Grass Roots Books & Music in Corvallis, OR has two staff recommendations for life-long learners: books to spark and satisfy curiosity.
The Edge of The Sky: All You Need to Know About the All-There-Is by Roberto Trotta
This delightful little book, written by an enthusiastic astrophysicist, explores the gigantic questions and huge mysteries of the universe in a sweet short story. Using only the 1,000 most used words in the English language, Trotta’s tale explains the wonder of stars, the awe of the planets, and the mystery of dark matter. This book is a fun and simple way to explore the complicated vastness of our cosmos!
–Linda
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe
There certainly seems to be a trend among readers to ditch technical jargon in favor of simple, straightforward terms (1,000 of the most common English words) to annotate complex and interesting subjects, and it deserves to be embraced. It makes such subjects especially more accessible to children and readers who may speak English as a second language, and it presents a new and entertaining way to learn. Munroe (creator of the webcomic xkcd) covers the biological (“tiny bags of water you’re made of”) and human-made (“heavy metal power building”) using detailed yet succinct blueprints. Also a great coffee table or gift book!
–Marissa
Whether you want to pursue astrophysics first or even more diverse topics, both books are available at Grass Roots Books & Music and other independent bookstores.