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This is such a cool book. The range of Jono's knowledge is astounding, and so is his ability to digest complex ideas into deceptively simple drawings. You'll learn something on every pageβ€”and be entertained too.

Bill Gates

Big Ideas Little Pictures

Explaining the world one sketch at a time, by Jono Hey

Sketchplanations in a book! And now an eBook too. In this 288-page collection, I've collected over 130 inspiring, funny and relatable sketches about life. Combining existing and new topics, Big Ideas Little Pictures is a perfect gift of the wisdom and joy of Sketchplanations. Pop it on the table and start having great conversations about ideas.

  • 130+sketches, old and new
  • 10sections, from nature to thinking
  • 1new idea on every page

Order Big Ideas Little Pictures

Buy on Amazon

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Order a signed copyfrom my friends at South Kensington Books in London

Or order from your local bookshop because we πŸ’™ them.

I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases through links on this site, including the Amazon button above.

What Will You Find Inside?

10 sections, 130+ ideas

Big Ideas Little Pictures brings together over 130 sketches across science, psychology, nature, technology, and everyday life. Here's a glimpse of what you'll find inside:

Table of Contents

Explore everything from cloud shapes to cognitive biases, from paradoxes to practical tips. These ten sections span the profound, the peculiar, and the playful β€” all explained in simple, memorable sketches.

  1. Nature's Nuances

    Including: The Coastline Paradox, Autumn Leaves, The Golden Ratio, The Moon Illusion...

  2. Health and Healing

    Including: The Swiss Cheese Model, Microadventures, The Three-Day Effect, Sleep Basics...

  3. There's a Word for That

    Including: Schadenfreude, Emotional Hot Potato, Tsundoku, Yak shaving...

  4. Motivation and Inspiration

    Including: The Road to Success, Motivation Doesn't Last, 9,000 shots, Sleeping with a Mosquito...

  5. Blind Spots

    Including: You Get What You Measure, The Paradox of Choice, The Spotlight Effect, Chesterton's Fence...

  6. Starry-Eyed Surprises

    Including: Atmospheric Perspective, Phases of the Moon, Know Your Clouds, The Potato Radius...

  7. Business and Bytes

    Including: The Traveling Salesman Problem, Starting a Company, The Trust Equation, The Long Nose of Innovation...

  8. Thinking About Thinking

    Including: Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, Solvitur Ambulando, The BS Asymmetry Principle, The 20/40/60 Rule...

  9. The Big Picture

    Including: Solar System Sizes, The Overview Effect, The Continental Axis Hypothesis, 1.5 Billion Heartbeats...

  10. Life's Little Manuals

    Including: How to Win at Monopoly, Skip Rocks Like a Pro, The 60-30-10 Color Rule, The Awkwardness Vortex...

…and much, much more.

The perfect coffee table book for sparking great conversations.

…and lots more inside.

Get the book for the rest β†’

Sample pages

Praise for Big Ideas Little Pictures

I'm an enormous fan of the wonderful way Jono's sketches bring scientific insights to life for a wide audience.

Katy MilkmanProfessor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the international bestseller How to Change

Big Ideas, Little Pictures is a magical collection of ideas, concepts, and wisdomβ€”some that I've wondered about and others I've never thought about beforeβ€”presented in a clear visual way that makes Jono's sketchplanations a joy to read, reference, and share. It's a fantastic book!

Mike RohdeBestselling author of The Sketchnote Handbook and illustrator of REWORK

As the world becomes more complex and fraught, the more we need clear and honest pictures to show us a better way. In his marvellous book, Big Ideas, Little Pictures, Jono Hey gives us the pictures we need.

I can't think of a better gift for my mind, and yours.

Dan RoamInternational bestselling author of The Back of the Napkin, and Draw To Win
Read more praiseShow less

Jono's superpower is the ability to break down complex concepts into digestible, visually appealing explanations.

Mark FrauenfelderFounder of Boing Boing, Recomendo, Make and Wired magazines

Jono Hey's Big Ideas Little Pictures is the kind of book that I want to devour all at once, with his brilliantly efficient illustrations breaking down complex ideasβ€”but that I make myself ration to a few pages per day, to give myself time to absorb everything. Either way, it's the best bet I have to make myself seem more interesting as a dinner party guest.

Brendan LeonardCreator at Semi-rad and author of Make It: 50 Myths and Truths About Creating

Brilliant! It distills a variety of complex and profound ideas into simple to understand and beautifully drawn sketches.

Richard ShottonAuthor of The Choice Factory

I've loved following Sketchplanations for years. And finally, Jono has brought it all together in this wonderful book. Keep a copy in your home and show it to everyone who comes over.

Trenton MossBestselling author of Human Powered and Founder of Team Sterka

Big Ideas, Little Pictures by Jono Hey is a beautiful and powerful book at the same time. On each page, Jono visualises a complex concept into a clear, engaging little drawing. His sketches don't just simplify ideas, they bring them to life and make them understandable at a glance.

As a fellow visual thinker I'm in love with this wonderful book. It's a joy to dive in at any page, to get drawn in by the pictures and to learn a new fact with every turn of the page.

Eva-Lotta LammDesigner and Visual Thinker

I love this book. It will delight adults, fascinate children and help us all to grasp important ideas.

Want to understand the four horsemen of relationship apocalypse? Or different types of phishing? Or the ten essentials for wilderness safety? Jono Hey's explanations are brief and clear – but it's his pictures that stick in your head.

I meant to read it slowly, a few pages at a time, but it's such fun that I kept thinking, Just one more picture and finished it in one sitting.

Gillian CrossMulti-award-winning children's book author

Jono's delightful book is a fantastic blend of text and visuals, making the topics easy to understand and remember. I found myself eager to turn each page, learning things I had never known before. I love this book and recommend it to anyone looking to enrich their knowledge at super speed with some creativity and fun.

Jason BarronAuthor of The Visual MBA

I resent our bedroom looking so messy in the tsundoku sketch.

Dad

More nice things people have said

I can't think of any book on the market that enlightens and illuminates ideas as clearly and concisely as this one.

…it is marvelous to have so many favorites and previously unseen Big Ideas in one place… Don't just pass it around, gift it.

The sketches have a charming simplicity and the exposition is always written with care and curiosity.

The one for my office sits next to… the great Gary Larson of The Farside fame. The ability to convey a big idea in a single frame is genius.

How our world works, one picture at a time, with such clarity and humor that the book is entertaining and educational at the same time.

…ideal to dip into for some daily inspiration or to refer back to when trying to convey complex ideas yourself.

…an alchemy of "Ah Ha!" moments and points to ponder… A new take on what constitutes an illuminated manuscript.

I bought copies for each of my kids… It's full of easy-to-absorb info, and is a great conversation starter when other people pick it up.

It really scratches the itch to learn little things, without having to doom scroll the internet.

Each page is a useful nugget, and many of them have stuck with me and become relatable methodologies which accompany me in my everyday real life.

…what I like most about this book is that I've been able to share it with my kids. They love reading the book with me because the sketches illustrate each idea simply.

Lots of interesting ideas, and the sketches are genuinely delightful.

…he's adeptly skilled at explaining complex ideas with deceptively simple drawings.

Every sketch is so thoughtful and thorough in its transmission, even though they may seem simple at first, there is always more to drill down into.

Wonderful to have around and flip through for a remarkable set of mental models that are handy at work and in life.

Find myself regularly picking up the book for 5-10 mins to read through… guests love looking at it and asking where I got it!

The only downside is figuring out where it belongs on my bookshelves. Is it art, sociology, psychology, business, a referenceβ€”or all of the above?!

I've been keeping the book with me and flip through the pages whenever I get a coffee break etc.

Fabulous gift, super cute, great couch-table book, every teacher should have one, I'm already more intelligent ;)

I was fascinated by the way the illustrations said as much and more than the written descriptions. Have re read more than a few times.

My brain strength is visual-spatial thinking so this book is perfect for me.

I'm loving the diversity of topics and mind tickles. This is the perfect book to leave out for someone to flip through and see where the book leads.

This is one book that will not fall into the Tsundoku category (p. 238).

I love it and use it to explain many things in my work… but my college age grandson took the book back to college with him to share with his roommates.

It's the kind of book that you leave on your coffee table, knowing that anyone who flips through it will smile, learn, and probably laugh out loud.

What is particularly good is that the whole family can read it or just look at the pictures.

The best "Bathroom Book" ever. Entertaining and informative with charming illustrations.

Jono Hey has an amazing ability and skill to drill down and make difficult ideas very understandable. I have so many "ah ha" moments from his book.

Get the book and open a random page is now my morning routine.

Open any page, and you'll find an incisive, thought-provoking, fun, and genuinely interesting observation… I handed it to my 7-year-old daughter, and she was transfixed!

It's great to use with the kids in the car to discuss various topics.

…like an online blog meets comic strip meets how-to guide on all of the random life stuff that you probably should know as an adult but no one ever explicitly told you.

…lots of sage advice, some fun life tips, and many interesting facts to think about. The illustrations are often clever and memorable.

A great book to open to a random page and learn something new… Hope the author creates a daily calendar someday.

Simple, small sketches that are beautiful . . . Imagine that!! Carry it with you on summer trips.

Absolutely beautifully illustrated, a wonderful way of relating complex topics in a beautiful concise manner, I can't stop reading this, superb!

As a visual learner, this style of knowledge/information presentation really resonates with me… Way better than consuming social media!

I don't know how many times I've mentioned some of his sketches when at work and I expect to continue doing so.

Eclectic, charming, and with gentle humour. Had a wonderful time going through these entries with my teen and tween.

When thinking of a complex idea, all one needs to do is bring to mind the picture and understanding seems to follow.

Short simple book that I bought for my kids but ended up reading myself.

…the artistic style is a cross between Tom Gauld and XKCD (Randall Munroe). It's a charming way of explaining… the mechanics of our world and universe.

Purchase four (4) for gifts and a fifth for self.

Incredible to introduce the small ones into critical thinking, deep scientific concepts, while keeping it funny. I read 2-3 pages every night with my daughter and talk about it.

I keep it sitting at my kitchen table and instead of mindlessly scrolling on my phone, I study a couple of sketches and explanations…

Equal parts entertaining and educational - fun to flip through at my desk between otherwise boring work meetings.

Although simple, it is not dumbed down. It is done with humor.

I'll often have them projected in my classroom… I see students look up at the drawings from their writing, nod as though they've gotten an inspiration, and then return to work.

I intend to bulk buy and make this my go-to for gifting for ages 9-99.

He uses humor, simplicity and warmth in examples that resonate with readers of various ages and subtly encourages them to intentionally appreciate the world.

FAQ

Can I have a sneak preview?

Can I order in a different country?

Yes. The Amazon button redirects to your local Amazon store automatically. If you're in the US, UK, Australia, or another region with links on this page, you'll also see local bookstores for your area.

Don't see your country? Email me at jono.hey@gmail.com β€” it helps us prioritise distribution where it's needed most.

Is there an eBook version?

Yes! As of May 2025 there's now an eBook of Big Ideas Little Pictures.

It's great for quick reference, easier to carry on your commute or a flight, and a decent amount cheaper. It's packed with nearly 150 bite-sized sketchesβ€”perfect for dipping in when you need an idea, a shift in perspective, or a smile.

You can buy it via the order links above β€” the Amazon button often includes the Kindle edition too, depending on your store. It's also on B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, and others.

A note on Kindles: because the book is so visual, the Kindle edition is made for the Kindle app (on a phone or tablet) and doesn't work on a regular black-and-white Kindle.

Do you have photos or images I can use to share?

Yes. Please use images in the basic media kit. Let me know if it's missing something.

Is it available in other languages?

Not yet. Do let me know if you'd like it in another languageβ€”it always helps to gauge demand.

What is the ISBN for Big Ideas Little Pictures?

The ISBN-13 is 978-1956403572

ISBN-10 is 1956403574

What's the picture on the cover?

The picture is my own version of Hokusai's remarkable The Great Wave off Kanagawa or just the Great Wave. I once saw the real thing at the British Museum in London. It's small, but few pictures captivate the way it does. Hokusai's wave evolved a lot throughout his life.

Buy a print of the Sketchplanations Wave

Got another question? Please contact me

Why a book?

I started making sketchplanations in 2013 by sketching them in actual books. While putting the sketches online has helped them reach so many more people there's something about browsing through the sketches in a book, phones and laptops away, that makes it the best way to experience it.

Which sketches to include was a challenge. I'm really happy that I've selected sketches that will teach you a new thing or two about the world, make you think, inspire you and make you smile. In the process, I added a host of sketches for topics I'd always wanted to cover ranging from How to Win at Monopoly to the Basics of a Good Night's Sleep.