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Title: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson ISBN: 0-7679-0817-1 Publisher: Broadway Pub. Date: 06 May, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.49 (211 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: He Really Does Cover Nearly Everything
Comment: Bill Bryson is one of those rare non-fiction writers who can combine anecdote, humor and actual information, all in one book. Here he covers the history of the earth, starting with the big bang and covering all sorts of ground since then, including why you should be really afraid of meteors (by the time we spot the big one it'll be too late) and why you should think twice about that next visit to Yellowstone (the big one is about due).
As with most of his books it's clear he's done a lot of research, and the book is larded with the kind of stories about Famous Scientists that you've probably never heard...but also full of the sort of survey scientific information that will leave you thinking you've learned something really interesting.
Definitely worth picking up.
Who will like it: lovers of pop science, lovers of Bill Bryson, people willing to read a thick book from start to finish.
Who won't like it: people bored by pop science or any science at all.
Rating: 5
Summary: History for the Layman
Comment: This is history for the layman. I myself wouldn't have used the title "Nearly Everything", rather, "of the World" or "of Nearly every Science". Bryson deals mostly with scientific history pertaining to the universe. From the beginning of the universe to stars, planets, matter such as atoms, quarks, our earth, chemicals, geology, astronomy, human evolution, dinosaurs, scientific principles from einstein to newton to darwin, and much more. He covers many bumbling and brilliant scientists along the way, giving special attention to those whose work happened to have the misfortune of not being discovered, laughed at and later proven correct, or their discoveries being credited to others. Unlike any other history book however, Bryson does it with his own unique and interesting style. He presents it all in an easy to digest, though sometimes superficial manner that makes it a very enjoyable read. For those who happen to be looking for more depth, this is still a great read as it presents many many topics and notable names to choose from as a starting point to begin your journeys deeper into the study of the history of our universe. As one who especially appreciates Bryson's sense of humor, I find this book a bit lacking in such, however Bryson does have some good quips interspersed to keep things light. All in all, another fine book from a fine author. P.S., doesn't Bryson know that Elvis isn't dead?, there's a teaser for you.
Rating: 5
Summary: Bryson's walk in the universe.
Comment: A SHORTH HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING is a book "about how it happened--in particular how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since" (p. 4). In writing his daunting book about everything scientific under the sun, Bill Bryson (A WALK IN THE WOODS) devoted three years of his life to reading books and journals, and asking "saintly, patient experts" a lot of "outstandingly dumb questions" (p. 6) about such subjects as the Big Bang, the age and size of the Earth, evolution, what goes on inside cells and atoms, earthquakes, and Einstein's theory of relativity. "The idea" in writing A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING, Bryson explains, "was to see if it isn't possible to understand and appreciate--marvel at, enjoy even--the wonder and accomplishments of science at a level that isn't too technical or demanding, but isn't entirely superficial either" (p. 6). Not only does he succeed, but Bryson's book, which documents his long-distance hike through the challenging Appalachian Trails of cosmology, astronomy, paleontology, geology, chemistry, and physics, written using Bryson's distinctive wit, is "unputdownable," to use a word coined by Oxford academic, Richard Dawkins (p. 331).
G. Merritt
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Title: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown ISBN: 0385504209 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 18 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words by Bill Bryson ISBN: 0767910427 Publisher: Broadway Pub. Date: 13 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Benjamin Franklin : An American Life by Walter Isaacson ISBN: 0684807610 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Life of Pi by Yann Martel ISBN: 0156027321 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Schott's Original Miscellany by Ben Schott ISBN: 1582343497 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Pub. Date: 04 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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