This is so crucial. I've been reading Oliver Sacks's books recently (the famous neurologist of the Awakenings fame) and feel really thankful that he took the effort to explain neurological conditions through case stories.

There is also an important role for the non-expert simplifier that can take ideas and concepts and turn them into even simpler communication pieces. It's the entry level communication that provides the basic building blocks for understanding more complex ideas. My choice of medium (cartoons) is a conscious choice in this kind of environment. It's a medium that forces you to simplify, think about the core ideas in as succinctly as you can. It's also a medium that has almost no prestige. But that is it's strength... it's not threatening. It's a shame that I don't see more people doing it!