diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 641deb8..458b1c3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,56 @@
-# react-component-tree [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/skidding/react-component-tree.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/skidding/react-component-tree) [![Coverage Status](https://coveralls.io/repos/skidding/react-component-tree/badge.svg?branch=master)](https://coveralls.io/r/skidding/react-component-tree?branch=master)
+# React ComponentTree [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/skidding/react-component-tree.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/skidding/react-component-tree) [![Coverage Status](https://coveralls.io/repos/skidding/react-component-tree/badge.svg?branch=master)](https://coveralls.io/r/skidding/react-component-tree?branch=master)
 
 Serialize and reproduce the state of an entire tree of React components.
+
+A few examples where this can be useful:
+- Using fixtures to load and test components in multiple supported states
+- Extracting the app state when an error occurs in the page and reproducing
+that exact state later on when debugging
+- "Pausing" the app state and resuming it later (nice for games)
+
+## ComponentTree.serialize
+
+Generate a snapshot with the props and state of a component combined, including
+the state of all nested child components.
+
+```js
+var ComponentTree = require('react-component-tree');
+
+myCompany.setProps({public: true});
+myCompany.setState({profitable: true});
+myCompany.refs.employee54.setState({bored: false});
+
+var snapshot = ComponentTree.serialize(myCompany);
+```
+
+The snapshot looks like this:
+```js
+{
+  public: true,
+  state: {
+    profitable: true,
+    children: {
+      employee54: {
+        bored: false
+      }
+    }
+  },
+}
+```
+
+## ComponentTree.render
+
+Render a component and reproduce a state snapshot by recursively injecting the
+nested state into the component tree it generates.
+
+```js
+var myOtherCompany = ComponentTree.render({
+  component: CompanyClass,
+  snapshot: snapshot,
+  container: document.getElementById('content')
+});
+
+console.log(myOtherCompany.props.public); // returns true
+console.log(myOtherCompany.state.profitable); // returns true
+console.log(myOtherCompany.refs.employee54.state.bored); // returns false
+```
diff --git a/entry.js b/entry.js
index afd1257..8242c0c 100644
--- a/entry.js
+++ b/entry.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 module.exports = {
   Mixin: require('./src/load-child-mixin.js'),
   Component: require('./src/load-child-component.js'),
-  serialize: require('./src/serialize.js').serialize
+  serialize: require('./src/serialize.js').serialize,
+  render: require('./src/render.js').render,
+  injectState: require('./src/render.js').injectState
 };
diff --git a/src/render.js b/src/render.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce57753
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/render.js
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+var _ = require('lodash'),
+    React = require('react');
+
+exports.render = function(options) {
+  /**
+   * Render a component and reproduce a state snapshot by recursively injecting
+   * the nested state into the component tree it generates.
+   *
+   * @param {Object} options
+   * @param {ReactClass} options.component
+   * @param {Object} options.snapshot
+   * @param {DOMElement} options.container
+   *
+   * @returns {ReactComponent} Reference to the rendered component
+   */
+  var props = _.omit(options.snapshot, 'state'),
+      state = options.snapshot.state;
+
+  var element = React.createElement(options.component, props),
+      component = React.render(element, options.container);
+
+  if (!_.isEmpty(state)) {
+    exports.injectState(component, state);
+  }
+
+  return component;
+};
+
+exports.injectState = function(component, state) {
+  var rootState = _.omit(state, 'children'),
+      childrenStates = state.children;
+
+  component.setState(rootState);
+
+  if (_.isEmpty(childrenStates)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  _.each(component.refs, function(child, ref) {
+    if (!_.isEmpty(childrenStates[ref])) {
+      exports.injectState(child, childrenStates[ref]);
+    }
+  });
+};
diff --git a/src/serialize.js b/src/serialize.js
index 71c12dd..7462703 100644
--- a/src/serialize.js
+++ b/src/serialize.js
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ var _ = require('lodash');
 
 exports.serialize = function(component) {
   /**
-   * Generate a snapshot with the the props and state of a component combined,
+   * Generate a snapshot with the props and state of a component combined,
    * including the state of all nested child components.
+   *
+   * @param {ReactComponent} component Rendered React component instance
+   *
+   * @returns {Object} Snapshot with component props and nested state
    */
   var snapshot = _.clone(component.props),
       state = getComponentTreeState(component);
diff --git a/tests/render-inject-state.js b/tests/render-inject-state.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f624e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/render-inject-state.js
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+var React = require('react/addons'),
+    renderIntoDocument = React.addons.TestUtils.renderIntoDocument,
+    render = require('../src/render.js').render;
+
+describe('Render and inject state', function() {
+  var component;
+
+  class ChildComponent extends React.Component {
+    render() {
+      return React.DOM.span();
+    }
+  }
+
+  class ParentComponent extends React.Component {
+    render() {
+      return React.createElement(ChildComponent, {ref: 'child'});
+    }
+  }
+
+  class GrandparentComponent extends React.Component {
+    render() {
+      return React.createElement(ParentComponent, {ref: 'child'});
+    }
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    component = renderIntoDocument(React.createElement(GrandparentComponent));
+
+    sinon.spy(component, 'setState');
+    sinon.spy(component.refs.child, 'setState');
+    sinon.spy(component.refs.child.refs.child, 'setState');
+
+    sinon.stub(React, 'render').returns(component);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function() {
+    React.render.restore();
+  });
+
+  it('should set state on root component', function() {
+    render({
+      component: GrandparentComponent,
+      snapshot: {
+        state: {foo: 'bar'}
+      }
+    });
+
+    var stateSet = component.setState.lastCall.args[0];
+    expect(stateSet.foo).to.equal('bar');
+  });
+
+  it('should set state on child component', function() {
+    render({
+      component: GrandparentComponent,
+      snapshot: {
+        state: {
+          children: {
+            child: {foo: 'bar'}
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
+    var stateSet = component.refs.child.setState.lastCall.args[0];
+    expect(stateSet.foo).to.equal('bar');
+  });
+
+  it('should set state on grandchild component', function() {
+    render({
+      component: GrandparentComponent,
+      snapshot: {
+        state: {
+          children: {
+            child: {
+              children: {
+                child: {foo: 'bar'}
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
+    var stateSet = component.refs.child.refs.child.setState.lastCall.args[0];
+    expect(stateSet.foo).to.equal('bar');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/render.js b/tests/render.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60f2a7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/render.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+var React = require('react'),
+    render = require('../src/render.js').render;
+
+describe('Render', function() {
+  var domContainer;
+
+  class Component extends React.Component {
+    render() {
+      return React.DOM.span();
+    }
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    sinon.spy(React, 'createElement');
+    sinon.stub(React, 'render');
+
+    domContainer = document.createElement('div');
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function() {
+    React.createElement.restore();
+    React.render.restore();
+  });
+
+  it('should create element for component', function() {
+    render({
+      component: Component,
+      snapshot: {foo: 'bar'},
+      container: domContainer
+    });
+
+    var args = React.createElement.lastCall.args;
+    expect(args[0]).to.equal(Component);
+  });
+
+  it('should create element with props', function() {
+    render({
+      component: Component,
+      snapshot: {foo: 'bar'},
+      container: domContainer
+    });
+
+    var args = React.createElement.lastCall.args;
+    expect(args[1].foo).to.equal('bar');
+  });
+
+  it('should render created element', function() {
+    render({
+      component: Component,
+      snapshot: {foo: 'bar'},
+      container: domContainer
+    });
+
+    var args = React.render.lastCall.args;
+    expect(args[0]).to.equal(React.createElement.returnValues[0]);
+  });
+
+  it('should render in given container', function() {
+    render({
+      component: Component,
+      snapshot: {foo: 'bar'},
+      container: domContainer
+    });
+
+    var args = React.render.lastCall.args;
+    expect(args[1]).to.equal(domContainer);
+  });
+});