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Book Review of A Short History of Nearly Everything

A Short History of Nearly Everything
reviewed on


Bill Bryson is an amazing author and a consummate educator. I have read many of his books, including A Walk in the Woods, my favorite, and he writes with such energy that his books are hard to put down.

I consider science one of my weaker subjects, and this "Short History" book is, for all practical purposes a science book. I was captivated from the first page to the last. He does not shy away from complex concepts or vocabulary; yet, he does it in such a way that even a novice, like myself, can begin to understand what is being discussed. One of my favorite comparisons was that "there are as many atoms in a millimeter as there are sheets of paper that would be piled on top of each other to reach the top of the empire state building. This is not a "funny book', but it did leave a smile on my face.