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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book except it appeared again and again for non-fiction recommendations. In it, Bryson attempts to chronicle the history of all the major scientific ideas since the Enlightenment and the often offbeat characters that pursued them. From aging the earth to unraveling the history of human evolution, Bryson deftly covers a lot of ground. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - and especially to the high school science student. Bryson does a magnificent job of bringing science to life. I look forward to reading more of his work.
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
eurocentric view of science without acknowledging accomplishments of previous scientists. Space chapters were cool tho
informative
slow-paced
If I had read this when it came out (and if I hadn't been six years old at the time) it would probably be more stars. But it's been twenty years, and maybe it's not fair but science has come a long way in that time so some of the more outdated sections dragged a bit for me.
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
A Science Book for Non-Scientists
Bryson wisely takes life sciences and weaves them into narratives. He doesn’t pretend that this book will make anyone an expert, but it succeeds in the broad strokes while also highlighting all the unsung heroes who made such important discoveries. The book is also willing to point out how much we don’t know, and how much there is still to learn. And at its core, it’s incredibly life-affirming even if it goes on a few apocalyptic tangents that authors can’t seem to resist.
Bryson wisely takes life sciences and weaves them into narratives. He doesn’t pretend that this book will make anyone an expert, but it succeeds in the broad strokes while also highlighting all the unsung heroes who made such important discoveries. The book is also willing to point out how much we don’t know, and how much there is still to learn. And at its core, it’s incredibly life-affirming even if it goes on a few apocalyptic tangents that authors can’t seem to resist.
A history of science since the enlightenment is a more appropriate title but nonetheless I found it a very entertaining book for someone interested in these things but who lacks the patience for technical jargon. Bryson turns a phrase very well and this along with the selected anecdotes of the lives of largely forgotten scientists throughout the last several hundred years are what make the book so appealing.