3 Review(s)

A Short History Of Nearly Everything is one of Bill Bryson's most famous works that attempts to answer scientific questions in a simple yet engrossing manner for the layman's understanding. The book cruises through time and space to capture scientifically important stages of this Universe starting with the Big Bang till the rise of modern civilization. Summary Of The Book Having been disappointed as a kid for never getting convincing answers to his questions by science textbooks or teachers, Bryson writes this bestseller as an account of his quest to understand the world and everything it contains. Unlike most science books that require prior groundwork in the subject, A Short History of Nearly Everything has been written keeping in mind the common man who wonders how the things, people and the world around him all came into being. With his lucid and humorous writing, Bryson makes complex science matters seem unambiguous and appealing. The book has 6 sections that explore a far-reaching array of topics surrounding geology, evolution and quantum mechanics. Using stories of the greatest inventors like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Henry Cavendish and Edwin Hubble, the author crafts a compelling tale of science. The book first takes up the wonder that is the formation of this Universe and graphically describes concepts like the atomic and subatomic particles, and the size and shape of the Universe. It gradually moves on to inquire the development of homo sapiens and takes to explaining the biology of it. The book leaves readers awe-stuck with all the fascinating facts about astonishing meteors and disastrous volcanic origins. The author also shares some comical anecdotes of great scientists and their eccentric acts. In the later part of the book, he discusses the modern scientific aspects about our planet's climate, the life and extinction of various other creatures and the increasing magnitudes of natural disasters. Ensuring utmost clarity and simplicity throughout the book, Bryson renders the most entertaining and absorbing story of the world of science. A Short History Of Nearly Everything was published first in the year 2003 and became a bestselling science book. It won the Aventis Prize in 2004 and the EU Descartes Prize in 2005. It was also nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize. About Bill Bryson Bill Bryson is a famous American writer. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, Notes from A Small Island, Shakespeare: The World As Stage, Bryson's Dictionary Of Troublesome Words, and One Summer: America 1927 are some of his other works. Born in 1951 in Des Moines, Iowa, Bryson went to Drake University. He dropped out of college in 1972 and a few years later, in 1977, he moved to the UK where he worked as a journalist and lived for many years in North Yorkshire with his spouse and 4 kids. Bryson has received a number of awards including the James Joyce Award (2006) and the Golden Eagle Award (2007). A fellow of various prestigious institutions, he has served as the chancellor at Durham University and received an honorary doctorate from King's College, London. Though he had moved to America for a few years, he currently lives in the UK.