Most Popular Books by Larry Gonick

A comprehensive new illustrated guide to geometry—from New York Times bestselling cartoonist Larry Gonick What''s the point of points? Where do we draw the line? If there are two sides to everything, then what''s up with triangles, squares, and polygons? Once again, mathematician-turned-cartoonist Larry Gonick uses his unique gift for witty, lively, and clear exposition to demystify another complex subject: geometry. Moving from the most basic geometrical concepts—planes, lines, and points—through elementary postulates and to elaborate proofs, The Cartoon Guide to Geometry is a comprehensive primer on all the essentials of plane geometry: angles, triangles, area, similarity, and, yes, the Pythagorean theorem. Carefully tailored to the curriculum standards and standardized testing guidelines of the subject, the book provides innovative visuals that develop proofs and constructions with sequential graphics rather than single illustrations. The reader emerges with a deep grasp of key ideas—and has fun getting there.

A complete—and completely enjoyable—new illustrated guide to calculus Master cartoonist Larry Gonick has already given readers the history of the world in cartoon form. Now, Gonick, a Harvard-trained mathematician, offers a comprehensive and up-to-date illustrated course in first-year calculus that demystifies the world of functions, limits, derivatives, and integrals. Using clear and helpful graphics—and delightful humor to lighten what is frequently a tough subject—he teaches all of the essentials, with numerous examples and problem sets. For the curious and confused alike, The Cartoon Guide to Calculus is the perfect combination of entertainment and education—a valuable supplement for any student, teacher, parent, or professional.

If you think a negative charge is something that shows up on your credit card bill -- if you imagine that Ohm''s Law dictates how long to meditate -- if you believe that Newtonian mechanics will fix your car -- you need The Cartoon Guide to Physics to set you straight. You don''t have to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Physics explains them all: velocity, acceleration, explosions, electricity and magnetism, circuits -- even a taste of relativity theory -- and much more, in simple, clear, and, yes, funny illustrations. Physics will never be the same!

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Have you ever asked yourself: Are spliced genes the same as mended Levis? Watson and Crick? Aren''t they a team of British detectives? Plant sex? Can they do that? Is Genetic Mutation the name of one of those heavy metal bands? Asparagine? Which of the four food groups is that in? Then you need The Cartoon Guide to Genetics to explain the important concepts of classical and modern genetics—it''s not only educational, it''s funny too!

If you have ever suspected that "heavy water" is the title of a bootleg Pink Floyd album, believed that surface tension is an anxiety disorder, or imagined that a noble gas is the result of a heavy meal at Buckingham Palace, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry to set you on the road to chemical literacy. You don''t need to be a scientist to grasp these and many other complex ideas, because The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry explains them all: the history and basics of chemistry, atomic theory, combustion, solubility, reaction stoichiometry, the mole, entropy, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Chemistry will never be the same!

If you have ever looked for P-values by shopping at P mart, tried to watch the Bernoulli Trails on "People''s Court," or think that the standard deviation is a criminal offense in six states, then you need The Cartoon Guide to Statistics to put you on the road to statistical literacy. The Cartoon Guide to Statistics covers all the central ideas of modern statistics: the summary and display of data, probability in gambling and medicine, random variables, Bernoulli Trails, the Central Limit Theorem, hypothesis testing, confidence interval estimation, and much more—all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations. Never again will you order the Poisson Distribution in a French restaurant!

From celebrated artist Lary Gonick, here is the extraordinary story of the modern world, from the French Revolution to today. More than thirty years ago, master cartoonist and historian Larry Gonick began the epic task of creating a smart, accurate, and entertaining illustrated history of the world. In this, the fifth and final book of this beloved and critically acclaimed series, Gonick finally brings us up to the modern day. The Cartoon History of the Modern World, Part II picks up at the Enlightenment; continues through two and a half centuries of revolution, social and economic innovation, nationalism, colonialism, scientific progress, and the abolition of slavery; and concludes in the early twenty-first century with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Essentially a college-level course in modern world history, with equal attention given to every area of the globe, Gonick''s witty and engaging pages bring the past to life and put a brilliant new spin on our world. Whether you are a longtime fan or a first-time reader, this thrilling conclusion of our civilization''s monumental story is not to be missed!

From New York Times bestselling author Larry Gonick and Davidson College biology professor David Wessner comes this comprehensive and humorous cartoon guide to topics in biology. Did you faint when your middle school science teacher asked you to dissect a frog? Do you think DNA stands for “Don’t Know the Answer”? Do you still cling to the belief that osmosis was the name of Ozzy Osbourne’s last tour? If you said yes to any of these questions—or even if you didn’t—then you need The Cartoon Guide to Biology. The latest from New York Times bestselling author Larry Gonick—writing with Davidson College biology professor David Wessner—is a hilarious and informative handbook to the science of life. From the inner workings of the cell, to the magic of gene expression, to the Krebs and Calvin cycles, to sexual and asexual reproduction, The Cartoon Guide to Biology uses simple, clear, humorous illustrations to make biology’s most complex concepts understandable and entertaining. Whether you’re peering into the microscope for the first time or brushing up after decades of de-evolution, this book has you covered.

What? You don''t know what a Burgess is? -- You can''t outline the Monroe Doctrine? -- Recall the 14th Amendment? -- Explain the difference between a sputnik and a beatnik? Then you need The Cartoon History of the United Statesto fill those gaps. From the first English colonies to the Gulf War and the S&L debacle, Larry Gonick spells it all out from his unique cartoon perspective.

The Cartoon History of the Modern World is a wickedly funny take on modern history. It is essentially a complete and up–to–date course in college level Modern World History, but presented as a graphic novel. In an engaging and humorous graphic style, Larry Gonick covers the history, personalities and big topics that have shaped our universe over the past five centuries, including the Industrial Revolution, the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the evolution of political, social, economic, and scientific thought, Communism, Fascism, Nazism, the Cold War, Globalization––and much more. Volume I of the Cartoon History of the Modern World picks up from Gonick''s award winning Cartoon History of the Universe Series. That series began with the Big Bang and ended with Christopher Columbus sailing for the New World. This book starts off with peoples that Columbus "discovered" and ends with the U.S. Revolution.

In this latest edition to the successful Cartoon Guide series, master cartoonist and former Harvard instructor Larry Gonick offers a complete and up-to-date illustrated course to help students understand and learn this core mathematical course taught in American schools. Using engaging graphics and lively humor, Gonick covers all of the algebra essentials, including linear equations, polynomials, quadratic equations, and graphing techniques. He also offers a concise overview of algebra’s history and its many practical applications in modern life. Combining Gonick’s unique ability to make difficult topics fun, interesting, and easy-to-understand—while still relaying the essential information in a clear, organized and accurate format—The Cartoon Guide to Algebra is an essential supplement for students of all levels, in high school, college, and beyond.

Presents facts about world history in a humorous, cartoon-style format.