Thing Explainer
Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
by Randall Munroe
1 more
More Recommenders
“A great book by Randall Munroe (creator of xkcd, a very scienceoriented webcomic.) In this book, he explains very complicated concepts, all the way from climate change to physical systems to submarines while only using the 1,000 most common words in the English language. He called the Saturn Five rocket “Up Goer Five.” You can’t define a rocket as a spaceship or a rocket. It’s selfreferential. He says “up goer.” It’s this thing that goes up. Kids get it right away. | Nuclear physics, space travel, and other topics made easy.”
Source →Recommended by 3 notable people, including Bill Gates and Naval Ravikant
Check price on AmazonProof-backed recommendation
Amazon availability
Should I read this?
Recommended by 5 sources and appears in Physics, Books Recommended by Naval Ravikant, and Most Recommended Books.
In Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words, things are explained in the style of Up Goer Five, using only drawings and a vocabulary of the 1,000 (or "ten hundred") most common words. Explore computer buildings (datacenters), the flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates), the things you use to steer a plane (airliner cockpit controls), and ...
Looking for Kindle, hardcover, paperback, or audiobook editions?
Check formats, pricing, and current availability directly.
Why recommended
Recommended by 5 sources and appears in Physics, Books Recommended by Naval Ravikant, and Most Recommended Books.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Naval Ravikant
Co-founder of AngelList; angel investor
“A great book by Randall Munroe (creator of xkcd, a very scienceoriented webcomic.) In this book, he explains very complicated concepts, all the way from climate change to physical systems to submarines while only using the 1,000 most common words in the English language. He called the Saturn Five rocket “Up Goer Five.” You can’t define a rocket as a spaceship or a rocket. It’s selfreferential. He says “up goer.” It’s this thing that goes up. Kids get it right away. | Nuclear physics, space travel, and other topics made easy.”
View sources (2) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Infinite Powers by Steven Strogatz. Recommended by 10 sources.
“Strogatz writes like an engaging guide who treats calculus as a human story: equations come with everyday analogies, historical side trips, and visual intuition. What works best is making why calculus matters—velocity, accumulation, and infinity—feel concrete without heavy formalism, so a reader finishes with better conceptual tools for understanding technology and science. The main limitation is pace: readers wanting rigorous proofs or a practice-based learning path will find it light and occasionally repetitive in examples and anecdotes.”
Similar books
How recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.