Rating: 
Summary: The Best Entertaining Book of Science
Review: This book lets you explore the universe and gives you an understanding of so much that you probably never knew before. It explains everything so clearly that even as dumb person as me can kind of understand it. This is just about the best non-fiction book I have ever read, and Bill Bryson is one of the best authors working in the field today. I found this book eminently readable - at once entertaining and informative. It is fascinating and a good way to observe life from a new set of perspectives. I'm sure, Bill Bryson wrote this book because he didn't think science should be boring. And in this book, it isn't. It is quite enough humorous. Enjoy the book.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, Interesting, Informative!
Review: I simply don't understand some of the reviewers here. Yes, Bryson may have included a few errors as part of his elaboration on the sciences. So what? What person bases the whole of their scientific knowledge on just this one book, particularly as it's authored by a complete layman to the field? Yeesh. This should be considered some kind of introductory reading to the countless folks who just want an idea of the who, why, where, when and what of the sciences and some enjoyment while they find it all out!The book is so well written that I simply could not wait for 11:00pm (to midnight, my nightly reading hour) to roll around everyday. I finished this nearly 500-page work in nine days-- a considerable pace for a slow-reader as myself-- enjoying myself every paragraph of the way. Bryson comes off as so genuinely interested in the topics that his innocent curiosity and retelling is relatable to all of us. This is not Stephen Hawking's (who is great of course) other-worldly intellect attempting to come down to our level of thinking. This guy is one of us and he wants answers to the same questions we have. And boy, do we get them! The book is packed with information, all told in a wonderful manner that is continually entertaining and to those of us scientifically challenged lay people, quite astounding. Bryson alerts the reader of the many thoroughly amazing discoveries, ideas and concepts that the sciences have delivered to boggle the mind and certainly aid in appreciating this wonderful world of ours, its incredible life and our universe at large. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Perpetuates a myth, but read it anyway!
Review: This is a wonderful book. Readable, *current*, interesting in a really inspiring way, and I love the fact that it is indexed, and includes references and a bibliography. A very nice piece of work in that if it should happen to spark one's interest in this or that, one could actually find something else to read on the topic. Unfortunately, the book does perpetuate a myth. Mind you, this is not fatal! The myth is the cathedral window example to explain the fluidity of glass, and comprises a tiny paragraph on page 217. Tiny. To paraphrase lamely, the myth runs more or less thus: "Gravity pulls on glass, and the evidence of this, is that the glass panes in the windows of European cathedrals is thicker at the bottoms than at the tops." This tale is pretty irresistible, because it would be sooo cool if it were true. That is, it could very well be true -- but if so, the effect has not been proven to be measurable.
In fact, glass objects far more ancient than medieval cathedral windows -- for example, vases dating from antiquity, etc. -- do not show any kind of malformation that can be attributed to the earth's gravitational pull on the material, even though many extant specimens lay stationary for thousands of years before being recovered and moved. It has been said that the surfaces on which medieval window-glass was poured out were not level, and that the panes were cut in such a way as to leave the thicker bits at the bottom for stability. Haven't found much documentation on that detail yet, so maybe it's nonsense; but the cathedral window example itself has been pretty thoroughly written off as a non-example by reputable scientists.
The book is wonderful. Mr. Bryson even made it suspenseful. I do hope I'm not the zillionth 'know-it-all' jerk to have pointed out the cathedral window-thing. I do know I've made a big deal out of it. But I've done so out of respect for Mr. Bryson, on account of his own comment, in the atomic chemistry or particle physics section, that textbook explanations of the energy levels occupied by electrons are entirely false and misleading. He appears to care about this sort of thing. In the next edition of *Short History* -- and I seriously hope Mr. Bryson will consider updating the work from time to time -- the bit about the windows could easily be left out. I do hope there will be a new edition if the knowledge advances interestingly enough to warrant such.
Rating: 
Summary: Nearly everything is missing
Review: When I picked up this book, I thought the "everything" in "nearly everything" was everything. In the introduction, the author makes it seem that way too. He fails to mention (anywhere in the book) that his perception of "everything" is just the natural sciences. It is a fun, engaging, acceptably thorough survey of the way mankind first discovered and now views the natural sciences, and for that, it is worth notice. But to say that it is a take on everything is not only wrong, but arrogant and blind. The biggest part of "everything" is man's culture and it is not even regarded except in the findings of science. And even then, it is severely deficient. When it looks at Relativity or Evolution, for example, it passes up the opportunity for really exploring the theories so that the author can spend more time on the scientist's lives and events surrounding the actual science. I guess that's why it's a history, but getting just a taste is painful for those seeking more than just cocktail party anecdotes. The book doesn't even touch on all the sciences--most notably lacking a survey of psychology. Neuroscience is perhaps at the forefront of "everything" and it isn't even hinted at here. Instead, Bryson broadcasts, in the officious, repetitive and sarcastic way so many outside of science do, that man and his culture are insignificant, lucky and dangerous. Amnesia strikes the author several times as he asserts how innovative and creative we have been by examining a few of the great natural philosophers and then abruptly claims how harmful and puny we are. He will claim how vast the earth is and how easily it (or an asteroid) could destroy the insignificant mankind and then notes how we are destroying the earth and are a likely candidate for the most destructive thing in the universe. Bryson sees man's product as shameful and the rest of the universe as brilliant and awesome. The truth of the latter should not necessitate the former. But what else can one expect from someone who thinks "everything" is physical and happens without man's interference? For a good survey of the thought behind science, read "The Dream of Reason" by Anthony Gottlieb. For a great survey of the greatest cultural era in history, read "From Dawn to Decadence" by Jacques Barzun. For insight into the relationship between man, nature and the metaphysical, read "Justice and Equality" by E. Robert Morse.
Rating: 
Summary: Good writer; questionable project
Review: Bill Bryson clearly is a good writer, and his style more than makes up for his lack of expertise in the subject. However, I'm afraid his apparent aim -- to write an accessible account of all of the most important discoveries in the earth and life sciences, clearly cannot be fulfilled in a single book. Bryson seems to rush through just about everything, which is probably the only way he could have written this book without making it 20 volumes.
Rating:
Summary: Where is the glue ?
Review: This book contains many very intresting topics related to the history of science, and (depending on the reader's back-ground) will make you discover many new facts, or at least refresh your memory from school. But it was not able to keep my level of attention at the maximum level all the time, because: 1) The author sometimes burries the reader into too many names and dates, just summarizing references without always making a point in the story of the chapter 2) The author sometimes assumes the reader is really stupid - by trying to put the scale of things in a difference perpsective, for the zillionst time. 3) The auhtor makes mistakes. I'm not a specialist, but got at least 2 mistakes out of the book. Reading other reviews, I can only assume there are many more. 4) Most important, I sometimes missed the glue in this book. What is the book actually about ? Why does he cover some subjects, but not talk about very related subjects ? Why does he cover tons of history during the 18th-20th century, but forget about the rest of our scientific history ? As a result, the book is not really a "story" and not really a "reference book" either. It's somewhere in nomansland in between. I still give the book 3 stars because I was able to finish it (...) and because I will remember many facts as a result of the easy-reading language used in the book.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting Knowledge
Review: This truly enchanging book covers everything from the expanding universe to the smallest building blocks of matter. Scientists are not only noted for their accomplishments, but personalized. Bryson explains the most complex notions in a manner at the same time consise, memorable, understandable, intriguing and amusing. It will be THE science textbook in my household.
Rating:
Summary: simply excellent
Review: Think about everything that must have happened since the dawn of the creation of the universe in order for life to exist and for humans to have come into being. Now, how much do you actually know about what went on? From the Big Bang to the creation of our planet to human life, there are many things that had to happen in order for it to all come out the way that it did. Bill Bryson started out with the understanding that he knew very little about this planet and how everything works. Since Bryson could barely read the science textbooks from his youth (they were that boring), he decided to go to the experts in various fields of study to find out what they knew about the universe and our planet and just as importantly, how they know what they know. The result is this book. Bill Bryson takes us on a journey starting with the origins of the universe and what science knows about it and how scientists have come to this knowledge. Bryson tells us about what we need to know to understand the larger concepts in this book but does not go into such minute detail that we are overwhelmed. Bryson combines a smooth, easy writing style with wit and humor and presents us with the story of our planet. Bryson takes us from the dawn of the Big Bang through primordial life on Earth through the evolution of the species right up into the beginnings of human civilization. The story is well told with scientific information but also with the stories of the scientists themselves and the circumstances of their lives and how they came to discover the previously hidden secrets of our planet. While the paragraphs on the scientists may seem like digression, I found it to be vital to the book because this reveals how and why scientists believe what they do and what theories have been discarded and what sort of struggle there was for a particular theory to be accepted. "A Short History of Nearly Everything" is a fairly long book and comes in at approximately 500 pages in hardcover format. It is packed with a lot of information, though in a highly readable form. The book is an investment in time, but I think that it is a time investment well worth making (despite the fact that by the end of the book I had a difficult time remembering things from the beginning of it). Excellent book. Highly recommended.
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.
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