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A Short History of Nearly Everything
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

One of the world's most beloved and bestselling writers takes his ultimate journey -- into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer.

In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail -- well, most of it. In In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand -- and, if possible, answer -- the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world's most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, travelling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Science has never been more involving or entertaining.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editor's Note

Profound & funny…

“A Short History of Nearly Everything” is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 6, 2003
ISBN9780739302958
Unavailable
A Short History of Nearly Everything

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Reviews for A Short History of Nearly Everything

Rating: 4.196169413307916 out of 5 stars
4/5

5,508 ratings209 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of the two best books I have read during the last year!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I listened to this book and enjoyed it, some chapters more than others.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A very enjoyable, very readable story about what are normally very complicated subjects. If you're at all interested natural history and/or the physical or theoretical sciences, this is the book to pick up (for a lay person obviously, if a professor at CalTech picked this up, might find it to be an enjoyable read, but wouldn't provide any astounding new knowledge).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A fabulous book that explores what science knows and the people and circumstances that made those discoveries. It begins with the origin of the universe, the creation of the solar system and earth, and ultimately focuses on humans, how they came to be and what they are made up up. An outstanding survey of most of the major branches of science.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I picked this book up at the airport, thinking at first that it was a book about human history. I confess I did not know at the time who Bill Bryson is and was blissfully unaware of his widely acclaimed writing record. Obviously, the book turned out to be completely different from what I had expected. Bryson wrote a book about "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." In short, a story about the natural history of the world and much more. Bryson's accomplishment inspires awe and envy. Here is a person with no scientific background who, driven by an insatiable desire to learn, has mastered biology, astronomy, paleontology, geology, chemistry and much much more, and then translated this knowledge into a readable account of "nearly everything". The New York Times Book Review wrote that A Short History of Nearly Everything "is destined to become a modern classic of science writing" and I fully agree. Bryson succeeds to explain where we came from and how our world works in terms that every person can understand, while at the same time peppering his tale with humouristic anecdotes about the greatest scientists in history: their lives, their mistakes and their feuds.This book is a journey in space and time. It takes the reader from the core of the Earth to the infinite reaches of outer space, and from the beginning of time to the future outlook for our planet. In this journey, Bryson brings home two messages, over and over again. First, how insignificant our lives are in comparison with the age of the world and the forces of nature, especially when we take into account the improbable odds of our very existence. Second, how little we know and understand about how we came about, how our planet works or indeed who and what inhabits it besides us. The book is full of facts which leave the reader open-mouthed; several times I had to re-read a sentence just to make sure I understood the full implication of the facts presented in it.The first thing I did today after finishing the book was to log on to amazon.com to search for other Bryson books and order them. I am looking forward to getting more acquainted with this wonderful writer in the very near future.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Best of Science & History in a well written narrative that paints a comprehensible view on just how lucky we are to even exist and the tremendous progress we have made in science and as a people.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very fun and easy to read. The writing is very accessible and makes complicated matters of science enjoyable and relevant. Bryson keeps it interesting by explaining the natural world through stories of the eccentric discoverers, and explaining why their work mattered then and now, and how it sparked so many controversies that may even remain today.

    The universe and Earth can be unbelievable! I have been better informed on a wider range of topics from this book than probably anything else I have ever read. Often eye-opening and occasionally shocking, I was especially impressed with the vastness of space, the resilience of bacteria, and the instability of climate. There are many common things that we really know so little about.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There's no reason this book should be as enjoyable as it is. It's a slightly hodge-podgey account of various discoveries of (mostly) Western science; looking at the list of chapters, you'll probably think there's nothing new you could read on any of these topics. But you'll be wrong. Bryson manages to find interesting details and insights on nearly every subject, and he writes with a dry, likable wit that should draw you in from the first page.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    great book, great narrator. Excellent "lay"-version of many of the events in our history including earth history. I suppose some, or even much, of the info could be wrong now as we learn more about the universe but I still think this was an awesome book for anyone who is not a real scientist or wants non-technical versions of our history. Highly recommend!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mr. Bryson explores the origins of the universe, the planet, creation of life in a way that is far more interesting than the usual textbook rendition. It was a very fun listen.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow, amazing book. Fantastic review of scientific milestones, some well known, some not so well known. Humorous and also poignant, it makes me ashamed of the destruction we've caused, and reminds me of how fragile all life is. It should be humbling, how ignorant we really are, yet we believe ourselves entitled. We have a huge ability and responsibility that not nearly enough of us are taking seriously.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a wonderful scientific read for the layman. It may inspire one to read more in a plethora of areas, as this book succinctly covers A LOT. All the while, Mr Bryson makes this journey of human scientific advancement entertaining, humorous, heartfelt and enlightening. Recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I had such a great time reading this, it became required reading in our homeschool, and my sons enjoyed it as well! Bill Bryson has a wonderful wit and a gift for reducing the extremely broad scope of science in general to a can't-put-it-down read. He puts the Big Bang, quantum mechanics, genetic and biology, environment, inventions, evolution and so much more in layman's terms and makes it fun at the same time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book has made me a huge fan of Bill Bryson. Tons of interesting facts packed into an easy read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an interesting book, which I enjoyed reading. I am not sure, though, how many of the facts and "factoids" I'll remember. Some general lessons I will retain are how lucky we are to exist at all, and our ongoing survival is more than pure luck. And, the more we learn about our world, it seems like the more we realize we don't yet know.The main reason I liked this book was Mr. Bryson's writing style. His joy of discovery and sense of wonder as he unraveled scientific mysteries were infectious.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My least favorite of the Cross series so far. I was a bit bored!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As a former lit major, I usually have to be coaxed into reading a science book. But this one caught my attention right away. I probably learned more about various branches of scientific thought, particularly physics, than I had in the last ten years, by reading this book. Which may say a lot about how I should broaden my reading tastes, but I prefer to think of it as a recommendation for this work. Just read it. You won't be bored. You'll be fascinated. And you'll end up with more questions about the way the universe is constructed than you started out with. Books that make you think for yourself always get my vote.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was so informative and told in such a way that it felt more like a novel than history.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book for those who are craving to know more about history, science and biology
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I listened to this while walking around town to help out things in perspective. It was a lovely overview of the world we live in, as situated in our universe. Definitely doesn't go into very much detail on any one topic, which might not suit some. But I thoroughly enjoyed the listen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Insightful and entertaining, this book explains the history of science as we know it and the people who made influential scientific discoveries. For me it sparked ideas about how recent much of our understanding of the universe and living organisms, as well as how little we have really examined the implications of our findings. I think this is a valuable read for anyone who wants to learn about life sciences and appreciates the big picture.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love this book so much. Very interesting and I've learned new things about science
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This is the abridged version of the book. I'm disappointed that this minor detail is not mentioned at all in the information about the book
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great book to get a grasp on topics that range from the formation of the Universe to the complexity of DNA. Also fantastic to reflect on ecosistems, biodiversity, extinctions and how they relate to human beings.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Whole family loves it. Great as a cover to cover read, or easy to pick up in chunks, taking chapters at whatever pace necessary. Bryson's tone and humor make it an enjoyable read for the science buffs while still being digestible for those without a deep understanding of the topics addressed. Highly recommend.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Het aantal overzichtswerken van de grote vooruitgang in de wetenschappen (vooral de fysica en de biologie) is niet meer te tellen. Maar Bryson heeft de verdienste dit op zijn minst in een breder geheel te bekijken (dus ook de antropologie bijvoorbeeld), en tegelijk op een heel onderhoudende manier de kleine kantjes van de grote wetenschappelijke vooruitgang in de verf te zetten. Onthutsend is het hoezeer ontdekkingen en doorbraken het resultaat waren van persoonlijke ambitie, grove arrogantie en carri?risme en hoeveel opmerkelijke mensen gefrustreerd achterbleven met hun geniale inzichten. Vooral Bryson's schets van de maffiawereld die de paleontologie is, kon me bekoren. De titel is misleidend, hoe kan het ook anders, maar het resultaat mag er best zijn!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As a former lit major, I usually have to be coaxed into reading a science book. But this one caught my attention right away. I probably learned more about various branches of scientific thought, particularly physics, than I had in the last ten years, by reading this book. Which may say a lot about how I should broaden my reading tastes, but I prefer to think of it as a recommendation for this work. Just read it. You won't be bored. You'll be fascinated. And you'll end up with more questions about the way the universe is constructed than you started out with. Books that make you think for yourself always get my vote.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Richard Matthews read the audiobook version I listened to and man, oh man. In the words of one of my kids, "he sounds so smart, this man. But he's probably just reading it all out of a book."It's a fascinating book, you feel like a rock skipping across a very shallow but full pond of astounding facts, figures, and anecdotes. The introduction to large figures and ideas in the history of science is really enjoyable, sort of like a different take on Arthur Koestler's "The Sleepwalkers."At a certain point large number fatigue sets in, where you feel like it's one unimaginably large number after another preposterously large number, and I think he even acknowledges that fairly early on. But it was a great, engaging listen.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I was not overly impressed. Almost everything was either something I knew, or something I don't care about (personal problems of long-dead geologists), or was out-of-date (status of Pluto). If he'd kept better to the promise of the prologue, to explore exactly 'how' scientists know all that stuff, it'd have been better. But at least he did explain some things that some people might be learning for the first time, such as Carbon-14 dating. I suppose the book is a good introduction to lots of science for novice autodidacts.

    Ok, one thing I did gladly learn that it's lichens, not moss, that grow on the north side of trees. Only trouble is, lichen takes a long time to grow, so no guarantee I'll find some next time I'm lost in a forest...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I bought this book about ten years ago. After reading it, I put it on my shelves as a 'keeper', but this is only the second time I've gotten around to rereading it. It's still a keeper. It is, as the the title claims, a book about nearly everything. It's about what we know and don't know about the BIG issues (life, the universe, etc), along with some history of the people and events behind it all. The prose is witty and engaging, almost like an adventure story at times. There are few books that are both so informative and enjoyable. I highly recommend this one.