A Short History of Nearly Everything: The bestselling popular science book of the 21st Century: 5 (Bryson, 5) Paperback – 16 Jun. 2016

This is one of Bill Bryson's best works. I really enjoyed how thoroughly he covered the different topics and he is a very knowledgeable author. Even though this a serious, non-fiction book, Bryson brings a great sense of humour and lightheartedness to his writing. This book is written in a timeline style and it's easy to follow.I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning about the history of the world, from the beginning of time until modern day.

I assume most people like me, are used to learning about science by fixating on one topic at a time, and becoming immersed (and very often lost) in the technical jargon and intricacies. This book surprised me in the amount of effort Bryson took to go through book after book of different sciences, both old and new, (from physics, chemistry, geology and many more) and connect the dots into several cohesive stories about our home, planet Earth, and its residents.The book's title is very apt.The breadth of history covered by this book is massive (as well as weighty!) – from the first fraction of a second of the Universe’s existence to the recent discoveries of the 20th century. Obviously there are certain gaps (hence the "nearly"), but Bryson readily points out what he does not know. It is an honest history of the scientific accomplishments since the earth's inception. It is a must read for every human, as it hands you a feeling of bursting pride - being a participant in humanity's great journey. Although the most surprising feature is the balance between the roles played by chance in many of these discoveries, and the unyielding human determination to identify a grey area, and seek knowledge accordingly.The book’s strength lies in its ability to convey the wonder (and complexity) of science to the average layman - mainly because Bryson, himself, has no scientific background and only recently familiarised himself with these wonders. More than just a condensed text of salient, factual information - Bryson brings this to life whilst describing the surrounding imperfect scientific process (why the information was sought after, how scientists honed their approaches from producing wildly incorrect estimations to the precisely calculated figures we use today, and why information or possibilities lie outside our grasp), as well as amusing anecdotes.The other strength of this book is that by approaching it from the POV of a non-scientist, Bryson nourishes our wonderment and understanding to grow as information fluidly disguised in Bryson’s energetic, quirky, familiar and humorous prose seep out each chapter, letting us journey alongside some of the most prominent (and some of the less prominent but equally brilliant) scientists in their obsessive pursuits. In fact, I found information that I loosely remembered from my schooldays and now find that the little bit of context and intrigue that Bryson adorns them with has left them impressed in my mind forever.[...]

I am quite the fan of Bill Bryson's travel books. They are humorous, and diverting, if not the most profound books you'll read. There's nothing wrong with this, they are enjoyable, and you learn something about places, all the same.I read Byson's book of American English, and found it harder to work though. Maybe that because while I'm well educated, I'm not sure I'm the sort of person who has a literary bent. That book did, however, put me off Bryson's other non-travel literature, and prevented me from reading this book for a while.Maybe it's because I'm more scientific, or because i just enjoy geology and older history, I found this book more accessible. It covers the science and our lack knowledge of how the Earth became the Earth, animals were formed, and the evolution of how humans became humans.It's surprisingly accessible, and enjoyable read. If you want to have a feel of why the Earth looks like it does, and why we look like we do, read this book. It doesn't assume you've any specialist knowledge, but doesn't assume you're an idiot either.The one warning I would have, is that it's not really a history book, more an explanation of the state of knowledge as it exists when the book was written.