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I find I really like the labels "the special idea", and "the big idea." I like it because it introduces the nature of the theory quite approachably, where a the

I find I really like the labels "the special idea", and "the big idea." I like it because it introduces the nature of the theory quite approachably, where a theory is at it's heart an idea or a concept. Then, by labeling one "special" and on "big", the relationship between the two is immediately obvious; we see that one idea is covering a smaller but more particular area, while the other idea covers a larger but potentially less-special and more general area. The piece isn't as "strictly accurate" as it could be, but that's the point. By making something approachable you'll hook into many more minds than otherwise, and the knowledge of the reader that "this is not all, there is more to learn" is powerful bait for the curious.

dgritsko 11y ago
Bill Gates recently reviewed Munroe's "Thing Explainer" (a book consisting entirely of explanations written in this style), and in his closing paragraphs states the following: "If I have a criticism of Thing Explainer, it’s that the clever concept sometimes gets in the way of clarity. Occasionally I found myself wishing that Munroe had allowed himself a few more terms—“Mars” instead of “red world,” or “helium” instead of “funny voice air.” Of course, that would defeat the purpose of the book. And Munroe himself is aware of the tension. In “Page Before the Book Starts”—a.k.a. the introduction—he acknowledges that some terminology is inescapable. “To really learn about things, you need help from other people, and if you want to understand those people, you need to know what they mean by the words they use. You also need to know what things are called so you can ask questions about them. But there are lots of other books that explain what things are called. This book explains what they do.” And it does that beautifully. Thing Explainer is filled with cool basic knowledge about how the world works. If one of Munroe’s drawings inspires you to go learn more about a subject—including a few extra terms—then he will have done his job. He has written a wonderful guide for curious minds." http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Thing-Explainer http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Thing-Explainer I completely agree. Things written in this style occasionally start to feel a bit clumsy, but the fact that my curiosity has been piqued to delve deeper into a given topic is more than worth it.

dgritsko 11y ago

Bill Gates recently reviewed Munroe's "Thing Explainer" (a book consisting entirely of explanations written in this style), and in his closing paragraphs states the following: "If I have a criticism of Thing Explainer, it’s that the clever concept sometimes gets in the way of clarity. Occasionally I found myself wishing that Munroe had allowed himself a few more terms—“Mars” instead of “red world,” or “helium” instead of “funny voice air.” Of course, that would defeat the purpose of the book. And Munroe himself is aware of the tension. In “Page Before the Book Starts”—a.k.a. the introduction—he acknowledges that some terminology is inescapable. “To really learn about things, you need help from other people, and if you want to understand those people, you need to know what they mean by the words they use. You also need to know what things are called so you can ask questions about them. But there are lots of other books that explain what things are called. This book explains what they do.” And it does that beautifully. Thing Explainer is filled with cool basic knowledge about how the world works. If one of Munroe’s drawings inspires you to go learn more about a subject—including a few extra terms—then he will have done his job. He has written a wonderful guide for curious minds." http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Thing-Explainer http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Thing-Explainer I completely agree. Things written in this style occasionally start to feel a bit clumsy, but the fact that my curiosity has been piqued to delve deeper into a given topic is more than worth it.