Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian
Bill Bryson, who has written nonfiction books on various subjects, including the joys and trials of hiking the Appalachian Trail, his love of England, and small-town America, has outdone himself with A Short History of Nearly Everything. He attempts to explain the history of scientific discovery of our planet and our universe—from to the smallest atomic particles to the largest expanse of space. The highest praise I can offer this book is that despite the fact that it is about science, I was hooked. The tone is funny, entertaining, and educational, and the facts are presented in a way that the reader can understand, whether they are from a scientific background or not. Physics, astronomy, geology, biology, chemistry—it's all there. Bryson weaves these fields of knowledge together to present a whole picture of the world in which we live, and does so in a way that encourages the reader to not take life on earth for granted.
