The Order of Things cover

The Order of Things

by Barbara Ann Kipfer

The Order of Things is the first reference book to capture the human mind's perceptions of the order of its surroundings. Organization - the most basic component of civilization, nature, and the universe - is displayed brilliantly in this romp through the world of reference categories. Almost everything you can think of that represents an underlying order - whether natural or man-made - is included in this book's more than 400 lists, hierarchies, and illustrations. Whether you want to know which are the world's longest rivers, highest mountains, or largest cities; or would like to find a list of the recycling codes on plastic containers, of the popular names of animal groups, the birthstones for each month of the year, or the dynasties of ancient Egypt and China, The Order of Things is the one reference book to consult.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?