Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
funny
informative
slow-paced
It's hard to know what to say about this fascinating, sprawling work. On the one hand, it's chock full of interesting facts -- I found myself highlighting frequently to save notes to share with my husband. On the other hand, most of the information seems only tangentially related to the unifying theme, and at times seems almost a stream-of-consciousness conglomeration of Bryson's research.
The concept behind the book is that Bryson wanted to explore the origins of various elements of home life -- why are certain objects and habits common to our homes while others aren't? The book does, eventually, get at these things, but it covers far more biographical and historical ground in the meantime than is really necessary to explore these aspects of the home.
The structure of the book takes us through each room of Bryson's home, a former rectory in Norfolk, England, and uses the room as a jumping-off point to explore some aspect of private life. In some cases this makes sense, such as exploring the history of bathing in the bathroom and the history of sex in the bedroom. But the chapters then ramble -- an invention of an object leads into a thorough biography of the inventor, which mentions some particular interest of his, which leads into a detailed history of that pastime, and so on.
By the end of the book the pretense of any relationship to the rooms of a house seems completely abandoned, as the last chapter on "the attic" ranges from Charles Darwin to Stonehenge without a single mention of an attic or anything in it.
So if you're interested in reading a history of Britain (and occasionally America) through the ages, with a multitude of biographies of some of its most influential people, then you will love this book. If you enjoy a collection of interesting facts with no clear sense of organization, you will find plenty of things to hold your attention this book.
Just don't expect a straightforward exploration of the origins of items in your home.
The concept behind the book is that Bryson wanted to explore the origins of various elements of home life -- why are certain objects and habits common to our homes while others aren't? The book does, eventually, get at these things, but it covers far more biographical and historical ground in the meantime than is really necessary to explore these aspects of the home.
The structure of the book takes us through each room of Bryson's home, a former rectory in Norfolk, England, and uses the room as a jumping-off point to explore some aspect of private life. In some cases this makes sense, such as exploring the history of bathing in the bathroom and the history of sex in the bedroom. But the chapters then ramble -- an invention of an object leads into a thorough biography of the inventor, which mentions some particular interest of his, which leads into a detailed history of that pastime, and so on.
By the end of the book the pretense of any relationship to the rooms of a house seems completely abandoned, as the last chapter on "the attic" ranges from Charles Darwin to Stonehenge without a single mention of an attic or anything in it.
So if you're interested in reading a history of Britain (and occasionally America) through the ages, with a multitude of biographies of some of its most influential people, then you will love this book. If you enjoy a collection of interesting facts with no clear sense of organization, you will find plenty of things to hold your attention this book.
Just don't expect a straightforward exploration of the origins of items in your home.
informative
medium-paced
Delightful audio book. Mr. Bryson goes down many entertaining rabbit holes as he describes the functions of each room in his home.
A great book which crosses paths with so many interesting facts and stories!
I learned a lot from this book. I don't usually take notes on or highlight in my books but I did in this one. I'm looking forward to reading Bill Bryson's other titles.
Loved all the fun facts but felt the end was very dry and didn’t quite feel ... conclusive ... ? Still a great read though
Well, it's Billy Bryson, which is always witty, interesting, and educational, and I love the idea of exploring the history of things that are so ingrained in our lives that we forget they are there - or ever weren't. Where did string come from? Or who actually invented the mouse trap? It was entertaining and worth reading, but it rambled and wandered a bit and lacked the cohesive narrative that his better books have, so I'm only giving it 3 stars.
Thoroughly enjoy Bryson and appreciate his detailed research. It's brilliant how he walks us through each room of the house and tells the history of all that is behind it, from architecture to why the men of the 1700's wore wigs. Though many may find his work laborious, I enjoy reading a few sections at a time in between all of the fiction I read, just to learn a little bit of history. Take your time and savor it.