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.
Rating:
Summary: A Short History of Nearly Everything
Review: We bought the AUDIO CD for a lengthy drive/vacation.... we listened to it all... 3 times! It was worth every penny! What else do you have, BILL?
Rating:
Summary: Best introduction to science I've ever read
Review: Ok. First of all, I know that Bryson probably wrote a lot on things he didn't completely understand. So what? I confess I didn't understand some of what I was reading. No one can claim to have a thorough understanding of each and every realm of science - even physicists, biologists and geologists tend to stick to one little corner of their field, eventually having a solid grasp of their particular research focus, but having a less than perfect grasp of what everyone else is doing. My sister is a plant pathologist, who knows the ins-and-outs of soybean diseases, but could barely tell you how to grow daisies if her life depended on it. So really Bryson's lack of a perfect understanding of everything he covers not only doesn't matter, it's not really possible. What he does instead is make you interested in the various fields of science - from geology to physics, by writing a book that reads like a fiction novel. If I ever have kids I'd like them to read this book, because it has the potential to make them want to learn more, and that is no small feat. I say big congratulations to Bryson for this well-researched and expertly written book. I highly recommend it to everyone I come across, and deservedly so.
Rating:
Summary: A pleasurable romp through the cosmos
Review: Science and Mathematics majors out there: Your reviews of this book are making you out as incredibly stupid and churlish. Surely, you could not have picked up a book with a title like this with the idea that you were going to encounter a detailed technical account of a new way to do triple integrals with multiple variables, replicate DNA using some newfound technique or plumb the depths of cosmological philosophy. The author states his intentions in the Introduction: To give the non-specialist an understandable overview of what scientists have discovered about our universe. This Bryson does in a most enjoyable fashion. I would recommend this book to anyone, even Science Ph.D.'s, who simply enjoy lucid, competent, witty writing about what we know. I simply don't understand why those who obviously don't enjoy such works bothered to buy, read, and review the book in such a sneering, unctuous manner. - I don't buy or review Harlequin romances, condemning them for not being on a par with Shakespeare.---Four stars. Even I would have liked just a little more technical detail to be thrown in.
Rating:
Summary: Boggling subjects approached with Bryson's signature wit
Review: I loved this book. It took me nearly four months to read it (I started it in the hospital after having my second baby), but it was worth the time it took. Although some of the stuff (like quantum physics) was still over my head, I feel that I now have a better general understanding. Bryson's writing style made it much more approachable and interesting. I've talked about this book with at least a dozen people by now, and that doesn't often happen with me.
Rating:
Summary: Im only 14, yep im 14, yah u read right
Review: Hi every one i dont wan tto give u may back round so, i loved this book i recomeded it many of my firends, they got confused due to the big words (god (i dont realy believe in religion or god) i hate kids) o well... but i don't see why u found the title misleading, i mean u u had to do was scan a few pages of read the table of contents (i kwn ono one does that). I know a few other books similar to this one but it taek a few of then to summrize waht Mr. Bryson said so well. i would give this book a 4 out of 5 because if u give a book 5 then people hate u..
|
