Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention

by Christopher Lloyd, Andy Forshaw (Illustrations)

How was our universe made from a tiny speck of energy? Where did the first trees, plants, animals and humans come from? What happened to the dinosaurs? What was so miserable about medieval times? How were railroads and electricity invented? What are the perils of global warming? You might have many big questions about our planet, life and people. Embark on an entertaining journey across millennia and continents with this captivating book by Christopher Lloyd, author of the bestselling What on Earth Happened. Discover everything from the creation of planet earth and the rise of animals, to globalization, wars and global warming.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Science, Middle Grade, Childrens, World History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2018

About the author

Bestselling author Christopher Lloyd began his career as a journalist with the Sunday Times newspaper. Then, while camping with his family, he had a critical realization: Even with a 1st class degree in history from Cambridge University and experience as a science writer, there was so much about the world he didn't know. So, he set out to write books that zoom out and tell the big stories, opening readers' eyes to how seemingly unrelated events fit together and showing them multiple perspectives on the world, all in highly engaging prose and matched with lively illustration and photography.

Now, with more than 20 books in print, some in over a dozen languages, Christopher divides his time between writing books for adults and children and delivering lectures and workshops to schools, literary festivals, and a wide range of other venues around the world.

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading through an ARC of this book, I decided to order it as a homeschool resource to use as a science and history read-aloud. I really enjoy "A Little History of the World" as a read-aloud for history (big bang to WWII, as the author wrote it in that time), but this is a much more detailed and science-oriented book and much more thorough. I'll be reading it to my 8, 12 and 16 y/o's as they color, craft, build, sketch etc. in the afternoons (they like listening far more when they can occupy their hands). I like that it's informative enough for older kids while fun enough for younger, and the illustrations and photographs add to the appeal. I'm sure my kids will like Lloyd's conversational, funny tone, and I appreciate that it is science-based. I've noticed several reviews from Young Earth creationists who reviewed it poorly because it discusses evolution, the Big Bang, etc. Yes, it is definitely geared towards secular science instead of creationism.

I'll update my review when we've finished reading it as a family with the kids' perspectives and report on how well it worked as a homeschool resource.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is geared to middle grade children, the snippets of facts and history from the beginning of the universe clear up to modern times was interesting for me, too!

I listened to the audio book version of this book. The author, Christopher Lloyd, narrates his own book. Up until now I always said only actors and Neil Gaiman should narrate their own books, but Christopher Lloyd is now added to this list. His voice is pleasant and he does a very good job of reading his whirlwind history of almost everything. I read up on this author....he's a lecturer specializing in sweeping, big scope histories. I couldn't help thinking as I listened to him talk about events, people, and changes in the universe and Earth over time that this man is the school assembly we always wished we could have, but never got. Or the popular professor whose classes are always full because students just like him and enjoy his lectures. It's a super power I think -- the ability to bring complex subjects to a level that makes students love to learn and seek knowledge. And this author has that superpower! This book was interesting, entertaining and filled with facts on a huge variety of things. Very interesting!

This book is the reason why I read a lot of books for kids. It isn't bogged down by adult nonsense, but just conveys the joy of learning and knowing. Very entertaining and informative listen...and I will be looking for more audio books of this author's work.

The audio book is about 6.5 hours long, and is organized into 15 chapters. It starts with the beginning of the universe in chapter 1 and ends with 1945-present day in chapter 15. Lloyd covers everything from dinosaurs to climate change. Great book -- for kids and adults!

**I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this audio book from Spotlight Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[donna backshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Everything! is an outstanding children's audiobook that introduces prehistorical and historical facts in a highly entertaining and approachable way. It's been a few decades since I could claim to be a child, but I am not too proud to admit I still learned a heck of a lot from this book.

"The real world is far more amazing than anything you can make up."

The imagery Lloyd provides helps the listener not just understand but also envision the nuggets of info he's offering us. From the Big Bang, to the Theia Impact, to the emergence of eukaryotes, to Lucy, to all the things humans have done in our "two seconds" of life in the universe, Lloyd provides interesting and intriguing tidbits to bring all of prehistory and history to life for us. One of my favorite books is Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and Christopher Lloyd's Absolutely Everything! is exactly what a 12 year old me would have loved just as much.

I especially appreciated how, in the Afterward, Lloyd enlists feedback from his readers/listeners on his novel. He asks us to go to www.whatonearthbooks.com to send him ideas for a follow-up, "Absolutely Everything Else", to include all the other interesting things he couldn't cram into this book. It's wonderful how he engages us, so we can all share in our love of discovering cool stuff about our world.

I received a copy of the audiobook from Spotlight Audio, What on Earth Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of the world from the Big Bang to today is covered in ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!, a brilliant new book with beautiful illustrations geared to middle grade readers. Author Christopher Lloyd includes a lot of material in this 352-page compendium, chock full of intriguing stories on how the earth came to be, the history of wars, climates, animals, cultures, inventions, and so much more. You name it, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! has the answer. 5/5

Thanks to the author, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC and NetGalley for the review copy, in exchange for my true opinions.

#WhatonEarth #NetGalley

Merged review:

The history of the world from the Big Bang to today is covered in ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!, a brilliant new book with beautiful illustrations geared to middle grade readers. Author Christopher includes a lot of material in this 352-page compendium, chock full of intriguing stories on how the earth came to be, the history of wars, climates, animals, cultures, inventions, and so much more. You name it, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! has the answer. 5/5

Thanks to the author, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC and NetGalley for the review copy, in exchange for my true opinions.

#WhatonEarth #NetGalley

[Bandita · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a very informative audiobook, narrated by the the author himself in a great way. in this book he explains everything very clearly. this book is very appropriate and accessible for children to learn about the beginning of the earth and how things evolved from dinosaurs to homo sapiens to civilizations, religions, and tocomputer. this book would be very useful for the younger people to learn new things! highly recommend!

[Deb✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Lloyd is such a joy to listen to, with a personality that makes this audiobook easy to enjoy. He has such a warm, natural, passionate way of narrating, along with his fun sense of humor in just the right places.

Absolutely Everything! does cover pretty much everything from the beginning of time, to life, to the dinosaurs, to running through history, to modern day life and problems, to science progress, to climate change and beyond. I think this is a great book for all ages. I liked the way the chapters were broken up so that each one was not too long, and made the book flow from topic to topic perfectly. I think that Christopher Lloyd is a perfect person to listen to for this content. I would recommend this audiobook.


I would like to thank #NetGalley and the publisher Spotlight Audio/What On Earth Books, along with the author Christopher Lloyd for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you believe "knowledge is wealth", then Absolutely Everything! is a treasure trove. It encompasses almost everything that had occurred in the past, from the inception of time to the dinosaurs walking the face of the earth, from the big bang to modern day wars and revolutions. In each chapter, the author speaks on the 'how', 'what' and 'why' the specific event occurred; and how it shapes our present days. Accompanied with breathtaking illustrations which will visually enchant any readers beyond imagination, I believe this book belongs to every library, home and school and not only that reading it will improve your comprehrension on contrasting topics with salient analysis. Encompassing such vast, culturally diverse and of historic importance shows the great deal of research that went into the creation of the book. The author has maintained the authenticity of each fact and articulated them in a lucid and all- appealing mannerism.

Thank you netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for a honest review.

[farith · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"absolutely everything!" is a nice introduction to history for kids. this nonfiction book covers pretty much everything, from the origin of the universe, ancient civilizations, to world war i and ii. i loved how simplistic these topics were presented, making it easier for younger readers to digest. this shows us the importance of learning about the world we are living in. also, the audiobook was fun to listen to, and the voice of the narrator was ideal for this one.

[Lovely Day · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very evolutionary heavy

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This history book is full of colorful illustrations and photos, and a lighthearted writing style.
I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover and the gorgeous layout.

However, I did NOT find the information to be reliable or accurate, and the conversational writing style was too cutesy and fake for me.
The author often cites things as fact which are only theories, or gives his personal opinion on events instead of relating them impartially. Many of his conclusions are erroneous, and I did not appreciate the silly introductions to each chapter.

I did love the beautiful illustrations and colorful photos!
I would not recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading actual history rather than personal opinion and propaganda.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Courtnee Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! is a non-fiction selection that provides a detailed historical and scientific account of many of the defining moments in our planet's evolution. Christopher Lloyd focuses on singularities that jump-started an evolutionary process or advanced the human race.
Buckle up for a ride through time, as Christopher Lloyd takes his readers through periods of history that describe the amazing instances that bought us to the world in which we live today!
I was strongly reminded of the book, CONNECTIONS, as I read, and since that book was used in one of my history classes, I believe this title is detailed enough to be included as a text in some classrooms. Lloyd takes a moment in history and clearly explains the significant events that led to the event (and the resulting repercussions). The reader can almost feel the reverberations across other cultures as certain historical events are linked to times of changing social, political, or environmental climates.
The author references a clock to compare our planet's existence and human emergence and interaction on it. I loved the visual illustration!
In addition, I was impressed by the author's diplomatic handling of religious, political, and social movements. He touches on the facts without revealing an opinion on the issues.
Christopher Lloyd chose to narrate his book and he did very well. His narration was fluid and he seemed to deliver the information easily. I felt as though I was in an auditorium, listening to a highly articulate speaker deliver a powerful message. The music at the beginning and end of the chapters only added to his wonderful performance.
I will definitely read more books by this author!
This book would be a good fit for a wide range of readers who are interested in expanding their knowledge base.

[CozyReaderKelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a big picture view of history (from formation of Earth until present day), this is a great resource! Since it covers such a long time period, there is not time to give details on any one topic, but the author helps set up a timeline as a basis for doing more in depth research on topics of interest later. I am someone who has trouble placing certain events in history or seeing a general timeline in my mind, so this was helpful for me to read before teaching history to my daughter for homeschool. I also think this book would be a great homeschool reference book for kids in late elementary since it has easily understood language and pictures on every page to hold interest. The author also has a very personable way of writing that helps keep the narrative flowing.

[Yaqub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. Contains a lot of information. Highly recommend!

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Everything is an enjoyable romp through history that is geared towards older Middle School readers (but those of us a 'little' north of our early teen years can enjoy it too). It comes in print format (with amazing illustrations, so I've heard) but I listened to an eAudiobook version and really enjoyed it.

The author himself narrates the book -- but don't be thinking it's the actor Christopher Lloyd (aka 'Doc Brown') from the Back to the Future series though. This Christopher Lloyd is a UK author and lecturer and he does a bang-up job relaying a lot of information in an engaging way.

Lloyd gives readers a taste of many different parts of history from the beginning of the earth, approximately 13.8 billion years ago to present day. That's a large time frame but he provides readers with a visual of a clock to illustrate just how much (or very, very little) time certain historical events occurred in the grand scheme of things.

His entertaining and easy-going description of history touches on major environmental and historical events and humans' impact to our earth. From The Big Bang to dinosaurs roaming the earth, to earlier civilizations, wars, inventions, animals, religions, scientific discoveries, cultures, and how humans have fared since the beginning of time, this is a fairly comprehensive, yet well-summarized book that doesn't have that 'dry textbook' feel in its delivery. I appreciated that Lloyd acknowledges history's tendency to tell history from the POV of white people and tries to incorporate other cultures and aspects and also includes social issues like Black Lives Matter, Feminism and how these have impacted society as well.

I enjoyed this science-based viewpoint and how it briefly touches on different aspects in history, making it a great way to open discussions and perhaps even entice middle schoolers to do more historical research on their own. Parents, be prepared for lots of great "Hey mom, did you know that ..." kind of conversation starters.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book that discusses humanity's successes, failures and gives kids ideas on how we can make things a little better too. In the last pages, the author encourages readers who want to know more to contact him with ideas for his next book and what they'd like to learn about.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to What on Earth Books for providing me with a complimentary eAudiobook copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

[Karschtl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 Sterne

Das Buch hält wirklich, was der Titel verspricht. Christopher Lloyd (NICHT der Schauspieler aus "Zurück in die Zukunft") erzählt uns hier wirklich einfach alles, was man über die Entstehung der Welt und Entwicklung der Menschheit wissen muss. Gerade in den ersten Kapiteln über den Urknall und den ersten Lebewesen bis hin zu den Menschen habe ich sehr viel Neues erfahren. Begeistert hat mich vor allem, was Wissenschaftler über diese Zeit anhand nur sehr weniger Informationen (Fossilien, Gesteine etc.) rekonstruieren können! Wenn ich jetzt nochmal Teenager wäre, hätte ich durch dieses Buch sehr große Lust bekommen ebenfalls all diese Dinge zu erforschen! Dabei haben mich die naturwissenschaftlichen Fächer in der Schule nicht übermäßig interessiert. Geschichte hingegen war schon immer eines meiner Lieblingsfächer, und da kommt man dann in den folgenden Kapiteln ab dem Beginn der Menschheit auf seine Kosten.

In den letzten paar Kapiteln über die letzten 200-300 Jahre nimmt die Informationsdichte klarerweise ab. Da ist einfach so vieles passiert, dass unmöglich alles detailliert besprochen werden kann. Aber der Autor schafft es dennoch, die wirklich wichtigen Ereignisse hier zu vereinen. Damit ergibt sich hier ein ganz tolles Wissens- / Naturkunde- / Geschichts- / Politik-Sachbuch. Das war uns auch in der jetzigen Zeit, wo die Kinder oft nicht zur Schule gingen aber dennoch täglich etwas lernen sollen, eine sehr große Hilfe!

Allerdings hätte es für diese Zielgruppe (ich empfehle es ab ca. 10 Jahren) ein klein wenig besser aufgearbeitet werden können, da die einzelnen Kapitel doch sehr textlastig sind. Der Autor hätte hier definit mit Zwischenüberschriften arbeiten können, um vor allem auch späteres Nachschlagen bestimmter Themen zu erleichtern. Es gibt natürlich Illustrationen, und auch einen ganz wunderbaren Zeitstrahl zu Beginn jedes Kapitels, der die folgenden Ereignisse kurz zusammenfassst. Aber es hätten auch ruhig ein paar Infoboxen, Grafiken oder andere 'pädagogische Hilfen' sein dürfen. Dafür gibt es auch den halben Stern Abzug, ansonsten wie gesagt ein super Buch für Kinder, aber auch Erwachsene!

[book_loversdreams Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this wonderful audiobook from Netgalley for my honest review. I have to say that this book was beyond my expectations. It was narrated with wit and poise by the author Christopher Lloyd who is from the UK. This book is a fantastic learning experience for middle school age children. Adults will love this as well.

Mr Lloyd begins his journey with the Big Bang Theory and goes through evolution, dinosaurs, beginnings of homo-sapiens, historic civilizations, leaders, prophets, wars, religion, formation of government’s, formation of countries, computers, robots and absolutely anything you could think of.

Mr Lloyd does this with such flare and finesse that you only want to hear more as you go through each stage. I loved this audiobook and I know all of you that love history will as well. This is most assuredly a 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Be naïve, be humble, be human, that's all that is needed to heal this wounded world.” ~Abhijit Naskar

This was a snapshot, overview of the human and natural world. Christopher Lloyd was fantastic as the author and the narrator.
I of course, listened to it and I loved it. The pace and flow were great. So interesting easy to listen to and fun.
He starts at the beginning and rounds it up to present day. I’m very happy he plans to do a second book. I highly recommend this if you love facts and history.
You won’t be disappointed.

These are just some of the things he shared :
Big Bang •Dinosaurs •Pharaohs •Olive oil •The first book ever written •Religions •How we know how old a tree is •Vikings •Fleas and the plague •Martin Luther •Pilgrims •America •Cotton gin •Steam engines •Einstein • War and the atomic bomb •The problem with plastic •

Thank you, What on Earth Books via Netgalley for this wonderful audiobook, in exchange for my honest review.

[Laura L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review! Christopher Lloyd has written an amazing brief history of our world. And he performs it so well! It felt like I was listening to an epic science fiction adventure! I loved every second of this audiobook! I would highly recommend this to everyone interested in nonfiction.

[Sherry Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is told in a fun way, I love how Christopher Lloyd narrates the book and explains everything from the very beginning. It is very informative, and it matches the title: Absolutely Everything! If you are a history-geek and looking for a history-themed book, narrated in a fun and detailed way, I think this would be a perfect read. It is perfect for children and families, but grown-ups can enjoy it too! Hearing this audiobook feels like watching some documentary series, only that it's a book!

[Mar at BOOKIVERSE · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh! I LIKED IT VERY MUCH!
I do recommend this audiobook for children!
It's a great introduction to science and history presented in a very engaging way! It felt like watchig a movie!

[Yassin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book if you want to learn a lot of history!!!

[Mandy Bookaholica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Einfach alles" erzählt die Geschichte von der Entstehung unserer Heimaterde bis hin zur heutigen Zeit. Dabei werden alle Zeitepochen der Geschichte kompakt in einzelnen Kapiteln veranschaulicht und mit allerhand Wissenswertem näher gebracht.

Das Buch ist, meiner Ansicht nach, insbesondere an wissbegierige Jungen und Mädchen im Alter von 10-13 Jahre zu empfehlen - aber auch ich, als fast 30-Jährige, konnte noch eine Menge dazu lernen. Ein Blick lohnt sich definitiv für jung und alt.

Wir beginnen mit der Entstehung des Universums; wir lernen, wie sich Land, Wälder und Weltmeere bilden; besuchen die Dinosaurier und erfahren hier auch, welchem Lebewesen wir es zu verdanken haben, dass wir uns Millionen Jahre später entwickeln konnten. Insbesondere dieses Detail fand ich wahnsinnig spannend!
Wir lernen einiges über unsere Artverwandten kennen und wie sich aus diesen der "Homo sapiens" entwickeln konnte und daraufhin Zivilisationen entstanden sind. Nach und nach grasen wir den gesamten Erdball ab und erfahren von allen Kontinenten und den dazugehörigen Ländern, was sich zu jenen Zeiträumen innerhalb der Gebiete ereignete; welche Erfindungen die damalige Zeit revolutionierten und welche Herrscher, Könige und nennenswerte Personen in dieser Zeit am Zug waren.
Die ganze Entstehungsgeschichte wird außerdem immer wieder an einer Uhr versinnbildlicht, wobei es dennoch unfassbar scheint, was in diesen Milliarden Jahren alles vor sich ging. Einiges stellt die Wissenschaft auch heute noch vor Rätsel, aber das Buch gibt dennoch einen großen Überblick über das, was Überlieferungen und Rückstände (wie etwa Fossilien usw.) uns erzählen können.

Das gesamte Werk ist wirklich eine Bereicherung in jedem Bücherregal. Es gibt so viele spannende Details zu entdecken und unsere gesamte Geschichte mal Stück für Stück im Kopf entstehen zu lassen. Schon lange wollte ich gerne ein solches Buch lesen und bin sehr froh, diese Gelegenheit nun bekommen zu haben. Es ist erstaunlich und zugleich faszinierend, durch welche zahlreichen Fügungen und Ereignisse die Natur so ist, wie wir sie heute kennen. Wie oft bin ich schon durch Wälder und Wiesen gewandert und habe mich, wie es kleine Kinder manchmal tun, gefragt "Warum ist das eigentlich so?" Dieses Buch lässt wenige Fragen unbeantwortet.
Interessant sind außerdem viele Entstehungsgeschichten aus der Menschheit - Religionen, Kulturen, Architekturen, Lebensweisen. Keine einzige Seite hat mich gelangweilt. Denn im Gegensatz zu trockener Sachliteratur aus der Erwachsenenabteilung, hatte man hier tolle Illustrationen mit dazugehörigen Erklärungen, die dem ganzen Abwechslung und eine genauere Vorstellung gaben.
Auch wenn nicht jedes Geschehen in der Gesamtheit näher beleuchtet werden konnte, kann es definitiv Lust wecken, tiefer in bestimmte Themen einzutauchen und mehr darüber in anderen Büchern oder Medien zu erfahren.

Zu dem ganzen Lob muss ich jedoch eine Kritik loswerden: An einigen Stellen haben sich Rechtschreib- und/oder Grammatikfehler eingeschlichen, die meinen Lesefluss störten. Ein Buch voller Wissen sollte wirklich nicht mit vermeidbaren Fehlern an Glanz verlieren!

Rundum kann ich nur sagen: Unbedingt ansehen! Ein Sachbuch für alle, die in unsere reale Geschichte abtauchen und die Zeit einfach mal zurückspulen wollen. Auch ein ideales Geschenk für die kleinen Weltentdecker von Morgen :)

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really mixed feelings about this books, but these mixed feelings didn't settle in until I'd consumed about half of this book.when I realized I hadn't heard anything about countries like Russia or Japan and didn't hear anything about them until we his the 20th century.

I had the thought that (everything after human civilization really begins) felt so similar to the course of history I was taught in the US Public School System, incredibly Euro-centric and Amero-centric, stopping after World War 2. I did find expansions on the histories of China, India, and information related to Islamic Golden Age. Which are things I hadn't been exposed too.

I know Lloyd does say in his afterword, that there is no way that he can cover everything, because that would be endless. But I think the opportunity was missed to maybe have ended the book sooner then the mid 20th century in favor of going more in depth about other countries and cultures existing in the same time period.

I say this because, I had no concept of overlap of the timelines of history until I was an adult. I remember a professor in college saying that Samurai and Cowboys existed at the same time (albeit a short amount of time) and it blew my mind wide open because while I had loved history as a kid. No one every teaches these topics in a way that really shows how the world developed.

Which I will say Lloyd DOES in this book, and I LOVE it.

So while it isn't perfect and I wouldn't use it solely as a text book if I were homeschooling. It would be great for a history loving kind in your life.it will cover a lot that they may never hear about in school. I know it has sparked me to want to know more about countries histories that I had never learned about in school (India and Zimbabwe).

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly comprehensive yet condensed history of (as the title implies) everything.
Lloyd goes back to the very beginning of everything and makes his way to modern times while giving information on topics from biology to history and so many other things in between that I could write a thousand-word essay on just what gets talked about in this book.
It's one of those books that gives you a little bit of information on a myriad of topics so you can always have an interesting fact on hand to impress others or so you can know where to start looking further into something that interests you.
The way everything is presented is also very jovial and even a little bit playful, so you never really feel like you're starting to tune out from droning like one is won't to do when being talked at. The audiobook lacks the images to go with what's being presented, but it more than makes up for it with how delighted Lloyd seems at sharing all this information with listeners. Also, the English accent plays into the wise professor image that has been drilled into us by popular media and makes this an even better listen because of it. Although, I admit to cracking a smile at how he pronounces some of the names of things. Took me a couple of tries to figure out Maya.
Overall, very informative, very easy to listen to, and very well presented. This is definitely a good book to have on hand for when you're feeling like you want to learn something but don't want to do it in a boring way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and What on Earth Books for the read/listen.

[Rosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous listening experience this has been! I never thought listening to an encyclopaedic book would be so much fun.

Christopher Lloyd, the author, has done a great job narrowing down the entire 13.8 billion year history of planar earth into one book. His writing is simple, straightforward and detailed without being cumbersome on the reader. The book is enlightening, and I hope to get my hands on the hard copy soon.

Christopher Lloyd, the narrator, has done a brilliant job rendering his writing into speech. His voice is well-defined, his speech clearly enunciated, and his narration well-enthused. My mind didn't waver from the narration at all.

This was a 5/5 from me. I look forward to the next book in the series as mentioned by the author in the outro. "Absolutely Everything Else" sounds like a delightful continuation and here's a guaranteed reader awaiting it!

I received an advance review copy of the audio book from NetGalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.



*************************************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

So growing up I adored all things dinosaur (they’re still awesome) and this book reminded me of that because there is a lot about dinosaurs. There is of course loads of other information as well. The kinds of history you’re more familiar with; like kings and queens and wars. It’s not just about the history though. Black Lives Matter is included, technology, feminisms, etc.

I like the way the book journey’s from past to present and that there is an index at the back if you have a certain subject you want to look up. It’s cleverly split and the narration is engaging. It’s a factual book but it doesn’t feel like a school book.

Does it cover ‘absolutely everything’? Well no. It would have to be impossibly big to do that. However, it makes a good attempt and giving insight into a lot of different subjects from across the globe, historically and now.

[Farhana Faruq · Rating 5 out of 5]

From dinosaurs to present day, this book has it all... well actually, not all. It's an overview from then until now but when you try and give an overview of history without key facts in-between it doesn't always portray an accurate picture.

This is a children's book (I think more suitable for older children around ages 10 and up), and because I listened to the audio (which is approximately 6 hours long) I missed out on the amazing illustrations that other reviews have mentioned. I did enjoy the book. I liked that the author read it and did an awesome job. And, I even learned a few new things.

[Lieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, narrated by the author.
The book has a lot of information about everything from the start of the universe until the present day. He brings the information with a lot of enthusiasm and makes it a fun experience.
It brings back memories from history lessons at school but also adds new insights into why certain things happened and he isn't afraid to say so if things are unknown. And he made connections between topics that I hadn't realised (or forgotten).

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Shawna Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a history lover, I loved this book. It literally went through the beginning of time to the present in one book. I had learned much of this in school, but many things I had to idea about. I loved the tidbits of information he told us about. I reader was great. He seemed very engaged in the books and I loved him accent.

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative book that children will love. Packed with information covering science, nature and history of our world. What will you discover?