From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson

Start date: March 1, 2009

Finish date: March 31, 2009

Discussion: Book Club 2010 & Prior

Why we're reading this: Picked in a poll to read about science history for the March reading.
[close] Picked in a poll to read about science history for the March reading.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 25 topics — 498 comments total

Book Club 2010 & Prior

March Book Club "A Short History of nearly Everything"
By William · 14 posts · 147 views

last updated Aug 06, 2014 12:20PM

November 2010 - Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End / The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
By S. · 62 posts · 80 views

last updated Apr 19, 2012 04:58PM

showing 8 of 8 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jan 27, 2020 Mitchell Friedman rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-b, library, liked-reviews, history, science, nonfiction, popular

This was basically a history of science book that eventually devolved into a survey of some science. It had the feeling of being on solid ground up into the around maybe 1980. It's just the facts have just moved so fast in genetics and early hominids that it is hard to know what current science thinks. Lots of anecdotes. Lots of fact dumping. Lot of male scientists feuding with other male scientists. Still pretty cool and fairly readable, especially before it go too close to current day. This is ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2009 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Absolutely fascinating. Bryson goes into just enough detail about each subject to really get you thinking, without making your head hurt. Highly recommended to everyone, not just science geeks like myself!

2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 22, 2009 Erica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: geology, science

In my top five nonfiction favorites catagory. Couldn't put this one down. So well written. Highly recommend. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2009 Edina rated it it was ok

It had a fantastic introduction but the rest was a bit dry and since earth science was the main topic, my least favorite field, I could only read for so long. I loved reading about the personal lives of men like Newton and Owens. You wouldn't believe how many people that have made tremendous contributions to society have had the strangest most effed-up lives... It is a sacrifice to devote so much to an intellectual pursuit because your personal life tends to suffer so greatly. When I realized th ...more

Like · see review

Feb 19, 2009 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: x-feb-09-thru-jan-10, read-non-fiction, read-science

Bryson was surely writing for me, the person interested in and fascinated by cosmology, geology, and other scientific topics but with neither the educational background nor the turn of mind to professionally pursue them.

Like · see review

Aug 18, 2009 David Cerruti rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science, history

Update:

I loved the book. It was funny, informative, and considering the scope, it was brief. The other reviews said it all. There is nothing I could add, until I found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNYZH9...

...more

2 likes · Like · see review