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If you loved
Books like Thing Explainer
A delightfully constrained, blueprint-filled journey that strips away jargon to reveal the simple mechanics of the world. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Thing Explainer.
- lighthearted
- wondrous
- geeky
- inquisitive
- 01
How To
Randall Munroe
A delightfully overcomplicated manual that uses extreme, apocalyptic physics to solve the most mundane of daily problems.
- 02
What If?
Randall Munroe
A delightful exercise in taking the most ridiculous questions imaginable and answering them with rigorous, cheerfully apocalyptic science.
- 03
The Way Things Work
David Macaulay
A whimsical, deeply satisfying exploration that turns the intimidating mechanics of the modern world into an accessible playground of discovery.
- 04
Soonish
Kelly Weinersmith
A hilarious, comic-studded joyride through the weird, wild, and highly improbable technologies of tomorrow.
- 05
The Magic of Reality
Richard Dawkins
A visually stunning and intellectually exhilarating journey that replaces the magic of myth with the far more spectacular magic of scientific truth.
- 06
A Really Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
A delightfully witty, bite-sized tour of the cosmos that makes the mind-boggling scale of science feel like a fun conversation with a very smart friend.
- 07
A City on Mars
Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith
A hilarious, reality-checking splash of cold water on the sci-fi dream of escaping Earth's problems.
- 08
Stuff Matters
Mark Miodownik
A joyful, eye-opening tour through the hidden miracles of the everyday objects we touch, use, and ignore.
- 09
Here
Richard McGuire
A dizzying, beautiful meditation on deep time that collapses millions of years into a single, ordinary living room.
- 10
The Disappearing Spoon
Sam Kean
A delightfully quirky romp through the periodic table that reveals the eccentricities, obsessions, and scandals behind the building blocks of our universe.
- 11
A short history of nearly everything
Bill Bryson
A delightfully witty and accessible romp through the cosmos that transforms complex scientific history into a cozy, awe-inspiring fireside chat.
- 12
Atoms Under the Floorboards
Chris Woodford
A delightful, eye-opening tour through the hidden physics governing the ordinary objects in your home.
