee table book?” ↗…by constance garnett the first third; neal cassady the power of pi; stickman lagrou graves the secret life of salvador dali; dali the way of a pilgrim; unknown twelth night; william shakespeare thing explainer; randall munroe ulysses; james joyce women, race, and class; angela davis if you want a quick description of any i enjoy talking about them, and i appreciate suggestions
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗So... Randall Munroe's 'Thing Explainer'? I actually purchased this and it is both informative, has a bit of quirky humor in the illustrations, and makes a great learning material. Knowing the proper name of something is often less important…
on “Randall Munroe, XKCD Creator, Goes Back to High School” ↗For a humorous taste of a limited language, without venturing outside of English, Randall Munroe (the XKCD guy) has a book called, "Thing Explainer", that's a sort of encyclopedia written using only the 1,000 most common words in English.
on “Toki Pona: A Language with a Hundred Words (2015)” ↗Not-technical "The World's Toughest Endurance Challenges" - Very nicely illustrated "Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words" - Extremely enjoyable. People here certainly are aware of xkcd and it's type of humor. Technical "Functional programming in Scala" - good read for Scala beginners,…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗glad to learn about him! i appreciate the artistically inclined visually explaining technical things. i also love randall munroe (xkcd author)'s thing explainer.
on “Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms” ↗Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe is a book of blueprint-like diagrams drawn in xkcd style explaining complex systems simply. Its great fun!
on “Ask HN: Coffee table books” ↗Randall Munroe (of XKCD fame) wrote "Thing Explainer", a book that attempts to explain things using only the most popular 1,000 words in the English language: https://blog.xkcd.com/2015/05/13/new-book-thing-explainer/ I also remember having a book similar…
on “Ask HN: What are some great books for children?” ↗How about Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe? https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Sim...
on “Ask HN: Coffee Table Books” ↗Not really sci-fy, but my 5 year old daughter enjoyed reading Thing Explainer and What if? from Randall Munroe of xkcd.com fame. What if? is more speculative of the two, and you can read a few of the stories/speculations on https://what-if.xkcd.com/ :-)
on “Ask HN: Sci-Fi book recommendations for kids?” ↗Randall Munroe did a whole book in this style: https://xkcd.com/thing-explainer/ It's a lot of fun.
on “Rust explained using easy English” ↗Very true. This is why I think 'Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words' (Randall Munroe) is so brilliant. I think being able to communicate at the level your audience is an under-appreciated skill.
on “Be Less Technical” ↗I like the idea of a limited vocabulary and word building from there, but I think TP is way too extreme. Randall Munroe wrote a book called "Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words". In the back of the book, he lists the 1000 words he used to write it. Something like that would be suitable IMHO.
on “Esperanto is not my favourite artificial language (2002)” ↗How to, what if? 1+2 and thing explainer all by Randall munroe. The latter one is the only one i can recommend for younger kids, it has only 1000 different words.
on “Young family member is interested in physics, which books should they read?” ↗Thing Explainer.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗