Book Review - A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

I just finished reading (actually, listening to) ascientific endeavor.
scientific book by Bill Bryson, someone I knewReading this book is like wandering through
nothing about, on a subject that has been - forhistory, somewhat haphazardly, though did I grow
most of my life - a kind of love/hate relationship.tired or bored. It's just so enchanting, how divisive
If you want to read a book full of complexpeople were (are), and how an individual's life can
scientific and mathematical computations, wherebe summed up in a single sentence, leaving you
its companion title being an unabridged dictionary,wondering what else there was. I think this is why
look elsewhere. A Short History of NearlyI chose history as my specialty in both my
Everything is a book for the rest of us. For all ofundergraduate degree, and now as a graduate
us.student. I am in awe of people who come before
I've always loved learning about science, but notme, and now only exist through pictures, remains
necessarily doing science. At least, not what I wasand through the written record. This book seems
exposed to as a student K-12 in the Americanto capture the exhilaration I feel.
public school system. But this book captivated myIf you are even remotely interested in scientific
attention before I finished the first chapter and Itopics, this book is a must read. It has re-sparked
became engrossed and fascinated with themy love of scientific discovery and enlivened in
shocking, if not often, hilarious accounts Brysonme a renewed desire to learn more on the
describes concerning the history of humansubject.