A Short History of Nearly Everything
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A Short History of Nearly Everything (ISBN 0-7679-0817-1) is a general science book by Bill Bryson, which explains some areas of science in ordinary language. It was the bestselling popular science book of 2005 in the UK, selling over 300,000 copies.[1]
A Short History deviates from Bryson's popular travel book genre, instead describing general sciences such as chemistry, paleontology, astronomy, and particle physics. In it, he explores time from the Big Bang to the discovery of quantum mechanics, via evolution and geology.
Bryson tells the story of science through the stories of the people who made the discoveries, such as Edwin Hubble, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Bill Bryson wrote this book because he was dissatisfied with his scientific knowledge — that was, not much at all. He writes that science was a distant, unexplained subject at school. Textbooks and teachers alike did not ignite the passion for knowledge in him, mainly because they never delved in the whys, hows, and whens.
It was as if [the textbook writer] wanted to keep the good stuff secret by making all of it soberly unfathomable.
—Bryson, on the state of science books used within his school[2]
It was in his later years that he realised with stunning shame that he was ignorant about many things and that he wanted to understand. Thus from his own life experience, Bryson discusses topics from a unique angle unseen in most science books: simple explanations, funny dialogue, interesting facts, and much more.
[edit] Contents
Bryson describes very graphically how big the universe is, and how small atoms and subatomic particles are. Furthermore, he reports on the likeliness of the earth being struck by a meteor, how unlikely it is that humans will spot a meteor before it impacts the Earth, and the extensive damage that such an event would cause. He also explores the history of biology, botany, and zoology, and traces life from its first appearance all the way to today's modern humans, placing much emphasis on the development of the modern Homo sapiens. Throughout the book, there are many reports on the way humans destroy the earth (both its climate and its species) as well as how the earth is a very destructive planet itself, briefly touching about earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and mass extinctions. His tendency to look for big explosions and awe-inspiring devastation takes him to the most destructive disasters in the world, from Krakatoa to Yellowstone National Park.
Bryson ends the book by noting how many extinctions humans are responsible for, and how lucky mankind is to be living on planet Earth today.
An illustrated edition of the book was released in November 2005.[3]
[edit] Awards and reviews
The book received many favourable reviews on its release, although some reviewers have suggested the book contains a few inaccuracies, such as where Bryson discusses the number of cells in the human body.[4]
In 2004, this book won Bryson the prestigious Aventis Prize for best general science book.[5] Bryson later donated the GBP£10,000 prize to the Great Ormond Street Hospital children's charity.[6]
In 2005, the book won the EU Descartes prize for science communication.[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Staff of BBC Focus (July 2006). "How to... Make a Mint From Science".
- ^ Bryson, Bill (2003). A Short History of Nearly Everything. USA: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-0817-1.
- ^ Bryson, Bill. A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-2322-7.
- ^ Staff of Jupiter Scientific. Book Review of A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Retrieved on 2006-03-15.
- ^ Amos, Jonathan. "Bryson wins £10,000 science prize", BBC News, June 14, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-03-15.
- ^ Crown, Sarah. "Bryson gives away Aventis winnings", The Guardian, June 22, 2004.
- ^ Pauli, Michelle. "Bryson wins Descartes prize for his guide to science", The Guardian, December 7, 2005.
