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Summary: Bryson Explains It All For You And Isn't That Fabulous?
Review: I have to admit I ordered the CD blindly--not quite sure what Bill Byrson was going to get up to, and I was pleasantly surprised that the history of science was the agenda. I enjoy science history books and the light-hearted travelogues of Bill's, so this was perfect for me. Bill's other books have a more rambling tone to them and I was very impressed with his logical organization of this vast material. Entertaining and informative as well as an inspiration for further reading (and listening)--thanks, Bill!
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Summary: Bill Bryson: The anti-Hawking............
Review: I've enjoyed every travel book by Bill Bryson so it was an easy decision to snap up A Short History of Nearly Everything and read it soon after it was released. It was also a good decision. Missing, is Bryson's singular wit and comic delivery which makes his travel books so grand. However, I suspect that comedic timing is more of a challenge when one endeavors to explain the universe from the Big Bang to the demise of the Dodo. Be that as it may, Bryson successfully charts in layman's terms the creation of the universe and it's various stages up to and including today. Indeed, with only 480 pages, Bryson does a commendable job of squeezing it all in. And, though his acerbic, sometimes devastating powers of observation found in previous books are absent, he still manages to offer the information in a humorous way.Presenting the scientists and their theories for the perusal of us who, unfortunately, have taken much of it for granted, Bryson shows that there remains much conjecture, ignorance, and complete bafflement surrounding who we are, why we are, and how we got here. As the vast majority of us subconsciously consume much theory as fact, it is illuminating to be reminded occasionally that the human race continues to be a long way from the ultimate answers it strives so valiantly to attain.
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Summary: A fun, accessible science book "for the rest of us"
Review: Bill Bryson wrote this book because he didn't think science should be boring. And in this book, it isn't. There are colorful characters and lots of important material explained in a clear and lighthearted fashion. As always, Bryson writes some of the best prose in the English language and he's always looking to highlight the strange, the bizarre, and the humorous. He's succeeded in writing a science book for "the rest of us" who were previously intimidated by science. With Bryson as guide, we needn't be intimidated any longer. If you have any interest in science, you'll love this book.
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Summary: The Best Book Ever
Review: This book was so amazing. It explains everything so that even a dumb person can kind of understand it (even though no one can really comprehend the universe). After about every 10 pages, I had to stop and think about what the author said because it is so amazing and dumbfounding. This book lets you explore the universe and gives you an understanding of so much that you probably never knew before. If you're not ready to be completely flummoxed through-out the whole book I don't recommend it. But if you are, get ready for the experience of a lifetime.
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Summary: A Short History of Nearly Everything
Review: I read aproximately 100 books a year. This is just about the best book I have ever read. I did not breeze through it as I do most books, but I enjoyed every page. For someone in her 60's who had little science exposure in school, this makes so much "sense" of the universe we live in. What a monumental task Bryson took on and how delightfully he presents present-day knowledge in the various fields of science. Thank you, Mr. Bryson! I have given this book to two 14-yr.-old grandchildren and hope they like it as much as I do.
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Summary: Travelogue for curious would-be scientists...
Review: With a background in the applied sciences, I was happy to lay my hands on Mr. Bryson's fantastic book, by chance... Though, as he might happily tell you, this was no accidental encounter, but one which was a mathematical certainty. I found this book eminently readable - at once entertaining and informative. His descriptions of famous, and not-so-famous scientists, were interesting in of itself. I found the structure of the book amazing, and was always pleasantly surprised at how easily the author transitioned from one chapter right into the next, with a hand-off/introduction in the preceding chapter, and a breezy welcoming to the next. What I found not so comforting, are the many descriptions of how tenuous our lives really are... While there are an infinite number of horrible surprises, most humans are blissfully unaware, Mr. Bryson never lets us forget how miraculous life is, and how incalculable the probability of any one of us. Buy the book, it's fascinating and a good way to observe life from a new set of perspectives...
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Summary: Very accessible
Review: For the layperson who really wanted to know more about everyday science, then this is the book for you. Bryson has a great voice, so listening to him for over 6 hours is no hardship. His work is done with in an educated, and yet unpompous, manner. It was very refreshing for someone to speak about such things as global warming without sounding like a hellfire & brimstone preacher like most environmental extremists. Even if you prefer to stick with travelogues, you should not be disapponited with this tape.
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Summary: Bryson's Scientific Journey
Review: You've gotta hand it to Bill Bryson. Instead of cashing in on his status as the most popular travel writer in the business by merely cranking out one formulaic book a year as he easily could do, he decided to take on a monumental challenge outside of his area of expertise. Though "A Short History of Nearly Everything" does contain some of Bryson's standard lighthearted interviews, the bulk of his book about the world of science comes from what must have been exhausting and occasionally tedious research. The good news is that for the most part he succeeds in his attempt to make science writing palatable for the general reading public. Though Bryson has always been a master at combining the humorous with the serious, this book finds him mostly treading in the latter territory. He comes up with just enough amusing anecdotes to liven up the subject matter, but there are few laugh out loud funny moments as in Bryson classics like "A Walk in the Woods" or "In a Sunburned Country." The trick he does manage to pull is making such topics as geology, biology, astronomy, meteorology and other scientific fields (for the most part) lively and interesting. With each topic, Bryson gives an overall historical overview of how the various theories and research have evolved, giving nods to famous eccentrics like Sir Issac Newton and Charles Darwin and explaining why what they accomplished is so incredible (and valuable). He also gives numerous lesser-known scientific geniuses their proper due. It must be said, however, that at nearly 500 pages of narrative this is not an easy read. Some subjects even Bryson's magical pen just cannot breath much life into. Nevertheless, it is still a fascinating journey. Overall, a challenging triumph from one of the best non-fiction authors working today.
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Summary: Important, enlightening and entertaining
Review: It is rare that a non-fiction work, particularly one of science, captures the public imagination. It cetainly deserves all the kudos sent its way. It is reminscent of Dennis Overbye's "Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos" (which the author quotes frequently) in its storytelling power and its ability to gather science and scientist under one roof. Cosmos focuses on cosmology whereas "A Short History" deals with, well, everything. It is not on the same plane as Daniel Boorstin's "The Discoveres" but then each author had a different agenda. The book succeeds on three levels. Organization of material is truly brilliant. Leaping from such diverse subjects as techtonic plates to stars to quarks to evolution is difficult and can bog down into a boring recitation of facts. This is prevented by the introduction of the second outstanding feature: Biographies and histories. We read about the famous, the infamous and the not-so-famous. We learn the history behind a current theory and excellent, layman-level explanations. The third feature is a rare one in a non-fiction work - humor. The language is quirky, almost idiomatic. It is always immensely simulating and pleasurable. The sheer mass of facts could fill a college lecture series for ten semesters. There is an audacity in the challenge the author undertakes that one can only admire. It is difficult to find a single fault with the book with the possible exception of a lack of drawings or pictures. Still, the descriptions are so rich and imaginative that perhaps a picture would be redundant. A troubling thought occurred while reading that most Americans would not grasp 1/100 of the ideas discussed in this work nor would they care to try and learn. Therefore, we can only hope that Bryson continues the task of both educating and entertaining us.
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Summary: Perhaps the Best Armchair Scientist Book I've Ever Read
Review: I picked this one up expecting "good". Instead, I got one of the most delightful reading experiences in science that I have ever had. What a wonderful surprise. Bryson tries to do what most school textbooks never manage to do, explain the context of science in a way that is relevant to the average person. At the beginning of the book, he recalls an event from his childhood when he looked at a school text and saw a cross-section of our planet. He was transfixed by it, but noticed that the book just dryly presented the facts ("This is the core." "This part is molten rock." "This is the crust.", etc.), but never really explained HOW science came to know this particular set of facts. That, he quite correctly points out, is the most interesting part. And that is story he sets out to tell in this book. Bryson obviously spent a great deal of time and effort developing and checking his facts and presentation. He obviously enjoyed every minute of it too, and it shows. Never have I read a book where the author conveyed such joyful awe of what we have learned as a species (with the possible exception of some of Richard Feynman's books). My benchmark for this kind of book is usually; How well does it explain modern physics? There are few books out there that manage to explain relativity, quantum mechanics and string theory in a way that doesn't make your eyes glaze over. The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav is the best of the lot in my opinion. While this book did not change my opinion, Bryson's explanations of these mind-bending theories are not only lucid and sensible, they are also full of his telltale tongue-in-cheek side comments and therefore are just plain fun to read. However, Bryson goes way beyond Zukav, focusing not only on physics, but on the full panoply of scientific disciplines. He also focuses more on the discoverers themselves, and the process of discovery. One of the things I like about this book is that Bryson again and again makes sure credit is given where credit it due. For many discoveries, he tells us the "official" story, but also tells us the often untold story of the small-time scientist who got the idea first but, for whatever reason, never got credit. This happens a great deal in science, and Bryson appears to be on a quest to set the record straight when he can. The result is not only charming storytelling, it's got a certain justice that just feels good. I didn't have huge expectations for this book, but I am delighted to report that it is one of the best of its kind. Hurrah to Bryson for writing it, and hurrah to me for stumbling on it.
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