Rating: 
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: There are already 110 reviews written about this book. I don't want to rehash the premise of the book or tell you specifics of what you'll find within the chapters. Reviewers have already done that. However, having just finished this book and being blown away at how incredible scientists are and how complex the history of our world truly is, I felt that I must share my two cents. I cannot recommend this book enough. I come away with a new appreciation for my high school biology and chemistry teachers, two subjects I absolutely despised at the time. Thanks to Bryson, I can revisit these subjects among others as an adult and see them in a truly different light. Thank you for your three years of hard and diligent work, Mr. Bryson.
Rating:
Summary: A true gem
Review: About half way through the book I starting trying to think of people to whom I would reccomend it. I realized that pretty much everybody I know would enjoy this book. Anyone familiar with Bryson knows that he tends to wander off topic from time to time, but his writing is so fun and easy that if you happen to even notice that he's wandered, you won't care. I can't think of another time when I've been so dissapointed to see that I'd turned to the last page b/c I wanted more.
Rating:
Summary: A+
Review: Bill Bryson is a travel writer par excellence. He's transported us to such widely separated locales as Britain, Australia, Africa, and the Appalachian Mountains. And his laid back, humorous style is always a pleasure to read. In A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING, Bill expands his horizons to ... well, nearly everything, from the Universe to the atoms that make it up. In between, he chats about the potential for catastrophic volcanic eruptions and meteor strikes, Einstein's theories, cellular biology, the evolution of life on Earth and Man in particular, the Periodic Table of the Elements, glaciation, quantum mechanics, the currents and depths of the world's oceans, continental drift, subatomic particles, the Big Bang Theory, the Earth's layers and core, the development of Chemistry and Geology, the fossil record, the atmosphere, mass extinctions, DNA, and so much more. In the Introduction, Bryson admits that he didn't know much about the planet he lives on. So, he spent three years researching and interviewing so he could tell us all about it. What has resulted is a thoroughly enjoyable work of popular science that provides food for thought and imagination. And the stuff that party trivia questions are made of. Did you know that perhaps 10% of a 6-year old pillow's weight is made up of "sloughed skin, living mites, dead mites, and mite dung"? Or that there are six feet of DNA squeezed into every cell of your body - about twenty million kilometers worth? Or that the Human Genome Project suggests that there are about 35,000 to 40,000 human genes - roughly the same number found in grass? Or that the element Francium is so rare that there may only be twenty atoms of it on the entire Earth at any one time? Or that Madame Curie's notebooks are still so radioactive that they're stored in a lead box? What I find amazing is that the author managed to learn so much about a whole lot in so short a time. I mean, he includes thirty-eight pages of Notes and a ten-page Bibliography. I'm reminded of the high school term papers I struggled through, albeit less grandiose in scope and accomplishment. Bill, you get an A+ on this one. Go to the head of the class.
Rating:
Summary: Unputdownable
Review: Who would have thought that a book on physics and chemistry (among much else) which was such drudgery at school would be so unputdownable!! Went into it thinking it would be an interesting read but ended up having my life revolve around it for two days...even taking it to the beach. Not just fascinating but quite inspiring to think how lucky we are as humans to be here at all. And really admired the level of research and objective presentation of competing theories, as well as the insight into the interesting (to put it mildly) characters in science. Even if you're not science minded you'd be hard pressed not to enjoy it. Thanks Bill Bryson for a smashing book!
Rating:
Summary: Are we the Alpha, or the Omerga?
Review: A stream of consciousness look at the factual events of which we know, as well as a longing for the facts we can never know, Bryson weaves a sing-song look at some our most complex history, biology, and science. He radiates an expertise that adds comfort and believability; yet he admits and illustrates the fallacy our intermittent knowledge and incomplete histories. There is wonderment and curiosity throughout. Worth easy listening, and serious contemplation.
Rating: 
Summary: Minor flaws, but very readable and really fills a need
Review: I love the idea of a survey of the latest developments in science from a layman's viewpoint. Bryson has really put the time in to make this volume informative, and more than readable, fascinating. While this book is not really written in the humorous vein of Bryson's other work, it stands on its own very well. I enjoyed the trivia about many of the eccentric personalities of science, along with all the quirky coincidences and processes that have led to some of our most important discoveries. This is a book to be read again and again. Once it comes out in paperback, it'll even be a good beach read! It does trouble me that at least one urban legend surfaces here as fact: the myth of the "flowing" glass windows, which has been thoroughly debunked on several science websites. Somehow this one escaped Bryson's three years of research as well as the editorial process, which makes me wonder how much else in the volume may be more myth than fact (the environmental claims that many scientists dismiss?). However, Bryson's thorough and extensive notations and bibliography, not to mention his frequent comparisons of historical accounts, really show that in general the man has done his homework. Ever since Isaac Asimov's lamentable passing I've been hoping for someone to take up the torch of writing about science in a way that's readable and entertaining for non-scientists. Looks like Bryson is one candidate for the job! (I do know there are several well-regarded science writers out there - just haven't read 'em yet - so no disrespect meant towards Penrose, Winchester, et al.!)
Rating:
Summary: Not Dumbed down. Gets you very excited about science.
Review: This book is the type of book that would inspire you to become a biologist or a geologist or an astronomer. From this book you are able to see bits and pieces of famous scientists lives and get a feeling by the end that its not all fun and games but at the same time it soooo very worth it to dedicate your life to the pursuit of furthering the knowledge of your fellow human beings and in some small way pushing our species in a positive direction. From reading this book you find out how all the knowledge from hundreds of years ago has become the basis of where we are today. This is conveyed extremely well to the audience. The other thing which is conveyed so very well is the power and destructive force of mother nature here on earth and in space. Parts of this book read better than seeing an end of the world movie because the author is so good at getting a vivid picture drawn in the reader's minds eye. This book is so good and so comprehensive I can see myself reading this over again. Thank you Bill Bryson for your hard, extensive research! Quite remarkable.
Rating:
Summary: Information for all ages
Review: This book is the best and most informative that I have ever read and witty to-boot. Bill has a cheeky sense of humour coupled with a total consideration for the un-initiated.
It is packed with facts and figures that are mind boggling at times. The 3 years research have certainly paid off. This book can be read by anyone over the age of 14 and should inspire any budding scientist of any persuasion. Cracking read!
Rating:
Summary: A Charming Tour of the Main Areas of Natural Science
Review: For those interested in an overview of natural science, this is the book! Bryson sugar coats the pill. Bryson has done a superb job of secondary research on the main subjects of modern science and distilled it for us lucky readers. Several other reviewers (e.g. istomtom) have pretty much summed it up. This long book is a brisk tour through most of the outstanding results of natural science, with some of its history, and stories about personalities added in for entertainment. Bryson is also very clear about where little or nothing is known and what still remains controversial among the experts. One important feature that no previous reviewers seemed to have mentioned is that Bryson has excellent footnotes, index, and bibliography. Something that is too often missing from recent books. These resources added immeasurably to the value of this book. This book is not only a good read but a useful source for ideas for further reading and research of one's own.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book
Review: A Short History of Nearly Everything is a wonderful blend of science, history, politics, and psychology. The book delivers exactly what it promises, a text that allows you 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 that isn't entirely superficial either." Beginning at the beginning, Bryson starts with the dawn of the universe...the big bang. He impresses upon us the unimaginable vastness and grandeur of space, the unique series of coincidences and the miracle of our mere existence and then proceeds to chronicle the history of scientific discovery and hijinx that form our collective knowledge, notions and misconceptions about the universe. Throughout the book Bryson balances witty sarcasm with shear awe at the genius and the amazing coincidences that have advanced science and mankind. This is a must read for the intellectually curious.
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