Rating: 
Summary: Did Bryson Really Have To Write This Book?
Review: As a biologist I have great problems with Bryson's book. He is certainly able to create interesting analogies that capture the reader's attention. As a matter of fact - the book is filled with them. In terms of content and perspective I find that the book is lacking. I actually have a hard time reading it without feeling nauseous.
How can Bryson take on the task of writing this kind of book? He is trying to encapsulate some of the great discoveries and perspectives within the rapidly growing field of science. I think that perspective is somewhat like a good wine. It takes time to build and to "see" the world with eyes enriched by the vision of science. Bryson took a few years off, read some books and talked to some eminent researchers. As a result we have some kind of "Reader's Digest" science book. Interestingly, people seem to love it. One reader even proposed to use this kind of book as a science text in our schools.
I love art history and the different works made by an amazing array of artists over the last five thousand years. Am I qualified to write a history of art? NO! I certainly could try to transfer my passion for the field, but my perspective would be hampered by a lack of training. I would need decades to ponder the different art forms, the artists and the religious and cultural changes occurring in the world. Would I do the world a favor by transferring my passion about art to the public? Definitely! Should my book be viewed as good introduction to the history of art? Absolutely not!
These kinds of books SHOULD be written by people active in the field. Of course, these scientists will need to have the gift to transform their perspectives into digestible paragraphs. A great example would be Carl Sagan that truly brought astronomy to the public mind. It takes many years to really start to "see" these fields and Bryson continuously sounds like a neophyte as he tramples through the different areas of science. I appreciate his genuine interest in learning about the world around him. The process of learning and discovering is a wonderful journey, but did he really need to publish this book?
Rating: 
Summary: He Really Does Cover Nearly Everything
Review: 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:
Summary: Lighten up, people.
Review: I give this book my highest rating because I really enjoyed reading it, and that's what I really value you in a book. There are some negative things about the book - some explanations can ramble and get a bit dry. But the book is densely packed with fun facts and history from the perspective of the layman and Bryson's writing style makes it fun to read while maybe learning some things as well. What I don't get are people that slam this book because it's poor science. It's Bill Bryson, not Stephen Hawking! This a common man who went on a quest for knowledge and is sharing what he learned. He doesn't claim to be writing a science textbook here. And I think he does a fair job acknowledging his weaknesses and portraying things in a tone that upholds his goal. However, readers should know that this is not the fun romp of 'A Walk in the Woods'. It's more dense and not as funny, but still funny.
Rating: 
Summary: Moderately Good Read
Review: I found the title of this work somewhat misleading. Perhaps it should have been called A History of the Natural Sciences or maybe even A Short History of Natural History. Nevertheless, science books often do not sell well so I am sure
the idea in titling the book A Short History of Nearly Everything was to attract more of a broad readership. The book itself isn't awful but certainly reads like a survey work. In other words, you won't learn complicated how-tos of scientific
methodology but you will get a good general idea of a lot of different topics. Some of the things discussed are the origin of the universe, the solar system, the arising of life, and of course man himself or homo sapiens. I found it slightly paradoxical that Bryson spends a good portion of the book building up this almost supernatural-like awe in the reader for the amazing position we find ourselves in of being alive and also of the magical wonder of the universe itself. It's enough to make even the most staunched atheist have reverence. In fact, I could see an atheist while reading the book saying that's God doing that! However, towards the end of the book Bryson seems to take the counter view that we are ultimately doomed to extinction and with continued acts of
stuipidity will be just another blip on the evolutionary scale. Despite this the book reads okay for the most part but is interspersed with relative periods of dryness. However, it's difficult to talk about things like algae and lichens and
keep everyone interested at all times. Nevertheless, a pretty good read recommended if you keep in mind that it's a survey book that will help you do well on trivial pursuit but is not going to give you the know-how to usurp the current model of the universe. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: A Short History of Nothing At All
Review: Amazing! A typical C-student's last-minute make-up paper!
Knowing nothing but pretending to know everything. I love you. The right sub-title must be one of the following: 1, For pre-school kids;
2, For high-school drop-out;
3, For those who know English only but absolutely nothing else I wish Amazon whould have negative rating!
Rating: 
Summary: Life, The Universe, And (nearly) Everything
Review: In this book, everyone's favorite mid-Atlantic travel writer has a go at popular science writing. Not only did he bone up on the current crop of general audience books, but he interviewed scientists in several fields. All this, he says, was because he was suddenly embarrassed one day to realize how little he knows about science. This, the finished product, is quite good. Bryson's not up there with pros like Timothy Ferris yet, but his talent, wit, and enthusiasm for his subject make this more than just a vanity project. The familiar stories of the progression of the various sciences are told afresh, inevitably abridged and telescoped as in all popular works, with Bryson tossing in wisecracks as required. His humor carries the reader along, and his sense of wonder is infectious.
Rating:
Summary: Making sense of Science
Review: This history of how we got to be where we are is well written and fairly easy to read. At times concepts are simplified too much but the footnotes usually do a fair job of flushing out difficult theories that are briefly brought up in the text.
Also helpful were the biographies of the scientists and researchers. it helped to paint a portrait of the times and where their ideas were coming from. it also stressed how difficult it truly is to be heard in the scienific comunity even if you have sufficent evidence for your theories.
This is a novel that must be read from start to finish to really make sense of it. The chapters do stand on their own somewhat, but they are not presented or labeled in a way that allows for the reader to know where to find a specific subject they are looking for. Also, there is a very strong conservationist/environmental activist feel to the writting that is supported but may turn off some readers and prevent them from reading this excellent work.
Rating:
Summary: Bryson's walk in the universe.
Review: 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 astounding 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, earthquakes, Einstein's theory of relativity, and what goes on inside cells and atoms. "The idea" in writing his SHORT HISTORY, 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 in documenting his long-distance hike through the challenging Appalachian Trails of cosmology, astronomy, paleontology, geology, chemistry, and physics with his distinctive wit, Bryson has written a book that is "unputdownable," to use a word coined by Oxford academic, Richard Dawkins (p. 331). Although he may have failed in his attempt to complete his long WALK IN THE WOODS, Bryson has triumphed in completing his even more daunting journey through the universe. G. Merritt
Rating:
Summary: A Travelogue to Science
Review: This book is a travelogue of scientific discoveries and the people responsible for them. It is not a science textbook; it's an exploration of how we know what we know about the vastness of the universe down to the infinitesimal atoms that everything is made of. Bryson's chatty style makes this a pleasure to read. He injects humor into what would otherwise be a dry recitation of facts. The personalities of the people involved, the odd and interesting factoids, and the exploration of various dead-end theories make the story come alive. Bryson is not a scientist, and this isn't intended to be a comprehensive, perfect guide to scientific knowledge. But if this book excites your interest and makes you want to know more about the details, it will have achieved its goal. Bryson includes a very thorough bibliography for those who want to delve into any particular subject. One of the major themes in the book is that life itself is rather improbable, and a host of calamities may await the human race. But the book overall does not have a depressing outlook. Bryson does a good job of conveying excitement about the marvels contained in the universe and the wonder that can be found in the search for basic truths.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Read!
Review: Bryson has accomplished for the lay reader what years of tedious and boring classroom study could not. A highly comprehensible insight into the intracacies of our universe and our place in the scheme of life. Bryson is at once witty and engaging in his quest for knowledge and his book reads like a detective novel, replete with the giants as well as the charlatans of the historic scientific community. A thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening read, and highly recommended for those of us interested in the natural sciences but victimized by high school and college texts.
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