Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully readable and entertaining
Review: This is a great, understandable survey of the history of the greatest scientific discoveries. You will enjoy this immensely. When Bryson gets to modern physics, however, I begin to think that super string theories, alternate dimensions, etc., are all baloney. If science is relying on evidence and not opinion, I will need to see the evidence before I believe that there are alternate universes co-existing with this one. I will not accept that on faith alone.
Rating:
Summary: Science made enjoyable
Review: This very interesting book has a split personality. It helps those without a scientific background gain an appreciation of scientific theory and facts, but also help the reader gain an appreciation of the various personalities of the scientist involved with these varied areas of study. The subject matter is presented in a way that even those that struggled in high school science can gain a great deal by its reading. At nearly 500 pages, there is something here that will interest nearly everyone.The wide range of the scientific topics that Bryson embraces is astounding. The smallest living entities and far away galaxies are included in this work. The beauty of his prose makes even the onslaught of scientific numbers digestible and entertaining. Perhaps his thoroughness is an offshoot of the travel guides he has written. He ambles through the speculations about the earth's past and scientific prognostications on its future. For the faint of heart, skip the sections about asteroids striking the earth or the coming ice ages. It is in the descriptions of the scientist that this book really shines. The idiosyncrasies of the people are at times wondrous and amusing. The profiles of the well known and unknown are here and are equally fascinating. I heard Bryson recount on CSPAN the interesting story of a French Astronomer attempting to track the transit of Venus and decided to get the book. There were many more stories of vanity, determined pursuit, treachery of co-workers, stubborn maintainers of the status quo and profound achievement here. It was almost as if the people who created the VH-1 Behind the Music series decided to focus on scientists instead of musicians (except there were no gratuitous drug use or groupies). I found it fascinating to do an image search on google to see the faces of some of the scientists mentioned in the book like Fritz Zwicky and James Watson.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This is probably the best book on science I have ever read (and trust me, I've read many). Absolutely exceptional! Bryson has an incredible talent to explain the inexplicable and make public the obscure. Fantastic book, worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: The best book ever
Review: The other reviewers have pretty much said it all. I just wish there were books like this when I was a young kid (or even when I was in college). Bryson is an amazing writer. He touches on all of the major areas of science and science history, but the star of this book is not the subject matter, it's the manner in which the story is told. Impossible to put down, this book will grip you and hold you from start to finish. I stopped reading it 50 pages from the end because I did not want it to end (that abstinence lasted all of two days). I've read some excellent books in my 39 years, but this is, without question, the best book of any type that I've ever read. Absolutely phenomenal.
Rating:
Summary: VERY readable
Review: The problem with most books of this sort is their dryness. Ever try to get through a Stephen Hawking book? Then you know what I mean. Bryson is witty and engaging and links together discoveries over the ages that have led us to where we are today. Great reading and very illuminating - makes me want to learn more! This one is a keeper. I usually read and relist and sell here, but this one I'm keeping for future reference!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I am a high school science teacher and have been using this book to give our students an overview of many areas of science. They love it. And it really gives them a good background for more in depth reading. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A fresh look at science
Review: As the other reviews state, this book is an excellent and comprehensive work on virtually all aspects of science. The book also gives interesting anecdotes of the history of how science came to be -- the people, the rivalries, the mistakes, etc. The book is written in Bryson's typical witty and entertaining style. One last thing to note: the book has a spectacular bibliography listing all of the sources Bryson used for research. This bibliography can be used to find further, more in-depth works to look into topics of personal interest. The bibliography alone is worth the cost of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Highly entertaining and informative, this is a quick read!
Review: Okay, so maybe it is not a history of 'everything,' but it certainly gives you an informative and amusing rundown on the likes of astronomy, chemistry, physics, mathematics, evolution, biology and a few other areas of science that usually go unexplored by the layman. In fact, a much more fitting title for the book would have been 'a short rundown on modern science' because the book is really an attempt to make all of those subjects you hated in high school seem fun and cool. As usual, Bryson pulls it off! I am a big Bryson fan, but this is mainly because my loves are language, traveling and contemporary society, Bryson's main topics in every book. (Bryson always gives you that feeling that he's the kind of guy you would like to meet up with for conversation at a coffee house and chat for hours about anything.) Alas, when I saw that he was going off in another direction, I admit that I was a bit concerned about whether I would enjoy this foray into science or history, or whatever the book was supposed to be about, and I was definitely not left disappointed. I must admit that some sections were more interesting than others, but I think that this is natural in a book that covers so many topics. Some will obviously find the sections on the evolution of man or the size of the universe more fascinating than passages about subatomic particles, while for others it will be just the opposite, since we all have different levels of tolerance for and interest in different subjects. But they couldn't be discussed in a more enjoyable fashion.
Rating:
Summary: The biggest fault of this book is that it eventually ends..
Review: A witty, erudite and totally fascinating romp through science and the (sometimes) eccentric personalities of the scientists and thinkers whose breakthroughs and/or missteps provided the foundation of most scientific thought today. This is a book that I absolutely could not put down and I was sorry to see it end. Bryson has the most wonderful talent to educate and entertain simultaneously.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, humbling and scary
Review: A Short History of Nearly Everything starts out as though it is going to be a (relative) primer in all matters of science, from physics to geology and biology. The book performs this function admirably, with enough humor to get a layperson like myself over the scientific details without being too bogged down in minutia. This science survey is not, however, what I feel is the book's strongest suit. One of the most valuable lessons this book teaches is the extreme insignificance of human beings in the context of this planet. Since I completed this book, I can't listen to some sportscaster talk about "basketball history" without laughing at the conceit. Having established the history of the planet and our small part at the end of it, Bryson goes on to show the many ways humans are destroying the only habitat likely to support human life. As a result, I am left thinking about lead poisoning, the destruction of species and the ozone, volcanic eruptions in Yellowstone Park, global warming, meteors, and statistical improbability. Bryson's message is ultimately that it is incredibly unlikely that any of us are here at all and we need to preserve our planet if we want our luck to continue. To me, that is a message worth shouting. This book is both entertaining and thought provoking and, if read with an open mind,will change your focus on this planet on human beings' place in it.
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