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katlikespie's review against another edition
3.0
*Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*
In regards to the text: Fascinating! I love facts and general information, and this book kept me learning new things at every turn, and I enjoyed the conversational writing style. It was much like I had been discussing things with a friend, both of us talking about something we were passionate about, except this book encompassed many, many different topics.
In regards to the narration: Well, here's the thing. I have a bit of a hearing problem. It's not generally noticeable, even to myself, but between the ambient noise of the car and the narrator's low-pitched voice, I could tell this would be an issue. The biggest problem, though, was that the author had the somewhat infuriating habit of getting VERY EXCITED AND LOUD at the beginning of a sentence, and then finishing it off in a *whisper,* as though to underline how important something was. This is frustratingly common with audiobooks, but this was an extreme case, and I missed a good half of what he said because he kept lowering his voice so much. Because he was so loud at other parts, I couldn't just turn it up, because then it was VERY LOUD. I wish there was a way I could modify this, because the information itself was right up my alley, but I couldn't finish it because, quite frankly, I couldn't understand it.
In regards to the text: Fascinating! I love facts and general information, and this book kept me learning new things at every turn, and I enjoyed the conversational writing style. It was much like I had been discussing things with a friend, both of us talking about something we were passionate about, except this book encompassed many, many different topics.
In regards to the narration: Well, here's the thing. I have a bit of a hearing problem. It's not generally noticeable, even to myself, but between the ambient noise of the car and the narrator's low-pitched voice, I could tell this would be an issue. The biggest problem, though, was that the author had the somewhat infuriating habit of getting VERY EXCITED AND LOUD at the beginning of a sentence, and then finishing it off in a *whisper,* as though to underline how important something was. This is frustratingly common with audiobooks, but this was an extreme case, and I missed a good half of what he said because he kept lowering his voice so much. Because he was so loud at other parts, I couldn't just turn it up, because then it was VERY LOUD. I wish there was a way I could modify this, because the information itself was right up my alley, but I couldn't finish it because, quite frankly, I couldn't understand it.
north_willow's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.5
nora_nevermore's review against another edition
4.0
A well written, fast paced book full of information about absolutely everything!! It was impressive to see how much the author was able to pack into one book and I would definitely read another of he makes one. It's also an easy read that I would recommend people sharing with their kids to give them a healthy dose of useful knowledge.
dustilane's review against another edition
5.0
I received an audio book copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Have you ever thought about just how much we don't know about the world around us and the history of that world?
Well, Christopher Lloyd caught himself wondering this exact thing and decided to help all of us gain a little more knowledge. The book covers a little bit of everything, from the big bang all the way to present day.
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This was such an enjoyable journey through time! As a history nerd who likes knowing sciencey stuff but doesn't have the brain power to understand sciencey words, this was perfect for me. I already love Christopher Lloyd, so his narration of the audio book was just a bonus. Plus, I always tend to enjoy when an author narrates for their own book.
I would highly recommend this to anyone that wants to learn more about... well... anything and everything! A great mixture of science and history, seriousness and humor, and both in-depth but not boring exploration into the various topics. 5/5 stars, for sure!
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Have you ever thought about just how much we don't know about the world around us and the history of that world?
Well, Christopher Lloyd caught himself wondering this exact thing and decided to help all of us gain a little more knowledge. The book covers a little bit of everything, from the big bang all the way to present day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was such an enjoyable journey through time! As a history nerd who likes knowing sciencey stuff but doesn't have the brain power to understand sciencey words, this was perfect for me. I already love Christopher Lloyd, so his narration of the audio book was just a bonus. Plus, I always tend to enjoy when an author narrates for their own book.
I would highly recommend this to anyone that wants to learn more about... well... anything and everything! A great mixture of science and history, seriousness and humor, and both in-depth but not boring exploration into the various topics. 5/5 stars, for sure!
meggsreads's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
This book is unlike anything I’ve seen before. I plan on using Absolutely Everything in our homeschool. The book covers so many different topics from the beginning of the Earth to present day. Each section provides just enough information to get you engaged in the subject and provides an great jumping off point to want to explore further. Often times as an adult you find yourself thinking you don’t need a ton of new information, but I personally found myself saying,” Oh that’s interesting. I didn’t know that.” I feel very good about the conversations that I believe this book will invoke.
afterglobe's review against another edition
4.0
A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.
4/5 - Really liked it.
I listened to the audiobook, which was wonderfully and enthusiastically narrated by Christopher Lloyd. The narration was delightful with lovely musical accompaniments at the end of the chapters, which made the whole book "sound" very put together. The content was great as well - I especially enjoyed the beginning of the book, which covered the formation of the planet. I was fascinated. I was texting my friends in all-caps, asking if they knew that a great portion of the very water we were drinking came from ice comets from outer space. How incredible!
The reason I'm not rating this book higher is because I felt that modern history was a bit rushed compared to the beginning of the world. It was as if Lloyd had dedicated the proper amount of energy, passion, and time to the beginning of the book and then began to run out of time or space at the end. Of course, it's impossible to cover all of the world's history in a book but the end did begin to feel a little bit like someone saying: "And then this happened, and then they came in, and oh - they did this, and anyway this happened, because these people did this..." I wished he could dedicate more time to it. It would have made for a longer book, but I gladly would have read or listened. He's a fascinating writer and storyteller. I wanted more depth and content.
Overall, a brilliant book and highly recommended for both children and adults.
4/5 - Really liked it.
I listened to the audiobook, which was wonderfully and enthusiastically narrated by Christopher Lloyd. The narration was delightful with lovely musical accompaniments at the end of the chapters, which made the whole book "sound" very put together. The content was great as well - I especially enjoyed the beginning of the book, which covered the formation of the planet. I was fascinated. I was texting my friends in all-caps, asking if they knew that a great portion of the very water we were drinking came from ice comets from outer space. How incredible!
The reason I'm not rating this book higher is because I felt that modern history was a bit rushed compared to the beginning of the world. It was as if Lloyd had dedicated the proper amount of energy, passion, and time to the beginning of the book and then began to run out of time or space at the end. Of course, it's impossible to cover all of the world's history in a book but the end did begin to feel a little bit like someone saying: "And then this happened, and then they came in, and oh - they did this, and anyway this happened, because these people did this..." I wished he could dedicate more time to it. It would have made for a longer book, but I gladly would have read or listened. He's a fascinating writer and storyteller. I wanted more depth and content.
Overall, a brilliant book and highly recommended for both children and adults.
monerl's review against another edition
4.0
Meine Meinung
Ein Buch, das sich an Kinder und Jugendliche wendet und durch einfache (Umgangs)Sprache leicht und locker Wissen und somit Allgemeinbildung vermittelt, findet immer meine Unterstützung!
Gespräche mit Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen zeigen mir oftmals, wie wenig Allgemeinbildung einige haben. Sie brauchen Bücher, die sie optisch anziehen und nicht gleich überfordern. Mit diesem Buch sehe ich das Ziel auf jeden Fall erreicht.
Der Autor kategorisiert die Themen in folgende 15 Kapitel:
1. Aus dem Nichts – Vor 13,8 Mrd.-450 Mio. Jahren
2. Land in Sicht! – Vor 470 Mio.-252 Mio. Jahren
3. Dinosaurier – Vor 252 Mio.- Mio. Jahren
4. Hand und Fuß – Vor 5 Millionen- 65 000 Jahren
5. Du und ich – Vor 200 000 Jahren-5000 v. Chr.
6. Erste Zivilisation – 5000-1500 v. Chr.
7. Unterdessen in Asien – 3000-200 v. Chr.
8. Aufstieg und Untergang – 1400 v. Chr.-476 n. Chr.
9. Unterdessen in Amerika – 1500 v. Chr.-1530 n. Chr.
10. Erfindungen verbinden – 570-1279 n. Chr.
11. Mittelalterliche Misere – 476-1526 n. Chr.
12. Die Welt wird global – 1415-1621
13. Revolutionen an allen Ecken und Enden – 1543-1905
14. Die Welt im Krieg – 1845-1945
15. Fortsetzung folgt… – 1945-heute
Die unterschiedlich farbigen Streifen am Buchschnitt erleichtern das Suchen und Finden der Kapitel. So kann leicht und schnell gezielt gestöbert werden. Der Text auf jeder Seite wird immer durch Illustrationen, Bilder, Zeichnungen oder Tabellen so aufgelockert, sodass man beim Lesen nicht so schnell ermüdet und man genug Abwechslung fürs Auge hat.
Jede Kapiteleinführung hat am unteren Rand einen tollen Zeitstrahl, der die aus Sicht des Autors wichtigen Meilensteine mit Jahreszahl aufzeigen und bietet damit auch eine gute Kapitelübersicht.
Vieles wusste ich schon und einiges auch nicht, somit eignet sich dieses Buch auch für wissbegierige Erwachsene, die sich an der Ansprache des Autors an seine Leser*innen mit “du” nicht stören. Dies ist kein Fachbuch, das mit unzähligen Fachwörtern um sich schmeißt. Es enthält viel, natürlich nicht alles.
Mein Kritikpunkt bezieht sich auf den Inhalt. Ich persönlich hätte gerne eine Auswahl gehabt, die noch etwas mehr auf Themen und Ereignisse eingeht, die nicht in jedem Sach- und / oder Geschichtsbuch zu finden sind. Damit hätte es noch etwas besonderer sein können.
Die Buchgestaltung ist sehr hochwertig und muss hervorgehoben werden. Das Buch sieht nicht nur poppig und schick aus, es ist ein gebundenes Hardcover und hat eine ansprechende (Über)Größe von ca. 19 x 25 cm. So lässt sich darin leicht und schön lesen und blättern und die vielen farbigen Fotos, Zeichnungen als auch verschiedene Tabellen betrachten. So verlieren ältere Kinder und Jugendliche nicht gleich das Interesse. Das Buch hält einiges aus und ist auch im Regal schön anzuschauen.
Ein Glossar, das viele Wörter und ihre Bedeutung erklärt sowie ein Register, die zu jedem guten Sachbuch dazugehören, runden das Buch in Gänze ab.
Fazit
Ein Buch, das alles verspricht, vieles liefert und noch mehr Fragen aufwirft, denn eines ist klar, absolut alles ist richtig, richtig viel und kann natürlich nicht zwischen diese beide Buchdeckel passen. Aber das macht ja nichts! Wo ein Anfang ist, kann es auch weiter gehen. Und wer mehr wissen will, der sollte seinen Wissensdurst und seine Neugier nicht zügeln, sondern einfach weitere und intensivere Recherche betreiben. Von mir gibt es auf jeden Fall eine absolute Leseempfehlung für Jung und Alt!
Ein Buch, das sich an Kinder und Jugendliche wendet und durch einfache (Umgangs)Sprache leicht und locker Wissen und somit Allgemeinbildung vermittelt, findet immer meine Unterstützung!
Gespräche mit Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen zeigen mir oftmals, wie wenig Allgemeinbildung einige haben. Sie brauchen Bücher, die sie optisch anziehen und nicht gleich überfordern. Mit diesem Buch sehe ich das Ziel auf jeden Fall erreicht.
Der Autor kategorisiert die Themen in folgende 15 Kapitel:
1. Aus dem Nichts – Vor 13,8 Mrd.-450 Mio. Jahren
2. Land in Sicht! – Vor 470 Mio.-252 Mio. Jahren
3. Dinosaurier – Vor 252 Mio.- Mio. Jahren
4. Hand und Fuß – Vor 5 Millionen- 65 000 Jahren
5. Du und ich – Vor 200 000 Jahren-5000 v. Chr.
6. Erste Zivilisation – 5000-1500 v. Chr.
7. Unterdessen in Asien – 3000-200 v. Chr.
8. Aufstieg und Untergang – 1400 v. Chr.-476 n. Chr.
9. Unterdessen in Amerika – 1500 v. Chr.-1530 n. Chr.
10. Erfindungen verbinden – 570-1279 n. Chr.
11. Mittelalterliche Misere – 476-1526 n. Chr.
12. Die Welt wird global – 1415-1621
13. Revolutionen an allen Ecken und Enden – 1543-1905
14. Die Welt im Krieg – 1845-1945
15. Fortsetzung folgt… – 1945-heute
Die unterschiedlich farbigen Streifen am Buchschnitt erleichtern das Suchen und Finden der Kapitel. So kann leicht und schnell gezielt gestöbert werden. Der Text auf jeder Seite wird immer durch Illustrationen, Bilder, Zeichnungen oder Tabellen so aufgelockert, sodass man beim Lesen nicht so schnell ermüdet und man genug Abwechslung fürs Auge hat.
Jede Kapiteleinführung hat am unteren Rand einen tollen Zeitstrahl, der die aus Sicht des Autors wichtigen Meilensteine mit Jahreszahl aufzeigen und bietet damit auch eine gute Kapitelübersicht.
Vieles wusste ich schon und einiges auch nicht, somit eignet sich dieses Buch auch für wissbegierige Erwachsene, die sich an der Ansprache des Autors an seine Leser*innen mit “du” nicht stören. Dies ist kein Fachbuch, das mit unzähligen Fachwörtern um sich schmeißt. Es enthält viel, natürlich nicht alles.
Mein Kritikpunkt bezieht sich auf den Inhalt. Ich persönlich hätte gerne eine Auswahl gehabt, die noch etwas mehr auf Themen und Ereignisse eingeht, die nicht in jedem Sach- und / oder Geschichtsbuch zu finden sind. Damit hätte es noch etwas besonderer sein können.
Die Buchgestaltung ist sehr hochwertig und muss hervorgehoben werden. Das Buch sieht nicht nur poppig und schick aus, es ist ein gebundenes Hardcover und hat eine ansprechende (Über)Größe von ca. 19 x 25 cm. So lässt sich darin leicht und schön lesen und blättern und die vielen farbigen Fotos, Zeichnungen als auch verschiedene Tabellen betrachten. So verlieren ältere Kinder und Jugendliche nicht gleich das Interesse. Das Buch hält einiges aus und ist auch im Regal schön anzuschauen.
Ein Glossar, das viele Wörter und ihre Bedeutung erklärt sowie ein Register, die zu jedem guten Sachbuch dazugehören, runden das Buch in Gänze ab.
Fazit
Ein Buch, das alles verspricht, vieles liefert und noch mehr Fragen aufwirft, denn eines ist klar, absolut alles ist richtig, richtig viel und kann natürlich nicht zwischen diese beide Buchdeckel passen. Aber das macht ja nichts! Wo ein Anfang ist, kann es auch weiter gehen. Und wer mehr wissen will, der sollte seinen Wissensdurst und seine Neugier nicht zügeln, sondern einfach weitere und intensivere Recherche betreiben. Von mir gibt es auf jeden Fall eine absolute Leseempfehlung für Jung und Alt!
lsquared's review against another edition
5.0
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.
otherworlds913's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was incredibly interesting and his narration really held my attention.
One thing I really liked was the comparison of timescale of the BILLIONS of years as a “24 hour clock”. It was a clever way to put the different periods into perspective—and to show in a very accessible way just how little time we, as humans, have actually been here!
For the beginning, I liked the constant emphasis on how theories continue to change, how we’re learning more and more and realising we were wrong—and that that’s okay, because that’s just a part of science.
This book also does a fantastic job of weaving the complex timeline of the world in its entirety together. That being said, I think the chapter discussing the beginning of civilisation could have been laid out a little clearer. I appreciate that a lot of these civilisations occurred at the same time and were vastly different across the globe, but this part was weaved together like a story that kept jumping back and forth thousands of years and I think more care could have been taken here to make it less confusing for people who don’t already understand the timeline.
I also have to commend the good job this book does on laying out the facts of how awful we’ve actually been as humans over the thousands of millennia; discussing the "whys" of horrid events occurring, whilst never condoning the actions.
It’s very… "This is a fact. Let’s not best about the bush, this happened because people wanted [insert money and/or power] and it was shit. Maybe not for [X] part of the world who gained [Y], but those people over there? It was shit for them." Which I appreciated.
I also really like the way the book tackles the subject of religion—very objective. Very “here is a story people began to believe during this period that says [X]”, and discussing the known historical recordings of religious figures/those seen as prophets existing. However, this aligns with my views because I am atheist. So, if as a reader you have religious faith, be prepared to see religion discussed in this objective way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. It’s only a starting point—as all of these books tend to be—but even so, the detail stuffed into this is really admirable. Very good job!
This book was incredibly interesting and his narration really held my attention.
One thing I really liked was the comparison of timescale of the BILLIONS of years as a “24 hour clock”. It was a clever way to put the different periods into perspective—and to show in a very accessible way just how little time we, as humans, have actually been here!
For the beginning, I liked the constant emphasis on how theories continue to change, how we’re learning more and more and realising we were wrong—and that that’s okay, because that’s just a part of science.
This book also does a fantastic job of weaving the complex timeline of the world in its entirety together. That being said, I think the chapter discussing the beginning of civilisation could have been laid out a little clearer. I appreciate that a lot of these civilisations occurred at the same time and were vastly different across the globe, but this part was weaved together like a story that kept jumping back and forth thousands of years and I think more care could have been taken here to make it less confusing for people who don’t already understand the timeline.
I also have to commend the good job this book does on laying out the facts of how awful we’ve actually been as humans over the thousands of millennia; discussing the "whys" of horrid events occurring, whilst never condoning the actions.
It’s very… "This is a fact. Let’s not best about the bush, this happened because people wanted [insert money and/or power] and it was shit. Maybe not for [X] part of the world who gained [Y], but those people over there? It was shit for them." Which I appreciated.
I also really like the way the book tackles the subject of religion—very objective. Very “here is a story people began to believe during this period that says [X]”, and discussing the known historical recordings of religious figures/those seen as prophets existing. However, this aligns with my views because I am atheist. So, if as a reader you have religious faith, be prepared to see religion discussed in this objective way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. It’s only a starting point—as all of these books tend to be—but even so, the detail stuffed into this is really admirable. Very good job!
uncommonlybound's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure how the author managed to pack so much into a single book! Admittedly some of the concepts and events are told with very little detail, but since the book has such a wide scope, this is to be expected. I will say that, for the most part, the author does a good job explaining complex ideas and events quickly and clearly.
The audiobook is narrated by the author. I appreciated his enthusiasm while describing all the interesting facts and histories included in the book.
I received a free audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The audiobook is narrated by the author. I appreciated his enthusiasm while describing all the interesting facts and histories included in the book.
I received a free audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.