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edequeant 's review for:
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
by Bill Bryson
This book isn't so much a book about the home, although there is certainly a great deal about homes in the book. But the home, or more precisely Bill Bryson's home in England, provides the framework for a discussion on a seemingly limitless number of topics: archaeology, architecture, landscaping, nutrition, agriculture, labor laws, childhood, social classes, economics, burial customs, household pests, communicable diseases, sewer treatment, medieval halls, medicine, and more. He spends most of the book "in England" with occasional jumps to America. There is a good deal left out of this book from a worldwide perspective, but there so much packed in as it is, I think some allowances can be made.
There's also a good deal of discussion on scientific discoveries and inventions, linguistics and Shakespeare which should be expected given Bryon's prior works such as: [b:Shakespeare: The World as Stage|2792136|Shakespeare The World as Stage|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255770379s/2792136.jpg|892448], [b:The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way|29|The Mother Tongue English and How It Got That Way|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156042888s/29.jpg|2170063], and [b:A Short History of Nearly Everything|21|A Short History of Nearly Everything|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255682270s/21.jpg|2305997]
What I enjoy most is that Bryson doesn't dwell to long on any one subject. Within a few paragraphs he gives just enough information to be interesting without boring the reader. If there is a topic that catches your interest it would be easy enough to explore the topic further based on the names, dates, and other information he provides.
If you have any interest in British Literature, I highly recommend this book to help understand the setting and daily life of the characters.
There's also a good deal of discussion on scientific discoveries and inventions, linguistics and Shakespeare which should be expected given Bryon's prior works such as: [b:Shakespeare: The World as Stage|2792136|Shakespeare The World as Stage|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255770379s/2792136.jpg|892448], [b:The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way|29|The Mother Tongue English and How It Got That Way|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156042888s/29.jpg|2170063], and [b:A Short History of Nearly Everything|21|A Short History of Nearly Everything|Bill Bryson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255682270s/21.jpg|2305997]
What I enjoy most is that Bryson doesn't dwell to long on any one subject. Within a few paragraphs he gives just enough information to be interesting without boring the reader. If there is a topic that catches your interest it would be easy enough to explore the topic further based on the names, dates, and other information he provides.
If you have any interest in British Literature, I highly recommend this book to help understand the setting and daily life of the characters.