Reddit Reddit reviews Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words

We found 35 Reddit comments about Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Computers & Technology
Books
Computer Hardware & DIY
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
Thing Explainer Complicated Stuff in Simple Words
Check price on Amazon

35 Reddit comments about Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words:

u/moeburn · 73 pointsr/aviation

The thing on the bottom right of the screen says "This copy of Windows is not genuine".

More:

http://i.imgur.com/FIym0Vs.png

Buy this book so I don't feel bad for putting up images from it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544668251/

u/Xenocide321 · 18 pointsr/EverythingScience

He was working on his new book that came out recently.

Thing Explainer

u/viddy · 18 pointsr/Astronomy

Check out What If? and Thing Explainer.

u/MrPopoGod · 18 pointsr/BABYMETAL

Yeah, Su's not just reading off a script. Her English has come really far; she's at the point of having enough vocabulary to feel like she can express what she wants to express once she picks the right words out of her dictionary. So she still has to do a translation of concepts into a smaller set of words (sort of like the book Thing Explainer) but she's got the confidence to do so.

u/PickaxePete · 3 pointsr/space

A Galileoscope and books. I currently like Thing Explainer, which seems really good for that age. Any space book will do though.

Update with Amazon link to book

u/lifelongintent · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

This is so thoughtful! Very similar to Hyperbole and a Half is The Oatmeal, which is another sardonic blog with funny cartoons that has a book of its best content. I also highly recommend XKCD's book "Thing Explainer", which is a highly informative and entertaining read. Wishing your friend the best!

u/theo_sontag · 3 pointsr/newreddits

A relevant book with the same concept: Things Explainer by Randall Munroe https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251

u/HarmlessSnack · 3 pointsr/TheCulture

Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe is my favorite coffee table book. (He’s the guy that makes XKCD comics.)

Giant detailed drawings of complex things explained using common language, and a candy coating of humor. Really fun book!

u/StarOriole · 2 pointsr/CasualConversation

Books can be good. How about Thing Explainer?

u/PM_me_about_jobs · 2 pointsr/engineering

I got this book for my niece for her 6th birthday.

u/FallingStar7669 · 2 pointsr/KerbalSpaceProgram

Science mode limits the available parts until you do the science to unlock more, without having to deal with restrictions like funding. You're almost literally forced to start simple, which is very useful given the steep curve of this game.

I'm no education expert, but I've been playing games since the NES came out. And what I've seen of this coming generation, they're pretty sharp, even if their reading skills are limited. Don't expect a 4 year old to understand delta-v, but fully expect them, after a few weeks of play, to not need to worry about it. If they can survive the steep learning curve, they'll know what engine they want by the picture (most of us do anyway) and they'll know what it does because they tried it and saw for themselves. It might be useful at the very least to explain "this one makes you go fast but uses up all your fuel, this one makes you go slow but uses less fuel" and stuff like that. Basically, talk to them as if you're quoting this book.

A child's mind is a very wondrous machine. If nothing else, trust that, if their interest is strong enough to overcome their failures, they will blow you away sooner than you could ever realize.

u/dkuhry · 2 pointsr/ThingsCutInHalfPorn

I was going for an XKCD / Thing Explainer reference. The author explains technical blueprints using only the 10-hundred (1000) most commonly used English words.

u/shittyNaturalist · 2 pointsr/engineering

I really would recommend Randall Munroe's Thing Explainer. When I started doing propulsion work, I actually used it as a reference because it's easy to reference and, it has a pretty strong foundation on a number of things at a very accessible level. As u/zaures mentioned, The Way Things Work (any edition) is excellent and in much the same vein.

u/RockaDelicato · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Everything can be explained in layman's terms. If you can't you have not fully understood the topic. It might take a bit longer though. 😅

Not convinced? Check out the book "Thing Explainer" to get an idea of how to do it (:

Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words https://www.amazon.de/dp/0544668251/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_31QDCbXQ7V9FS

u/dishayu · 2 pointsr/NoStupidQuestions

I also recommend the book named Thing Explainer which uses the 1000 most common words to explain complicated things. It has a lot of simple, funny pictures and is fun to read overall (the tone is not serious at all). I'd be happy to ship you a copy if you like. Just PM me your address.

u/spamky23 · 2 pointsr/iamverysmart
u/chernobyl169 · 1 pointr/atheism

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544668251

The author's provided link was banned by AutoModerator bot. Please visit XKCD and use his amazon link so he gets an extra few cents.

u/nibarius · 1 pointr/LearnJapanese

This is a good example what you get in the most 1000 common words in English:

https://xkcd.com/1133/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544668251/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0544668251&linkCode=as2&tag=thekcs-20&linkId=S4XRZJJKSMHOWEQU

It's probably something similar in Japanese.

That being said, by knowing 1000 words you'll understand a lot more than by knowing 0. Keep trying to learn 500 words and if you succeed try to learn 500 more. If you can keep it up over many years you'll learn a lot.

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/Philippines

Amazon. The xkcd banner also says it's available via Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, and Hudson (I'm not familiar with the last two).

u/Redditor_1138 · 1 pointr/gifs

See the page on "Tiny bags of water you're made of" in this book's preview

u/tehzephyrsong · 1 pointr/AskWomen

I like books - this year I've asked for Thing Explainer and Welcome to Night Vale, along with some linguistics books, but I'm a language nerd.

My boyfriend's family asks each other what they want for gift-giving holidays. It does kind of spoil the surprise, but I'll take knowing what I'm getting over getting a bunch of ugly-ass clothes or shitty soap gift sets. Again.

u/nvincent · 1 pointr/GiftIdeas

So, I think I am the kind of person you are describing. I have a pretty great job, so I usually just buy my own technology stuff. Not only that, but I am rather picky with technology stuff, so even if someone did get me something like that, I would act excited and happy, but in the back of my mind I would secretly wishing they did more research before buying the thing that they did.

That said! If I were buying for me, I would go with something like the hyperbole and a half book (http://www.amazon.com/Hyperbole-Half-Unfortunate-Situations-Mechanisms/dp/1451666179), or something by the creator of the XKCD comics (http://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449202837&sr=1-1&keywords=xkcd).

If it has to be tech related, there is always http://www.thinkgeek.com - they have tons of fun, nerdy gifts that I would like. All of these things combined are probably way less than $1,000. That is just a lot of money.

Another random suggestion - if they were ever into pokemon, this is a dream come true: Gym Badges! https://www.etsy.com/listing/128753018/pokemon-kanto-gym-badges-gen-1?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-accessories-patches_and_pins-pins_and_pinback_buttons&utm_custom1=a91c90fb-48c1-4024-87f9-fb14aadac033&gclid=CjwKEAiA7f-yBRDAgdv4jZ-78TwSJAA_WdMaz_NXsXrFH_0f-Mb6ovmqqcCHto-b7S6zm1DplssHQhoCNuvw_wcB

u/anyones_ghost27 · 1 pointr/funny

Yeah, he ate a lot of the front cover and destroyed the first 20-30 pages of my hardback HP and the Deathly Hallows. But he removed the dust jacket first without damaging it, so at least I can put that on and cover the damage.

He also destroyed the Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe, which I highly recommend as a gift for anyone, including kids, who likes cool drawings and nerdy things. Or maybe for dogs who eat hardback books. My dog found it extra tasty and super chewy.

u/dsmelser68 · 1 pointr/dndnext

If the DM insists on only being able to repeat sounds that have been heard before, then you could take the time to expose the raven to a limited vocabularly.
For an example of what can be accomplished with a limited vocabularly, see https://www.amazon.com/Thing-Explainer-Complicated-Stuff-Simple/dp/0544668251 which explains complicated subjects using the common 10 hundred words in the english langauge. Here is an example: https://xkcd.com/1133/

​

u/JimWibble · 1 pointr/Gifts

He sounds like a younger version of myself! Technical and adventurous in equal measure. My girlfriend and I tend to organise surprise activities or adventures we can do together as gifts which I love - it doesn't have to be in any way extravegant but having someone put time and thought into something like that it amazing.

You could get something to do with nature and organise a trip or local walk that would suit his natural photography hobby. I love to learn about new things and how stuff works so if he's anything like me, something informative that fits his photography style like a guide to local wildflowers or bug guide. I don't know much about parkour but I do rock climb and a beginners bouldering or climbing session might also be fun and something you can do together.

For a more traditional gift Randall Munroe from the web comic XKCD has a couple of cool books that might be of interest - Thing Explainer and What If. Also the book CODE is a pretty good book for an inquisitive programmer and it isn't tied to any particular language, skillset or programming level.

u/frankenduke · 1 pointr/pics

This is why I bought
Thing Explainer
Cannot wait until the toddler is old enough to have them.

u/Spunki · 1 pointr/nostalgia

So you like cross section books that explain things. Check out Thing Explainer

u/SpiderFnJerusalem · 1 pointr/NoStupidQuestions

Even complicated stuff can be easy.

u/asdf-user · 1 pointr/harrypotter

The thing explainer because he loves knowing about muggle stuff

u/ewk · 1 pointr/zen
u/CricketPinata · 1 pointr/milliondollarextreme

If you want to just know buzzwords to throw around, spend a bunch of time clicking around on Wikipedia, and watch stuff like Crash Course on YouTube. It's easy to absorb, and you'll learn stuff, even if it's biased, but at least you'll be learning.

If you want to become SMARTER, one of my biggest pieces of advice is to either carry a notebook with you, or find a good note taking app you like on your phone. When someone makes a statement you don't understand, write it down and parse it up.

So for instance, write down "Social Democracy", and write down "The New Deal", and go look them up on simple.wikipedia.com (Put's all of it in simplest language possible), it's a great starting point for learning about any topic, and provides you a jumping board to look more deeply into it.

If you are really curious about starting an education, and you absolutely aren't a reader, some good books to start on are probably:

"Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words" by Randall Munroe

"A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

"Philosophy 101" by Paul Kleinman, in fact the ____ 101 books are all pretty good "starter" books for people that want an overview of a topic they are unfamiliar with.

"The World's Religions" by Huston Smith

"An Incomplete Education" by Judy Jones and Will Wilson

Those are all good jumping off points, but great books that I think everyone should read... "A History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell, "Western Canon" by Harold Bloom, "Education For Freedom" by Robert Hutchins, The Norton Anthology of English Literature; The Major Authors, The Bible.

Read anything you find critically, don't just swallow what someone else says, read into it and find out what their sources were, otherwise you'll find yourself quoting from Howard Zinn verbatim and thinking you're clever and original when you're just an asshole.

u/powerclaw1 · 1 pointr/mildlyinteresting

I should point out that this (I'm pretty sure at least) comes from Randall Munroe's book Thing Explainer which uses the xkcd art style etc. to explain complicated concepts using the 1,000 most common English words. It's pretty great, check it out if you can!