“Lichens are just about the hardiest visible organisms on Earth, but among the least ambitious.” They thrive in Antarctica and other harsh climates, and they are so successful that there are 20,000 species of them. That life must have a Stromatolites at Shark Bay, ancient and oxygen-producing. The title is hyperbolic; this is an introduction to scientific building blocks that will give the reader a basic understanding about the world, our place within it, and of the history behind major scientific discoveries. What’s life TV static He's taken the greatest hits of his Big Book, trimmed the history so the text is mostly stories, and added illustrations that are variously helpful and amusing. To that end, he has attached. The second is near the end: “As humans we are inclined to feel that life must have a point. Home » Book Reviews » A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson: Review. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson Book Review In the recent several centuries years, humanity has gradually gathered pieces to the puzzle of our existence. Well deserving of its popularity and praise, this book manages to be fun even though it contains a massive amount of information delivered at a rapid rate. Not all contributors necessarily identify as Naturalistic or Humanistic Pagans or share the views expressed elsewhere on this site. Point. Plans, I loved Bryson's humor scattered throughout, and I loved how he was able to make very complicated scientific concepts simple enough for a layperson to understand without once being condescending about it. I must admit that science is not my strong suit -- I've always been more of a Humanities gal. More By and About This Author. Facts brought down to earth, with imagination and humor—that’s Bryson’s signature. What else can you learn from the blinks? We humans A Short History of Nearly Everything is a perfect gift for young adults with a scientific bent of mind. A Short History of Nearly Everything is Bill Bryson's summation of life, the universe, and everything, a nice little easy-reading science book containing an overview of things every earthling should be aware of. These were scary places; I’d never been anywhere like this before. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for A Short History of Nearly Everything at Amazon.com. The book certainly isn't comprehensive in any sense of the word--in fact it seems to roam in a semi-random sort of way; but the author's sense of humor and attention to colorful historical facts kept my interest from beginning to end. Like most (sensible? A fascinating history of science. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. Bryson's dead serious: this is a history of pretty much everything there is -- the planet, the solar system, the universe -- as well as a history of how we've come to know as much as we do. Thanks for watching. You see A Short History deviates from Bryson's … Tune your television to any channel As an added bo, First off, this is a huge departure from Bryson's breezy, excellent travel logs. This book is all about journey of thirts human about science and life. It is so densely packed with valuable insight, and sound bites of discovery that you could not possibly absorb it all with one pass. "Humanity’s deepest desire for knowledge is justification enough for our continuing quest. The organizational structure is a wonderful series of loosely connected cameos covering several essential and enlightened discoveries of man. Book Reviews. You may buy this book – A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson at Amazon. An attempt to cram everything and the kitchen sink into a work intended for the general reader is surely a recipe for failure—or so one might think. There are 320 million cubic miles of water on Earth and that is all we’re ever going to get. As a granny understanding science is not my strong point but when writers like this can tell then I am blown away. I am a scientist, and I found much of this book quite fascinating. There are multiple quotes that appear twice in the writing, nearly back-to-back. Hello guys! Get your wallet out and buy this audiobook ASAP! Geschreven bij Short History of Nearly Everything. The biology lab displayed pictures a. I was never any good at science. A Short History of Nearly Everything by American-British author Bill Bryson is a popular science book that explains some areas of science, using easily accessible language that appeals more to the general public than many other books dedicated to the subject. It is superbly written. Read full review We have been married for a long time now.........Anyway, my point is that Bill Bryson could talk on any subject & make it interesting. I hope you like my reviews and this one is fantastic! The book, for example, begins, “Welcome. What do I believe in? Getting here wasn’t easy, I know. Like all science book, they get outdated fast but this one is still holding up, at. Dit is echt een leuk en interessant boek om zelf te hebben of cadeau te geven. That you can always watch Reviews for A Short History of Nearly Everything: 'It's the sort of book I would have devoured as a teenager. The answer is simple. At the end of the evening when he asked me to go out with him again I paused, then decided to give him a second chance. They are very slow-growing and as a result are often hundreds if not thousands of years old. A Really Short History of Nearly Everything book. Hands down my favorite science text written by a non-scientist, although I should mention I don't make a habit of seeking out science books written by non-scientists for kicks. Halley and Christopher Wren (in the time when he was a famous mathematician / astronomer before he became a famous architect) and Robert Hooke couldn't agree on the path - was it a circle, an ellipse, a parabola? 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. He’s emphasizing the poetic nature of the text. Short History of nearly everything totally inspiring I bought it for my 14 year old grandson a science fiend but the book is equally awe inspiring . Dit boek is een fantastisch avontuur, zeer vlot leesbaar en geschreven met een overtuigend enthousiasme. The physics lab had gas taps and Bunsen burners and the walls were filled with incomprehensible charts. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bryson switches from his usual memoir genre to instead focus on scientific discovery.He discusses hundreds of scientific books and articles as he recounts a history of scientific thought ranging back to the 1600s. A guy approached our table and asked me in a sly surreptitious manner if I was him. From the cosmos Bryson moves on to the earth. It might well turn unsuspecting young readers into scientists.' I loved reading about what old greats like Darwin thought about the world - they were all right about most things, but also very wrong about some things - makes you wonder how much we are wrong about today! Je krijgt zoveel informatie dat je niet zo maar kunt verwerken en ik ga het nogmaals lezen want het … That life must have a Today, humanity has more knowledge with respect to our cosmos, the Earth, and ourselves than anyone could have ever dreamed. Bryson’s vivid, colloquial writing reflects so much more talent and hard work than its easy-going quality suggests. Incidentally, disturbance from cosmic background radiation is something we have all experienced. Fact and relevance, back and forth: “320 million cubic miles,” “all we’re ever going to get.” Scientists provide the facts; the humanist in Bryson provides the meaning. Unremitting scientific effort over the past 300 years has yielded an astonishing … What's the most fascinating tidbit of information you learned from this book? The chemistry lab held rows of specimen jars, more gas taps and burners and an underlying smell of something unpleasant and vaguely dangerous. A short history of nearly everything won the Royal society's Aventis prize as well as the Descartes prize, The European unions highest literary award. Picked this up on audiobook when I was on tour and listened to it in my car. This site is dedicated to amplifying the voices of and providing an online home for Naturalistic and Humanistic Pagans who seek to integrate ritual and meditative practices with a mythic worldview based on the most current and compelling scientific evidence. But what’s life to a lichen? Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” is a terrific read for anyone who is curious about science but bewildered by the details. Even stronger. I am flabbergasted that this has such consistently high reviews... What I appreciated most about this book is that it recognizes the lesser-known pioneers of our time. What has propelled this popular science book to the New York Time's Best Seller List? We have Editorial Reviews. Beyond the physical fears it was clear that each subject had its own language. Bill Bryson is the only exception though because he's an exceptionally gifted writer who just happens to share my sense of humor--that the end is nigh and that maybe is not necessarily such a ter. Unlike BB’s previous books, this is a comic, aimed at 6 year olds and should have been clearly stated prior to purchase, had I known I would never have wasted £9.99 on something I would not even pay £0.99 to purchase, sorry BB but you have sold your soul. A Short History of Nearly Everything is not as impossibly far-reaching as the title would indicate. Point. I can’t attach a screenshot, so I’ll copy the segments of text I’m referring to: About 1 percent of Though it has the ability to make one feel overwhelmed, I think it has an equal potential to be a good kicking off point for further readings about science. While reading it, one might wish to remember all its content, but it's written in a way allowing the reader to pick up the volume and start reading at any point, according to his interests, though Bryson relays all subjects in captivating and available way, with a big dose of humor. “Bacteria may not build cities and or have interesting social lives, but they will be here when the Sun explodes. responsible?) This is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. responsible?) Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The birth of the universe. One person found this helpful. 11/10 - a book everyone should read simply because of the knowledge it imparts to the reader. I ceased study on all of these subjects at the earliest opportunity. What an awesome book! Bill Bryson is back and this time’s he’s tackling the question of “Where do we come from?” in a very accessible kind of way. Rate this book. Read reviews of Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything in Humour Books. I enjoyed this one a great deal. pragmatic? Review: A Short History of Nearly Everything User Review - NinjaK - Goodreads. Good grief if I had even one textbook half this enthralling in high school, who knows what kind of impassioned -ologist I would have grown up to be. I've owned this book in three versions: big and illustrated, paperback (when I left the big one with my ex-wife) and Kindle (when I realised I never wanted to be unable to open this book). Just kidding...? There is nothing I confess I enjoy his books of a more personal n. I was 17.9 years old when I went on a first date with a PhD student, he proceeded to talk on "the effect of turbine blade cooling on jet engines" as we sat enjoying drinks in a lovely British pub. By this ancient remnant Fascinating, interesting and filled with so much knowledge -, Well deserving of its popularity and praise, this book manages to be fun even though it contains a massive amount of information delivered at a rapid rate. He writes about lichens. The title is hyperbolic; this is an introduction to scientific building blocks that will give the reader a basic understanding about the world, our place within it, and of the history behind major scientific discoveries. Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything”, Review by Brock Haussamen Posted on February 15, 2020 by HumanisticPaganism 3 Comments. (howitworksdaily.com). A Short History of Nearly Everything Ebook got commonly good surveys, with analysts’ referring to the book as educational, elegantly composed, and profoundly engaging.In 2004, this book won Bryson the Aventis Prizes for Science Books for best broad science book. Broadway $26 (560p) ISBN 978-0-7679-0817-7 . We’d love your help. I did find myself scanning through certain sections because I already understood them well (the vastness of the universe) or I don't think I will ever understand them (complicated aspects of biology). It might well turn unsuspecting young readers into scientists.' We have plans and aspirations and desires. William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, FRS was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. For the past few years, I’ve served as a financial coach for low-income families. That you can always watch I understand, but from a design and readability perspective, it would look better and be more readable if the standardly formatted section of the duplicate text were removed and only the poetic sections were left. The chemistry lab held rows of specimen jars, more gas taps and burners and an underlying smell of something unpleasant and vaguely dangerous. 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