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Summary: Perfect for science and liberal arts majors alike
Review: Recently read Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. He authored A Walk in the Woods, a hilarious account of his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail from GA to Maine. A Short History is truly a short-short history of the all the sciences , including bizarre anecdotes about major and obscure scientists (Newton's passion was alchemy; his Principia Mathematica was almost a byproduct of his desire to turn lead into gold), interesting scientific trivia (one reason facial hair grows so fast is because men think about sex a lot, and thinking about it produces testosterone, which in turn makes facial hair grow faster...), and even the juicy behind-the-scenes details of scientific method at work (passionate botanists almost got into "fisticuffs" over the naming of a single species of North American grass). The best thing of all is Bryson's gift for articulating hard science concepts with a balance of brevity, common sense, and wit.
Rating: 
Summary: A text book for humanity!
Review: Bill Bryson's writing style is so user friendly that he makes complicated topics like DNA structure understandable. His "short history" covers everything from the big bang theory to, well... us. Along the way Bryson explains nearly everything that one should know about this planet on which we live. He makes it perfectly clear that you are extremely lucky to be alive. The odds against you bing here, now, are astronomical! Just the section on cellular structure, DNA and the creation of life is worth the price of this book. A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING is one of those rare books that will make you feel smarter just by reading it. Although a long book at 544 pages including an extensive bibliography and index, it is a quick read. I couldn't put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the most fun book.
Review: I am a big fan of Mr. Bryson. But I found this book to be tedious. His travel books are wonderful because of his insight, warmth, charm, wit, and irritability. But this feels like a book that he wrote based on books he's read. It doesn't really play into his strong suit - his ability to articulate his personal experience. I guess I just don't see what this book offered that I couldn't get elsewhere.
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Summary: Superb introduction to life, the universe, and everything
Review: This book is an imminently readable, funny, moving history of the universe, solar system, planet, life.(...). Bryson, as always, is an engaging storyteller who has done a great deal of research on his subject. Three things make the book stand out: Bryson's sense of humor, stand-out ablility to make pretty much anything he writes about fascinating, and the broad scope of the book-it covers everything from the big bang to string theory. Additionally, Bryson offers many brief sketches of the great personalities of science, the overlooked ones, and the infamous conflicts. If you want to stand out at parties, or just know a little more about nearly everything, and do it without putting yourself to sleep, this is your book.
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Summary: A short description of this book...
Review: I ordered this on a whim and really enjoyed it. If you like the PBS show Connections, then this is the book for you! The style and whit really hit the spot. I am not a science junkie by nature, but this book actually made me regret not going into the hard sciences. It should be noted that this book is not just about science. It is primarily about the people who work in science. The most entertaining part is the personalities behind the science and not necessarily the science itself. The author is the reader and at times you feel as if you are actually having a conversation with him. I found myself running home and telling my husband, "I learned about quarks today!!" He borrowed my car once, listened to one of the cds, and is eager to start listening to it when I'm done.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This book digs into some pretty tough scientific thought, but is always easy to follow. Gives the reader much room for thought on these subjects, and also makes you realize that all of the brainpower and genius that has gone into this scientific thought has not prevented the ones with the brains from being human. The history of science is full of intrigue, back-stabbing, petty quarreling, arguing, refuting and 'cooking the books' to promote your pet theory. This book tells these human stories too. Recommended most highly!
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Summary: Brings life to science.
Review: As a chemistry teacher, this book ranks up there with "Our Demon Haunted World" by Sagan as the most important book I've read. Bryson fills in the missing spaces of our bland textbook education and make scientists seem human.
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Summary: The What and the How
Review: I've read a number of science books and have a moderate grasp of a fair portion of the hard sciences (though with not nearly the breadth or scope of the actual discoveries themselves) and what really strikes me about this book is not just the discoveries made in unraveling the universe's mysteries, but the discoverers themselves. He is able to sum up what really requires huge volumes to fully explain and with just a few well-crafted sentences, delivers a fairly vivid picture of the people responsible for the majority of our scientific progress (even though, often as not, it's not the person famous for it). Now, those truly interested in delving into a subject would do well to read further AFTER devouring this book and I certainly wouldn't want to be summed up in a couple lines, but I don't think "A Long History of Absolutely Everything" would fit as neatly in my bag. Those who "poo-poo" this book for this reason are obviously unclear on the concept. This is a fun, easy read about some very weighty subjects. It has a couple inaccuracies out of thousands of facts, so beats out most reading by an enormous spread. I have recommended this book unabashedly to everyone I know and am about to reread it. Seeing the enormous stack of books I want to wade through, I can offer no higher praise than a reread.
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Summary: A Truely Awesome Book !!
Review: This super book was in the big print section at the library and it was written so I could understand what the man meant when he told about the Universe and how far things are apart, and early man and all his names, and the different classes given to time in our past and all sorts of good stuff. The big print kept my eyes from feeling furry after reading an hour or two...Its just super for home work or to look at over and over to get answers....Try It ...You Won't Be Sorry
Rating:
Summary: an astonishing achievement
Review: Be warned, folks. This book is not for everyone. If you're a paranoid moron who believes that anything not found in the bible is a lie, please don't buy this book. If you're a frustrated scientist who can't accept that a layman, no matter how bright and articulate, can have anything relevant or enlightening to say about science, please don't buy this book.
However, most people, who like to read good writing, who have an active mental life and curiosity about the world around them, and can approach this book with an open mind and a little zeal, will absolutely love it. Bryson tackles an immense range of thorny and rather difficult topics and concepts and somehow manages to not only explain them but make them interesting and enjoyable. I am well trained in biology, chemistry, math and physics (although I would never identify myself as a scientist) but I wouldn't have thought that an excursion into particle physics or geology could be very compelling. Bryson makes it so, with a gift for description and analogy that brings these subjects out of the realms of theory and academia. He brings them to life. Part of the charm of the book are the fascinating glimpses of scientists, adventurers,mathematicians and discoverers who all played a role in figuring out this world we live in and on. Isaac Newton is dissatisfied with the system of mathematics that he has been using, so he invents calculus. Einstein stares out the window of the Swiss patent office where he works and has the most important thought that has ever been thought, E=mc2. Brilliant men and women discover radioactivity, organize elements into the periodic table, figure out systems of taxonomic classification, and calculate everything from the weight of the earth to the weight of a quark. It's fascinating, almost breathtaking at times. I could go on and on, but I'll say this instead. If you have a nimble and open mind, a modicum of intelligence, and a healthy curiosity about yourself, the earth, the universe and most everything in it, this book is for you. Bravo, Mr. Bryson. Exceedingly well done.
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