A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
by Jenners • 04/20/2012 • 4.5 Stars, B Authors, History, Non-Fiction, S Titles, Science • 46 Comments
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Publisher: Bantam, 2004
Pages: 560
Genre: Non-Fiction
Where I Got It: Bought it ages ago and just now got around to reading it
Why I Read It: One of the few Bryson books I haven’t read
My Rating: 4.5 stars
What The Book Is About
As the title says, the book really is a short history of nearly everything. (Of course, that doesn’t make it a short book.) Bryson covers everything from the beginnings of the universe to the formation of planet Earth to how life on Earth began and what makes us us. In typical Bryson fashion (that is to say, conversational, folksy, down-to-earth and with gentle humor), this brick of a book provides a basic primer on everything from physics to geology to paleontology to biology to astronomy to chemistry and everything in between. It was educating and fascinating, as Bryson’s books tend to be. It was, at times, also somewhat chilling when you realize just how miraculous and precarious our existence on this planet really is. So, given that Bryson has written a book about nearly everything, what did I learn from it?
Seven Things I Learned While Reading This Book
- We are all one. This may sound like a hippie mantra, but Bryson makes the case, over and over again, that everything on Earth (and even the universe) is made of the same basic stuff. For living creatures, the similarities are even more pronounced, with Homo sapiens sharing almost 99% of our DNA with every other living thing on Earth.
- We (and by “we” I mean the entire human race) are always on the knife-edge of destruction. From the eruption of a supervolcano (like the one sitting right under Yellowstone Park) to the unannounced appearance of a huge meteorite that we would never see coming, Bryson makes the unsettling case that life is always hanging by a thread. After all, mass extinction is the “natural way” of things, and our very very short history of life on Earth will not be an exception. It just depends on what form our extinction will take and whether it will be slow or fast. (Personally, I’d rather never know what hit us.)
- Some of the biggest mysteries of the Universe are those closest to us. Bryson talks about how little we actually know about the center of our own Earth and the workings of our own bodies. Despite all the scientific knowledge we’ve accumulated, for all we actually know, the middle of the earth could be filled with dwarves or rainbows or ping-pong balls. No one has actually seen it. In addition, exactly how proteins and cells and DNA function are still kind of mysterious.
- The 1700s and 1800s were awesome times to be a scientist. Throughout the book, Bryson sprinkles in accounts of eccentric gentlemen scientists who basically had the world at their fingertips to explore and figure out. It must have been a heady time, and I found it amazing how much these folks were able to figure out with their relatively crude instruments. Bryson’s accounts of the lives of these various scientists were one of the most enjoyable parts of the book.
- I am not cut out to understand science beyond the most basic level. Despite Bryson’s ability to clearly convey complex scientific explanation in layperson’s terms, I was still befuddled by much of the information presented in the book. However, I don’t think it is just me. As Bryson says, the scientific numbers used to understand the very big (such as 4.6 x 109) or very small (1.66 x 10-27) are just really beyond our comprehension. When you get into a field like physics, it started to seem like perhaps the physicists themselves don’t really understand what they are talking about. Suffice it to say, I still don’t really “get” the Big Bang and I don’t really comprehend what a quark is.
- The Big Bang Theory (the TV show) does a pretty good job of tossing around real physics terms. During the section on physics, I was tickled to see quite a few terms (Higgs-Boson particles, Large Hadron Collider) that are regularly referenced on what is fast becoming my favorite TV show—not that I’m any closer to understanding any of it than Penny is.
The Bottom Line
Readable, fascinating and with just enough science to make you feel like you’re getting a basic education, A Short History of Nearly Everything is a must read for anyone seeking to better understand the world around them. I was amazed at the various things I learned and awed by the miracle of events that caused us humble humans to come into being. Well done, Mr. Bryson! A great kick-off to my month of non-fiction reading.
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One of these days I’ll read Bryson. Which is the best one to start with?
Maybe the same one I read first: The Lost Continent: Travels In Small Town America. He writes great travel books, but he also has some excellent books on the English language (Mother Tongue) and history as well as a memoir. I think it is all good!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book even though it scares me to death every time i read it. the whole yellowstone thing was especially unsettling as we drove through the park a few summers ago. i kept thinking how bryson mentioned we are something like 600,000 THOUSAND years overdue to go off. lol. oh, and something about nuclear winter and ash covering all of america. bryson is AWESOME and i love him. i kinda wish he was an uncle or something…you know, that hapless brilliant chap at family gatherings…
The Yellowstone gave me pause too … especially since my family lives in Montana and would pretty much be vaporized instantly. And you do feel like it could happen AT ANY MINUTES!! ACK!!
And I agree — having Bill Bryson as an uncle would be AMAZING!
Great review, it tells me everything I wanted to know. My husband has a copy of this and is always encouraging me to read it, after reading your review I have to admit I’m tempted ……. just don’t tell him it was you that changed my mind.
I won’t tell!!! Let him think he finally wore you down.
I’ve just never really been into much science-y stuff, but this does sound interesting!
It is interesting because it is about the very things that make us. Plus the sheer scale of some of this stuff just boggles your mind. Plus I didn’t know that Yellowstone Park is sitting on a supervolcano! That was eye-opening!
Ah…you read my ‘bathroom’ book!
Seriously, I got this book when I became part of a Science Grant for the Elementary School Classroom this summer. I used it for background for myself all year long. I’m impressed with your speed-reading…
Now maybe he can explain how to have our children all get along.
I could see this being a “bathroom” book. It is a lot of information. I had started it before when I first bought it and couldn’t get far. This time, I was determined to read straight through so I did. Once I got going, it went quickly.
This sounds like a really interesting book. I love learning, it feeds the trivia lover in me.
I LOVE The Big Bang Theory, but don’t believe in the big bang theory!!
Sheldon would have a field day with you!! HAHA! If you love learning, this would be a most excellent read for you.
I started to read this book once and the physics info in the beginning threw me off so I put the book a side and haven’t picked it up again. But I want to and I will. I’m glad you enjoyed it and found it typically entertaining as Bryson tends to be and fascinating.
I’m looking forward to your other non-fiction reads!
The physics was a struggle — I’ll admit that I tried to follow but despite Bryson’s dumbing it down as much as possible, I still didn’t get it. I was never bored reading it though.
Hi Jenners,
Here in the UK, we have a TV programme, which sounds very similar to your own, called ‘Bang Goes The Theory’, which is a show that employs a hands-on approach to test scientific theory and demonstrate how science shapes our world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Goes_the_Theory
This probably isn’t a book that I would read, but is the kind of thing that Mr.G would devour avidly. The science and theory channels are his favourite viewing and he only ever reads non-fiction (never biographies).
I haven’t read any of Bill Bryson’s books, although I know that there are several on our bookshelves … so maybe one day, when I run out of fiction books!!!!
Yvonne
I think your Big Bang show is a bit different … ours is a sitcom!! It is really funny and kind of brainy and pokes fun at “geeks” while also celebrating them. My husband mostly reads non-fiction too — maybe it it is a male thing!
I am pretty sure I already know just about everything, but for the rest of you all this sounds like fun.
Good one!! : )
This really does sound fascinating. Wonderful review! I like the idea of a month of non-fiction, and look forward to your review of the Steve Jobs book.
I’m finding the Steve Jobs book just fascinating. He really was responsible for so many of the technology we have today, and it was neat to find out how it all came about.
What’s with you and all the smart people books lately?? I’m totally impressed.
Then I’ve accomplished my goal — to impress you. : )
I don’t know what is going on — I decided to do “non-fiction April” and I’m learning in the process. I’m reading the Steve Jobs right now and finding it totally engrossing — more than I ever thought I would.
Hi Jenners,
Hats off to you with your non-fiction splurge, Mr.G would be proud of you, as he only ever reads factual books, where he can learn something at the same time.
I often look longingly at a non-fiction book and know that once I started, I would enjoy it as much as any novel. Unfortunately, my fiction shelves just keep calling to me and I still maintain that I can often learn as much from a fiction story, as from a non-fiction book.
Too many books … so little time!!
Now, where I have I heard that before?
Yvonne
Oh, Mrs. J., I think you will LOVE this link
http://htwins.net/scale2/scale2.swf?bordercolor=white
Be sure to slide the scale button both ways. Enjoy!
Oh My Goodness … this is soooooo cool!! I just spent about 20 minutes moving up and down through the scale … and then my son got all interested in it. Really really neat!!!! Thank you for sharing it!
So glad you liked it!
I feel so much smarter now!
I keep meaning to get around to reading at least one of Bill Bryson’s books, but somehow haven’t managed it yet. I really should!
Yes … you really should!! He’s excellent. He has a lot of different types of books to choose from: travel, history, memoir, English language. And the thing is that they are all FANTASTIC!
I loved this book – such a fabulous and inspiring read!
I know!!! I’m keeping my copy because I plan to read it again at some point and introduce it to my son when he’s ready. I saw there was an illustrated version and I think I might have to get that version too.
I love Bryson. I thought this one was particularly good. He has a great way of making complex ideas understandable.
I love Bryson too. He is always on my favorite authors list. This was an amazing undertaking, and he does make complex stuff understandable, which takes some doing as he covers some fairly sophisticated stuff in this book.
Your enthusiasm about this books makes it sound so readable. Otherwise, I would just think it tried to have too much info in one place. I’m a bit of a science geek at heart, so I’ll put it on my wish list.
If you are a science geek at heart, I think you’d love this one. And if you’ve never read any Bill Bryson, you’re in for a treat. He’s just a wonderful writer, and one of my all-time favorites. I only have one more of his books to read and I’m all caught up. Sob!
I read one of Bryson’s books years ago and just loved it. I’m not sure why I haven’t read another one. This sounds like a book I’d enjoy.
He has such a diverse selection: the travel books, the history books, the language books, memoir. I’ve read pretty much all of them and they are all amazingly good. He is one of my “always read” authors.
I’m so impressed that you finished this one quickly. I’ve been chipping away at it for months. I absolutely love it, but I have a hard time just sitting and reading it through. I really need time to digest it. The Big Bang Theory is one of our favorites as well – such a fun show!
If I stopped and tried to digest it all, I would never move on. It was so fascinating. It did take me about a week to read, which is kind of slow but it was such a big complex book. I’m so glad I read it. And yay for Big Bang Theory!!
Not sure how long this has been on my TBR list, but thrilled to see you enjoyed it.
I actually bought it right when it came out but somehow got intimidated by the length for some reason so it was on my TBR list since 2004!! I’m so glad I finally made time for it.
This sounds really interesting and like one I would like to read.
It is fascinating and just filled with all kinds of information that I had NO CLUE about.
So glad you enjoyed it.
Me too!! With that long of a book, you need to enjoy it!