Explain That

From the nation's most trusted news outlets comes an entertaining and authoritative look at the world around us.

Have you ever wondered if time travel is actually possible? Or where the Australian accent came from? Or what it feels like to have dementia? If you’re an inquisitive person who likes to understand how things came to be the way they are, this collection of thought-provoking explainers from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has got you covered.

Explain That answers some of the year’s – and life’s – most baffling questions. Thoroughly researched and eloquently set out by some of Australia’s finest journalists, it provides nourishment for curious minds and fun facts to share with friends and family. What do sharks want (and why do they bite)? How do you win an Oscar? Who thought up table manners? Funny, weird and insightful topics are inventively illustrated and embellished with diagrams, pictures and factoids.

If you like to learn new things, if you enjoy trivia or you want to reflect on some of the big questions, this is the book for you. Absorbing, illuminating and always engaging, Explain That is for anyone who has ever asked how and why?

About the Author

Felicity Lewis is the national explainer editor for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. She has worked in diverse roles on titles from The Herald Sun to The Independent to theage(melbourne) magazine and has won several team awards, including a Walkley. She has commissioned the pieces in this book from reporters in business, sport, politics and beyond across the Age and Herald newsrooms.