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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
It may sound trite, but this is a truly amazing book. Although the book is not very short, it does cover nearly everything. You will learn about atoms, early humans, stars, the theory of evolution, elements, bacteria, plate tectonics, and much, much more, as well as all of the fascinating, brilliant, and sometimes very odd people associated with these things.
This is definitely an 'astound your friends' kind of book. Not only will you gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the the world around, above, and below us, you will learn fascinating tidbits to drop casually into conversation, such as 'Did you know that each human alive right now probably has about a billion atoms that once belonged to [b:William Shakespeare|18135|Romeo and Juliet|William Shakespeare|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XTDJ3P4XL._SL75_.jpg|3349450]?'
To be fair, this information has existed elsewhere before this book. But, the book combines fascinating, informative facts with high-quality, entertaining writing. Bryson does a wonderful job of explaining even the most confusing of subjects and makes everything entertaining and engaging. He provides a perfect mix of intellectual material, human interest, and humor. Not to gush too much, I must close with one final praise of the book. To close, Bryson chose to discuss our place in the world he has so carefully and intriguingly been describing. He discusses the destruction we have caused and the power we have over our world. I found his message of caution, conservation, and love of living things the perfect end to the book. Bryson spends 450+ pages cultivating a deep fascination and appreciation of the world and universe in his reader and uses those feelings to make a message of conservation touching, understandable, and accessible.
This book will enrich any person's life.
This is definitely an 'astound your friends' kind of book. Not only will you gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the the world around, above, and below us, you will learn fascinating tidbits to drop casually into conversation, such as 'Did you know that each human alive right now probably has about a billion atoms that once belonged to [b:William Shakespeare|18135|Romeo and Juliet|William Shakespeare|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XTDJ3P4XL._SL75_.jpg|3349450]?'
To be fair, this information has existed elsewhere before this book. But, the book combines fascinating, informative facts with high-quality, entertaining writing. Bryson does a wonderful job of explaining even the most confusing of subjects and makes everything entertaining and engaging. He provides a perfect mix of intellectual material, human interest, and humor. Not to gush too much, I must close with one final praise of the book. To close, Bryson chose to discuss our place in the world he has so carefully and intriguingly been describing. He discusses the destruction we have caused and the power we have over our world. I found his message of caution, conservation, and love of living things the perfect end to the book. Bryson spends 450+ pages cultivating a deep fascination and appreciation of the world and universe in his reader and uses those feelings to make a message of conservation touching, understandable, and accessible.
This book will enrich any person's life.
Utterly enjoyable. Loved the coherence of narrative.
This was the first book of Bill Bryson's that I have read and I will definitely be reading more of his stuff. I couldn't put this book down! (Ironic, seeing how long it took me to finish it.) I will re-read this one many times over again.
A science teacher in your pocket
Reading this book is like listening to your favorite teacher breaking down your favorite topic. The way it unfolds it makes you feel proud of yourself that you now able to get a grasp of even the most complex subjects like relativity theory quantum theory, big bang, evolution, etc.
Reading this is giving yourself a gift of knowledge.
Reading this book is like listening to your favorite teacher breaking down your favorite topic. The way it unfolds it makes you feel proud of yourself that you now able to get a grasp of even the most complex subjects like relativity theory quantum theory, big bang, evolution, etc.
Reading this is giving yourself a gift of knowledge.
Bryson has a great way of connecting the dots and teaching without being boring, dry, or over your head. The little nuggets of information he shares throughout the book had me saying 'Ah. That's where that came from.' pretty often. Enjoyable and a great educational read.
Very engaging and interesting, I normally don't care about science all that much. Some parts are outdated, but I think it's still a worthwhile read.
informative
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
slow-paced