Re: Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything

[bonnie43uk]

Excellent book review. I enjoyed listening to the audibook, it is a wonderful listen at night in bed.

[TnSpli]

Smooth Operator!

[rollincholan]

you're capable of telling us that the book contains no mistakes? interesting.

[kurtilein3]

@rollincholan

it has been reviewed by many experts prior to publication, which is unusual for a book. normally you just publish it when its finished, and then when the hardcover is published people point out all the mistakes they spot, and you can still sort things out before the softcover is published.

but here, the chapters dealing with biology were reviewed by biologists, the chapters about theoretical physics were reviewed by a theoretical physicist, and so on, all prior to publication.

[kurtilein3]

@rollincholan

but apparently by now a few mistakes were spotted in the book anyway.

back when i made this video i looked online for people pointing out mistakes in the book, and could only find references to a few typing errors as well as one minor non-typing error.

[tully40]

One of the best qualities of this books in my opinion is that it how it sheds new light on old theories. The best example that comes to mind at the moment is plate tectonics. I learned about this at an early age but never really put much thought into it. But that all changed when I read a passage from this book: (paraphrasing) If it weren't for plate techtonics there would still be life but there certainly wouldn't be baseball. I love that.

[kurtilein3]

yes, theories change when new facts get discovered, sometimes even the most important theories need to be changed. the way theories are being discussed in the book is completely natural for a scientist, its just that education often doesnt manage to get it across. too often they only teach the facts, but not the philosophy behind it. the book can help to close that gap and to get people interested in science.

[KingDutto]

If you are reading this comment right now then you are very very lucky. The fact that the earth that you live on has right temperature, the right amount of gravity, the right amount of oxogen to support life is unbelievable. Then consider the fact that non of your ancestors have been eaten, killed, become extinct, and have all managed to get laid. Then to top it off you got to the egg first against billion of others makes the chance of your exsistence so remote it's almost impossible to imagine.

[kurtilein3]

oh, im sorry for my last attempt to respond to your comment, i didnt pay enough attention to the context and have been responding to quite a lot of comments and expected you to maybe be one of the more intelligent creationists or something.

i think we will quite soon discover life on mars, we already discovered frozen water under the surface, and now theres the methane that requires an explanation, and bacteria in the ground seem to be a likely explanation at this point.

[tully40]

I also took that away from this book and I really do. I just love how Bryson doesn't lament this fact but rather brushes it off. He tells his readers not to consider themselves lucky because the fact they are here to read his words is just coincidence.

[Jibbie49]

This book is so well researched from top scientists, that it is about Bill Bryson's reporting and not HIM being a scientist. It is by far the best book I have read, because it makes me so thankful that I have ever gotten to live and be a part of this beautiful RARE Earth.

[kurtilein3]

jibbie49: yes, im sure some of the things he has written about were new to him. but with this amount of peer-review it really doesnt matter.

this book might really turn into a classic.

[selatik1]

GET TO THE CHOPPAH!!

[120casst]

I have read this book many times now and still learn something new each time. Bill has made it so easy for anyone to understand some of our world and how it works, and be entertained at the same time. Love it.

[SuicidalJediPSN]

I have just started reading this, decided to buy it after watching a few youtube videos (including yours) and I have to say its really, really good. A great laymans guide to science, perfect for someone like me.

Love it, 5 stars.

[kurtilein3]

oh, thanks :)

its unfortunate that so many people know nothing about the beauty of science, and the best way to get started is a book like this.

philhellenes recommends more quality books about science on his channel profile, if you need more.

i recommend ``simon singh - the big bang´´ if you want to learn about the history of the universe and the history of science/cosmology. and ``simon singh - fermats last theorem´´ covers mathematics.

(continued)

[kurtilein3]

... second comment

there also is a documentary about fermats last theorem, based on the book, its on youtube:

watch?v=qiGOxGEbaik

but of course the book contains much more information, especially about the history of mathematics.

mathematics is not just another field of science, its the language of science, and it is the only area in science that deals with absolute truth, while all other sciences only deal with varying degrees of certainty and uncertainty.

[iamfairgame]

I bought this book at a used book sale at my local public library for 25 cents. I'm only on page 49 and I already know this is going to be one of my all time favorite books. I have had several LOL moments already. I have a BS in Biology so I really appreciate the science and I am a goofball so I also appreciate the humor. I plan on using it when I finish my teaching certification. I see it as a way to get kids jazzed on science.

[kurtilein3]

it seems strange that it already shows up on used book sales. it was first published in 2003, and became a best-seller in 2005. i guess someone donated it to the library quite early, and then so many people had it that it started decomposing ;)

anyway, this will stay one of my favorite books.

[rf0289]

This is one of the best non-ficton books I've ever read, and I've read QUITE a lot. If I was in middle school, I could have used this book to write 20 or 30 science papers throughout my education. GREAT READING!

[kurtilein3]

yes, it really is a great book. a good introduction to science.

now im reading ``the road to reality´´ by roger penrose. but that one is much more difficult to read. its about the laws of the universe, 1100 pages, the first 300 pages are an introduction to the mathematics that you will need to understand the rest of the book. but a book like this would be too difficult for the general audience, and this is what bill brysons book is good at.

[m4tthewk]

I just finished this book last night. It was really good!

[kurtilein3]

im glad you liked it :)

[SamCoreJ]

I bought this book today and am enjoying it immensely so far.

[kurtilein3]

its so well-written that i read it in quite a short time, you cant really put it away. and unfortunately this is still quite rare when it comes to science books.

[unideanet]

I agree, I bought it (used) from UK, since in Italy it's hard to find english books, after I had heard some chapters from an audiobook, He has a great style, I would have said he was a british not an american, he has very sense of humour and of course the book is very well written and interesting.

(Andrea from Italy, proud member of HILTC, Help Italians to Leave Their Country)

[girliecars]

i totally agree... so interesting... and so very easy to read......

[stevey2020]

ur a nob..

[saunallezellite]

Kurt, Bill Bryson is such a good writer, he could make a book about paint drying funny, interesting, and worth talking about with your Friend's.He is world class.

[almccann20]

Kurt, thanks for your review. A timely reminder that must finish this book I started a while ago. I recently read 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkin. For a suffering athiest and former Chemistry student, like myself, I found both books very factual and empowering. Al

[kurtilein3]

``the god delusion´´ is really great if you want to discuss religious faith, its full of great arguments.

but what do you mean when you say ``suffering atheist´´?

[vikanadian]

i like bill almost as much as i like elron..

[kurtilein3]

elron?

[st4273]

Thanks for the recommendation Kurt, I love science books and am definately going to check this one out.

It must be really good if you can read 550 pages in 2 days.

[kurtilein3]

it opens a lot of new fields of science for you, i strongly recommend it ^^ i hope you like it.

[dfarmer1584]

1 of 2

Yes. I love this book. It is a whirlwind of science facts and anecdotes. What I enjoyed most is the bare bones, but entertaining introductory style Bryson takes. [...]

[dfarmer1584]

2 of 2

In the chapters in which he talks about subjects that one may happen to be familiar with, he often offers small tidbits that are still interesting. In the chapters in which he explores areas that one may be completely unfamiliar with, Bryson offers enough of the basics to enlighten and point the reading to where he or she can explore further.

BTW: I subbed gravitationalist. Thanks for the tip.

[pdoeman]

What I liked a lot about it is thathe tells you how to measure things yourself, which is great, you donthave to rely upon his word forit.

[kurtilein3]

yeah, he makes sure that you understand how they got the facts that supported an existing theory, or that forced them to reconsider the older ideas. in public education its often easy to forget that the natural sciences are highly depending on evidence, actual observation, work in research, discoveries and experiments. bill bryson sets that misconception straight by always telling the story behind it.