A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
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Book Reviews of A Short History of Nearly Everything
Book Review: Everything about everything and nothing
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Bryson takes us on a layman's journey through the great adventures, arguments, and in-fighting of the last 400 years of scientific discovery, learning, and development. He explains in a superficial way what is important in chemistry, physics, geology, biology, mathematics, and anthropology, but his real strength is telling us about the brilliant but bizarre characters who did the heavy lifting.
You wont learn anything here that they dont teach college freshmen about technology but you will meet completely wacky characters like Sir Isaac Newton. This 17th century genius was unimpressed with the state of mathematics, so he invented his own (the calculus) and then neglected to mention it to anyone else for 27 years. Then came Crick and Watson who discovered the helical pattern of DNA despite having not been biologists, in fact, Crick was an American prodigy best known for appearing on radio game shows as a youth. Bryson abounds with additional tales of the strange workings of Fahrenheit, Kelvin, Einstein, Planck, etc.
This book is great fun. I have read all of Bryson's other books on travel and language, many were best-selling, and this thing is near the top. I listened to the author's reading in the abridged audiocassette. One could almost see Bryson lighting up when he gets to the parts where we poor mortals have no clue. According to Bryson, no one knows why the earth's magnetic fields change every 600 million years (we are overdue for a reversal), or what really happened to the Neanderthals, or if global warming will cause the next ice age (we are also overdue here).
Book Review: THE INCREDIBLY CONVOLUTED WORLD OF SCIENCE - MADE EASY!
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband had never read a book in his life. He - and I - wouldn't have believed he would read a book as lengthy as this one! He reads Popular Mechanics, Popular Science & car magazines. Occasionally an article in the National Geographic. So why did I buy him this heavy tome, albeit in paperback, for last Christmas?
(a) He's interested in all aspects of science. He's not a scientist; he's 70 years old and when he was at school there was no encouragement of scientific subjects. Because he's male, he was taught the rudiments of chemistry and physics at high school. After school he did the normal, "safe" thing, was apprenticed as a wood machinist in a joinery workshop. He went on to building kitchens, furniture, houses. Only since he retired has he had the leisure to read much.
(b) I read the book a couple of years ago. I've always been interested in the workings, and the other countries, of the world. I read Bill's "Notes From A Small Island", "A Walk In The Woods" and "A Sunburned Country" (because I'm Australian). As a writer myself I admire immensely Bill's easy flowing style, his humour, and his entertaining methods of sharing facts with his readers. Therefore I tried "A Short History - ".
I would not have believed ANYONE could get me interested in the internal construction of the atom. Bill did.
His book should be required reading for all school students over 14! And the next copy I buy goes to our grandson, the one at the top of his special science class.
It may be educational, but it's fun!
Book Review: A scientist's honest opinion of a book that gives great introduction to science
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always been a big fan of Bill Bryson, who writes excellent travelogues. When I heard that he came up with a science book that gives an overall introduction to all the major sciences out there, I really wanted to read it. my opinion, in short, Brilliant.
If you always wanted to know about how scientists discover things, what was the history behind many major discoveries. what are the things that they talk about in science columns and popular science writings...what are protons, what are proteins, atoms, volcanoes, fish, vertebrate, plate techtonics, how big the universe is, how are black holes formed and the list goes on... you've got to take this book and read it. not just once, but may be twice or more...because it is such an interesting read and it will make people truly understand the world around us in a fun and leisurely way!
It starts with "welcome, I am glad you are here" and then he says something like.."I know it wasnt easy" ...."to be here now, trillions of atoms have to come together in a precise fasion to make you" ...Bill Bryson just leads straight into science with these casual and profound statements. In fact, the book is filled with casual and profound statements that make you think how wonderful existence is and makes you admire all the beauty that surrounds us! you dont have to be a scientist to enjoy the beauty but it makes it even more beautiful knowing the science behind things...great book
I also highly recommend the audiobook version for people on the move.
Book Review: Classroom Recommendation
Summary: 5 Stars
A couple years ago, I read this book (twice) and was so fascinated by its subject matter that I began exploring other popular science books as well. I've always been a lover of literature, but this book marked a departure for me, igniting an interest in science that has developed into a passion. Last year, I added this title to a list of recommended nonfiction reading for the honors-level high school students I teach, and it has proven to be one of the most popular choices on the list. Bryson's Short History introduces students to the people, discoveries and facts that revolutionized human thinking about the natural world, and it manages to do so with humor and wonder.
Looking through a few of the negative reviews posted here, I saw criticism of the book on two different grounds. First, some criticized if for its tendency to focus on the frightening natural forces that threaten to destroy human life. But my students love this book for exactly this reason--it is exciting reading. Others criticized this book for its focus on the lives of scientists rather than on the particulars of scientific discovery. Again, the human focus here is what draws my students in. For both myself and for many of my students, this book opens doors into the sciences. No popular science book can serve the needs of every reader, but this one could not be more successful in its efforts to inform and motivate those of us who are not so easily engaged by more conventional science texts.
Book Review: The science bible for the layperson
Summary: 5 Stars
This book far exceeded any expectations that I had and I was a little disappointed by the time I reached the end. While science certainly fascinates me, I often get frustrated at my failure to grasp much beyond basic concepts given the complexity of the topic and the failure of most scientists to make such complex topics accessible. As a result, I'm usually intimidated by many science books because they go deep very quickly and assume a far greater depth of scientific knowledge than most people have --- my education was primarily in the humanities with a smattering of lower level science courses.
Bryson strikes the right balance of breadth and depth, explaining sophisiticated concepts in digestible fashion, while also providing relevant context. This context may not appeal to a scientist, but certainly is quite valuable to a lay reader. Bryson adeptly uses these contextual elements to perfection and brings fun and interesting historical information without detracting from the book's broader goal.
I'd certainly recommend this book the curious person who may be easily intimidated by complex science. I've read Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" and mostly felt like I was going through the motions without a deep understanding of the subject matter. While Bryson's book certainly make me an expert, I was totally engaged and felt far smarter about a range of science concepts than before I picked up this book.