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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
The more I read these books about "how we came to know what we know", the more obvious it becomes that our grasp on what's actually going on is not just tenuous but will likely prove to be partially to almost completely incorrect in some way that will be very obvious in retrospective. There are many things we know but can't fully explain because there are huge gaps in our knowledge (the fossil record is a joke and so is taxonomy), things that work mathematically but make no sense when we try to put them into words (looking at you, quantum physics), and things we know are true, like evolution (thank goodness for genetics) that are accepted as fact by scientists, but you only have to visit the American South to find there are plenty of people who still think "they don't come from monkeys" or for that matter, that the Earth is flat, or 6,000 years old. The process for how someone finally figured out when the Earth was formed was a wild ride. And that was in 1956. The theory of plate tectonics wasn't even accepted by a majority of geologists until the 1960s.
The single most insurmountable obstacle in humanity's way in the quest to understand things is our hubris. And by "ours" I mean mostly white men, who have consistently stood in their own way, each others, and anybody who wasn't white men, by refusing to listen to anything they didn't already believe in, collaborate with each other without harbouring a secret desire to overshadow their partners, try to ridicule others in front of their peers to make themselves feel smart, and the odd recluse who worked on something for 40 years, told absolutely no one about it, chucked his findings into a drawer and set their field of study back by 100 years. Really, the fact that we've made any progress at all is what's surprising above all else.
For a book written almost 20 years ago, it's only slightly out of date (still sad about Pluto). There have been advances in genetics and astrophysics, and some changes in taxonomy, but I would still recommend reading this book today since the historical facts still stand. Engrossing and really well written.
The single most insurmountable obstacle in humanity's way in the quest to understand things is our hubris. And by "ours" I mean mostly white men, who have consistently stood in their own way, each others, and anybody who wasn't white men, by refusing to listen to anything they didn't already believe in, collaborate with each other without harbouring a secret desire to overshadow their partners, try to ridicule others in front of their peers to make themselves feel smart, and the odd recluse who worked on something for 40 years, told absolutely no one about it, chucked his findings into a drawer and set their field of study back by 100 years. Really, the fact that we've made any progress at all is what's surprising above all else.
For a book written almost 20 years ago, it's only slightly out of date (still sad about Pluto). There have been advances in genetics and astrophysics, and some changes in taxonomy, but I would still recommend reading this book today since the historical facts still stand. Engrossing and really well written.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This book is quite different from Bryson's usual fare. Here Bryson steps out of his usual travel and language focus to write about science. The product is an interesting combination of the social history of science, biographies of famous scientists, and discussion of significant scientific discoveries in very accessible language. What science does Bryson cover, you might ask? This is where "everything" comes in to the picture. Bryson has chosen a wide range of scientific discoveries, from working out the theory of evolution to discovering the size and shape of the earth. Mostly, Bryson focuses on the largest and smallest things in the universe. He looks at galaxies and volcanoes, but also DNA and atoms. Truly, this book is expansive. For the lay reader, it becomes clear that there's a tremendous amount of knowledge tied up in this book, and it's amazing just how much Bryson had to learn to write it. For the non-scientist, this book manages to create a sense of awe, wonder, and fear, all at the same time. Bryson does an excellent job of highlighting just how surprising and contingent the fact of our existence is, and how complicated it was to get here. He creates amazement as the reader is forced to consider almost unfathomable dimensions, both gargantuan and tiny. Contingency is clearly the most significant theme that emerges from the work. Bryson also paints an interesting portrait of the practice of science, scientific culture, and a sense of just how difficult and tenuous some conclusions are. While it's amazing just how much scientists have discovered, it's even more daunting to consider how much remains inconclusive. Overall, this is an extremely accessible discussion of some difficult topics, infused with Bryson's humor and style. It's a long read, but well worth the effort.
Turns out it's abridged and although it is kind of interesting, it is about science so not really a subject I'm into plus the narration is somewhat monotone
As advertised. Surprised it held my attention the whole time b/c it is massive. Did Cosmos rip off it or did it rip off Cosmos (tv series)?
Voor de 3e keer geprobeerd dit boek te lezen, voor de 3e keer niet gelukt. Inhoudelijk interessant, maar ontzettend saai geschreven.
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
One of the things Bill Bryson is an expert on is keeping it entertaining, especially with topics that can be so detailed and kind of grueling.
Even if you don't like space, even if you don't like science, you still will actually be entertained by this and you will learn a lot.
Sometimes I like leaving a book feeling smarter than I did the day before and this definitely does it.
I will definitely check out some of his other books.
Even if you don't like space, even if you don't like science, you still will actually be entertained by this and you will learn a lot.
Sometimes I like leaving a book feeling smarter than I did the day before and this definitely does it.
I will definitely check out some of his other books.
super interesting read! I agree with other reviewers who have mentioned this would be a great supplemental text for high school science students.