Oh my gods, what a waste of perfectly good paper! I am flabbergasted that this has such consistently high reviews...

Three problems with this tripe:
1. falsity of the science (most blatantly around cosmology, but not limited to any one field) and misunderstanding of scientific principles;
2. a focus more on "biography" rather than on real "history";
3. trivial worthlessness of the information.

Number 1 is briefly chronicled below. Within just the first 20 pages or so, there are ridiculous factual errors and misrepresentations of scientific knowledge. Even in 2003 when the book was published, these errors would have been unforgivable. Where the bloody hell were the editors?! Apparently the author came out later to mention his "lack of scientific chops," or the like. How can a book about the history of science fuck up the science?!

Number 2 is just downright sad. Apparently the author felt that if he could spend about a page per scientist, he would make the material more interesting. No, man, I want science and history, not abbreviated and hackneyed biography. He doesn't even move smoothly between people... it's just a meandering of random scientific endeavors, somewhat brought into chronology.

Number 3 is a difficult criticism, because with this kind of book, it is hard to get away from misc. trivia. And I'll even acknowledge that I learned a lot of trivia... and that the book does a great job of showing us just how much we don't know. But as I reached page 360 and realized (for the fifth or so time) that this was info that I could get in a quick google search, I just couldn't do it anymore.

What a gods awful waste. What's more disappointing than the book though, is the overwhelming praise the book has gotten. I don't even want to sell this book back, but throw it away (and I thought I would never say something like that)! I'd rather have someone go slightly ignorant than have them be fed this mess of misinformation and dredge.


Below were reactions I had when reading was "in progress."

Start (05/08/11):
Okay, so the "approachable textbook"... does it live up to the hype? Every review I have seen is about how great this book is. Let's see.

So far, this book shows its 2003 date by providing currently inaccurate data; I also did not realize the author would assume zero scientific knowledge on the part of the reader... this could be interesting.

Finally, the Introduction is full of annoying straw men and non-sequitors that really make me wonder if the author has learned much about scientific inquiry at all. He really doesn't understand probability. Eh, I'm only on page 16. Let's see if this improves.

(05/09/11)
Oh, bloody frak. "In the long term, *gravity* may turn out to be a little too strong, and one day it may halt the expansion of the universe and bring it collapsing in upon itself, till it crushes itself down into another singularity... On the other hand it may be too weak and the universe will keeping racing away..." (emphasis mine) NOTHING about those statements is correct. Gravity has nothing to do with the expansion of spacetime. Ugh, I thought this book had fantastic reviews! The term he is talking about here is "dark energy," NOT gravity.

"Astronomers these days can do the most amazing things. If someone struck a match on the Moon, they could spot the flare."
... You have got to be fucking kidding me. A redox oxidation in a vacuum. Dude...

Oh my frak. He just lost all respect from me. "...even with the most conservative inputs [in the Drake equation] the number of advanced civilzations... always works out to be somewhere in the millions." Fucking no. Dude, how the hell did this even get published?!

Third review, March 5, 2019.

Has it really been nearly 9 years since I re-read this? No. But I guess it has. A Short History of Nearly Everything is one of those formative books that has stuck with me for a long, long time.

I have little to add to this review. I thought I had lots to say, but re-reading my review from 2010 below … I already said it there. I was going to talk about Bryson’s repetitive phrasing, praise how he explains how much we don’t know, and remark on how good this book is at just … luxuriating in the knowledge we have.

I will add that I think this book, by and large, holds up even 15 years on. Our scientific knowledge certainly has advanced since then. Some of the mysteries that Bryson mentions here have been solved—while others have deepened. Moreover, reading this now with a more critical eye than I did in 2010, I’ll acknowledge there’s a pinch of Western gaze going on here. At one point, in the last chapter, Bryson comments how it was such a shame that the Chinese were grinding up bones for medicines instead of studying the bones to learn more about our past. Hello, casual racism. It might seem like I’m nitpicking now, especially considering how Bryson wryly highlights the racism and sexism of our past, but that’s exactly why I don’t want to let him slide on something like that.

That being said, for the most part this book remains just so damn energizing. It inspires me to think big, to think about and marvel at the incredible world we inhabit. I honestly haven’t craved any of Bryson’s other works—I liked one, didn’t like the other, and have a few more on my to-read list but can’t be bothered to jump on them. But there’s something about the way he writes about this stuff, about this history of science, that just works for me. If it doesn’t work for you, I get it, this book will be a bit plodding and boring. But if it works for you … oh, wow, will it ever work for you.

Read Ben from 2010’s opinions to find out why!

Second reading review, May 7, 2010.

I cannot recommend this book enough. No word of hyperbole: this is a book that everyone should read. Bill Bryson takes the span of human existence and produced a popular history of science that's both accurate and moving. A Short History of Nearly Everything is a celebration of science, but it also evokes the sense of wonder about the universe that science makes available to us. And, almost inevitably, it underscores how much we still have yet to learn about our world.

Throughout history, one of the common arguments against the expansion of science has been something to the effect of "science removes the mystery" of the universe. Well, yes, that's kind of the point. But what opponents to scientific investigation usually mean to say, explicitly or not, is that because we know more about the universe, somehow that makes the universe less wonderful. Somehow a universe of quarks and gluons is less romantic than a universe powered by God. Thus, the argument goes, we shouldn't get too serious about this science stuff—it's depressing.

My response: Are you on crack?

I have just as much trouble fathoming how opponents of science find science depressing and nihilistic as they have trouble fathoming how I find science awesome. It seems self-evident to me that science is wonderful, that it is truly the most appropriate vehicle we have for appreciating our existence. But maybe that's just me, and obviously it's not everyone. So what A Short History of Nearly Everything does is level the playing field, extend the olive branch, if you will. Just as this review isn't an anti-religion diatribe, A Short History barely mentions religion. It doesn't talk about Galileo's persecution by the Church or the rise of creationism and intelligent design in the United States. Bryson and his book are above that. They reaffirm a sentiment I already have, and one I hope you share, either prior to or after reading this book.

Science is fucking awesome.

Sure, one can't understand every scientific concept that one comes across. But that's to be expected. Wave-particle duality is tricky stuff. Just as anyone can become a good handyman with some common sense and little experience, anyone can learn a little bit about quantum mechanics—but if you want to build a quantum house, you'll need many years of experience under your belt.

Even we amateurs, however, can appreciate how cool it is that, for example, our bodies are made of stardust. The heavier elements, of which we are mostly composed, were forged in the crucibles of supernovae light-years away. We're here because some star died for us, and all the atoms managed to travel to Planet Earth. We're here because the Sun pumps out photons that heat our atmosphere, so we don't freeze, and the ozone layer reflects some of the photons away, so we don't fry. Our existence is temporal and transitory and tentative. But we do exist. And regardless of one's stance toward religion, this simple fact is a miracle.

So science can give us miracles too. What Bryson does is take bits and pieces of science, put them in a historical context, and show us the miracles they contain. The result is an appreciation and a better understanding of how the world works.

This is a rather long book—my edition is over 400 pages—and I have to admit it took me a longer time to re-read it than I had anticipated. It's worth the time. Every section is informative and interesting. Although I have a soft spot for physics, the chapters on relativity and quantum mechanics aren't my favourite—perhaps because I've already learned about the concepts elsewhere, so it felt a little redundant. Instead, I really enjoyed reading about the rise of geology, chemistry, and taxonomy. From this book I've learned that fossilization is a risky business; there's way more species hiding everywhere on and underneath the planet than we'll probably ever find; and if I happen to still be alive in a few thousand years, I should probably get volcano insurance.

Even while educating us, Bryson emphasizes how much we don't know. Sometimes the media likes to portray science or scientific theories as "complete" when they are anything but. Perhaps here is where that niggling nihilism starts to rear its head for some people, for Bryson makes it clear that with some things, we probably just can't know, at least not in a timely fashion. On the macroscopic level, once we get out to about the range of Pluto, the distances are so vast as to be almost insurmountable. On the microscopic level, Planck and Heisenberg ensured there would always be a little uncertainty. But I'm OK with that. Preserves the mystery, after all. And provides yet more challenges.

Our ignorance also carries with it a sense of helplessness. We aren't very good at tracking near-Earth objects, for instance, which means if an asteroid does strike us sometime in the near future, we probably won't see it until it hits the atmosphere. Then it will be too late. And even if we did, we don't have the capability to destroy or divert it. Still, lifting the veil of ignorance on one's ignorance is essential to improving one's ability to think critically about science. Who knows: maybe A Short History will inspire some kid to go into astronomy or engineering and invent better asteroid detection equipment.

The upshot of this—as Bryson likes to put it, because his writing style is peppered with repeated phrases like this—is that Bryson presents both the good and the bad of science. As much as science is wonderful, it's also a human enterprise, and we humans are notoriously fallible instruments. Scientists are not immune—indeed, practically prone—to taking credit for another person's work; Bryson is quick to interject anecdotes about the personalities, quirks, and flaws of the persons of interest in the book.

On that note, I wish I kind of had some sort of fact-checking utility for this book. Of course there are references and a bibliography, and Bryson claims in the acknowledgements that various reputable experts have reviewed the material. As much as I love A Short History, however, it is popular science and prone to simplification. So take the anecdotal parts with a grain of salt—for example, contrary to what Bryson claims, NASA didn't destroy the plans for the Saturn V lander (the real problem is trying to find enough reliable vintage parts to construct the thing).

Overall the quality of A Short History of Nearly Everything is just so brilliant that I can't condemn Bryson for his enthusiasm. And I still have several adjectives left, so I can also say that this book is fabulous and stupendous, and you should definitely buy a copy or hold up your local library until it produces one. And if you don't have a local library, you should construct a doomsday device and hold the Earth hostage until such an edifice is constructed in a town near you. Got it? Good.

It's a book worth reading and a book worth remembering; A Short History of Nearly Everything is science and history wrapped in a nutshell of wonder.

First review.
I cannot recommend this book enough to people.

Bill Bryson manages to convey a technically detailed history of the planet while maintaining a readable, comprehensible writing style. His tone is engaging, and his tales are captivating--I particularly enjoyed the discussions on physics and on the development of archaeology and the theory of evolution.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is to books what Bill Nye the Science Guy is to television. This is a book for science lovers and a book for those who swore they'd never take a science class again. I'm a fairly intelligent person; I learned a lot from this book, but at the same time I was already at least acquainted with much of the material it presents. However, that did not stop me from having, "whoa!" moments throughout the book, moments of realization at how complex and wonderful our universe is--and how special it is that we, humans, can strive to understand such a phenomenon.

n  n

يحكى أن يهوديا قرر الذهاب إلى دمياط للتجارة و حينما وصل إليها أراد اختبار أهلها قبل أن يبدأ مشروعه فأشار للصبى الذى أستأجره ليكون دليلا له
خذ هذا القرش فاشتر لنا غداء و شراب و حلوى و لا تنسى طعام للحمار و شيئا أتسلى به فى طريقى
كان القرش لا يشترى بالكاد وجبة طعام لشخص واحد الا ان الشاب الدمياطى - و الدمياطى لمن لا يعرف كالخليلى فى الأدبيات الفلسطينية – ذهب إلى السوق و اشترى بطيخة بنصف قرش و أعاد لليهودى النصف الأخر قائلا له
هى غداء لنا و فى نفس الوقت تحلية و شراب و نعطى للحمار قشرها و نتسلى بلبها طوال الطريق
أدار اليهودى حماره عائدا و قال قوم مثل هذا لا يرجى من ورائهم مكسب.
فلنترك هذه الحكاية و سأقص عليكم حكاية أخرى تخص بطيخة أخرى
ندخل فى الموضوع
- طلبك عندى يا سيدنا الأفندى
قالها أمين المكتبة الكهل و هو يعدل وضع نظارته ذات الغطاء السميك و ينظر بدهشة إلى هذا الفتى المتأنق الذى كان طلبه غريبا و مربكا بعض الشىء
- أريد شيئا عن الكون و بدايته .. الإنفجار الكبير و المنظومة الشمسية ... النجوم و المستعرات الضوئية و النيازك .. المذنبات و تاريخها و كيف يمكن أن تهدد الأرض .. أريد أيضا أن أعرف كيف يقيسون هذه المسافات الشاسعة المقدرة بعشرات السنوات الضوئية.
- عندى كتاب هيعجبك قوى بتاع هاوكينج. حاجه كده من الأخر
- ألديك أيضا شيئا عن الأحافير و المسحاثات يكون سهل و شامل و فى نفس الوقت يشرح كيف انقرضت الديناصورات و كيف نقدر أعمار المستحاثات و فترات معيشتها و عصورها و التاريخ الجيولوجى للأرض
- عندى كتاب هيعجبك و كمان مجموعة مقدمة قصيرة جدا فيها شوية كتب معقولين و خد كمان التحفة العلمية السمكة داخلك
- طيب بالنسبة للكيمياء و الجدول الدورى للعناصر و اكتشاف اسرار المادة
- لا دى بقى تاخد لها فيلم فيديو من ثلاث أجزاء
https://youtu.be/jQmyR0hnd9c?list=PLg...
- آينشتين و نيوتن و أساطين الفيزياء أسمع عنهم كثيرا فهل أجد لديك شيئا من أعمالهم و تأثيرهم فى العلم
- عندى طبعا مجموعة كتب كويسة بس للأمانه بعضها لسه هقرأه بس بيشكروا فيها جامد
- حسنا ماذا عن الذرة و تاريخها و الكواركس و ميكانيكا الكم و نظرية الأوتار الفائقة
- عندى كتاب الثورة العلمية و كتاب الفيزياء المسلية هاجيبهم لك
- أريد كتاب أيضا عن التلوث و حماية البيئة و كيف ساهم الإنسان فى ذلك
و أيضا البراكين و الزلازل و الألواح التكتونية و تكون الجبال و الجزر أيضا أنا مهتم بها و بطريقة معرفتنا لها و توقعها
و لو توفر لديك شىء فى طبقات الجو و علوم الأرصاد الجوية و تأثيرات البحار و المحيطات على المناخ العالمى
- لا دى صعب تلاقيها هنا
- ماذا عن الخلية و الكائنات الدقيقة من ميكروبات و فيروسات و متعضيات و تكوينها و طريقة عملها و تصنيفها و تطورها
- عندى كتب كتير هتعجبك من لويس باستير لتشارلز دارون للجينوم هتحتاج حوالى خمس كتب علشان تغطى الموضوع ده.

كنت بالمصادفة جالسا فى نفس المكتبة بانتظار تغليف مجلد ميكى و منشغلا بقراءة عدد خاص من سلسلة رجل المستحيل و رغم ذلك تابعت الحوار الذى انتهى بأمين المكتبة الذى جهز حوالى خمسة عشر كتابا لهذا الشاب
اعتدلت قليلا و حييت الشاب و خاطبته قائلا
- بقولك ايه يا معلم .. الكتب دى كتير جدا و شكلك لسه جديد فى السكة دى
ما تاخد موجز تاريخ كل شيء تقريبًا

كتاب رائع و ممتع و مكتوب بإسلوب أدبى بليغ و هو ساخر أحيانا لدرجة الكوميديا. تجنب فيه المؤلف أى تعقيد علمى أو معادلات أو رسومات توضيحية و به كل ما تسأل عنه و زيادة فى حوالى خمسمائة صفحة من القطع المتوسط
باختصار هتقرأه و تدعيلى
هززت رأسى بثقة و نظرت إلى الشاب لأرى رد فعله على نصيحتى و لشدة دهشتى لم أجد لا شاب و لا مكتبة و وجدتنى ما زلت أسطر هذه المراجعة لهذا الكتاب الرائع
لمدمنى البطيخ من أمثالى أهدى هذه البطيخة الحلوة المتنكرة فى صورة كتاب
و أخيرا بعض الإقتباسات
1-
الحياة من وجهة نظر الكيمياء

2-
ماذا لو لم نكن وحدنا فى هذا الكون الشاسع

3-
العلم قد لا يكون معقدا و لكن العلماء هكذا يفعلون

4-

5-

6-

7-

8-

9-
ليس من السهل أن تكون عالما

10-
لماذا وجدت الحياة

11-
حتى كاميرون دياز ستجدها بين صفحات الكتاب

" تبارك الله أحسن الخالقين "

هذا ما ستنطقه شفتاك حين تنتهي من كل فصل من فصول هذا الكتاب ستشعر بكم العجز الذي نحن فيه ليس لنصنع أو نبتكر إنما فقط لنفهم كيف تسير الأمور في هذا الكون

ستجد من بين السطور مقولات كهذه " إنه عالم يتجاوز الفهم بالنسبة لمعظمنا "

وبالنسبة للكتاب فهو كتلة من الابداع غزارة المعلومات ودقة التفاصيل ولو قرر المؤلف أن يسترسل بكتابته 6000 صفحة بدلا من 600 لاستطاع ذلك من قوة الامتاع في السرد

والمؤلف أكاد أجزم أنه كان عبارة عن موسوعة متحركة من المعلومات فمن يكتب هكذا كتاب يجب أن يكون موسوعة وليس كاتب ومؤلف فقط و كم من الكتب والابحاث والمراجع قد قرأ ليصل لهذا الكم من المعلومات

وسأحرص أن أتتبع بقية مؤلفاته لعلي أجد ما فقدته حين أنهيت هذا الكتاب

أنصح الجميع به

If instead of the eyelids down the corners, the mouth go up, the non-fiction book rocks

Please note that I put the original German text at the end of this review. Just if you might be interested.

Being able to portray the most bone-drenched topics with so much humor, wit and charm is a masterpiece and testifies to the talent of the actual travel writer with satirical potential.
As the title says, you get an excursion across world and science history delivered, which seeks in this form unparalleled and puts the emphasis on the scientific disciplines. One has heard everything before or even an approximate idea in the back of the head, only surprisingly by the well visualizable representations, in this case, much more aspects stick than with, decorated with epochs changing pictograms, timetable diagram from the school lessons.
Much of the readability is based on Bryson's successful effort to portray, in any somewhat theoretical and difficult to understand the area, closeness to, in the broadest sense, protagonists that would have been expected in this form and quality instead in fiction. Moreover, this is his special secret ingredient, which unfortunately is so infinitely challenging to produce. Undoubtedly many ingenious, but literary average scientists and potential non-fiction authors shy away from creating their work for this reason.
Even in still unearthly earthly epics or purely theoretical explanations, Bryson manages to fill the object of contemplation with such a life that the possibilities of association and vividness arouse sympathy for flagellates, quanta and primordial soup.
Also, the fun increases along with the evolution to the preliminary result of the quirky scientist. What ingenious people have to offer in terms of creative behavioral potential in addition to their actual talent, drives on average talented and socially unobtrusive contemporaries double blush in the face. Ordinary in thought and behavior rather than eccentric and brilliant, what injustice.
Be it particular preferences, social anxiety, misanthropic tendencies, peculiar experimental arrangements or neurotic inclinations, geniuses were at all times outlandish contemporaries. Thus, the already given entertainment value potentates with the talent of the author and lead by the way by the essential points of the history of science. Theorems, theories, doctrines, anachronisms and paradigm shifts take hold, and the highlights include the clash of two equal opponents, in this case, scientists.
To what soap-naughty malice people of the mind can be capable of being astonished at given the stereotype of the laboratory-wearing loner. Moreover, with what arguments, tactics and gambles its theses underpinned and in return competing explanations of their right to exist are removed, belongs to the everlasting byproducts of research.
Where the current state of affairs does not seem as entertaining as the debates of bygone days, as one imagines in modern times. However, the current state of knowledge and the concomitant, at all times rock-solid certainty about its correctness and existence, will in future provide similar cheerfulness as the view into the supposedly primitive past.
Just the fact that so many profoundly changing inventions were made purely by chance due to unexpected results of unintentional experiments illustrates the pool of knowledge in the face of the water planet of ignorance.
The only shortcoming is the occasional misstatement of numbers. However, because quite a few scientific points and periods have shifted, reduced or increased remarkably, one can confidently turn a blind eye to this.

Wenn statt den Augenlidern nach unten die Mundwinkel nach oben gehen, rockt das Sachbuch

Mit so viel Witz, Esprit und Charme die knochentrockensten Themen darstellen zu können stellt eine Meisterleistung dar und zeugt vom Talent des eigentlichen Reiseschriftsteller mit satirischem Potential.
Wie der Titel sagt bekommt man eine Exkursion quer durch Welt- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte geliefert, die in dieser Form seinesgleichen sucht und den Schwerpunkt auf die naturwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen legt. Man hat alles schon einmal gehört oder noch eine ungefähre Vorstellung im Hinterkopf, nur erstaunlicherweise bleiben durch die gut visualisierbaren Darstellungen in diesem Fall wesentlich mehr Aspekte haften als beim, mit nach Epochen wechselnden Piktogrammen geschmückten, Zeittafeldiagramm aus dem Schulunterricht. Ein großer Teil der Lesbarkeit fußt auf der erfolgreichen Bemühung Brysons, in jedem eigentlich noch so theoretischen und schwer verständlichen Bereich eine Nähe zu den, im weitesten Sinne, Protagonisten herzustellen, die man in dieser Form und Qualität eher in der Belletristik erwartet hätte. Und das ist seine spezielle geheime Zutat, die leider so unendlich schwer herzustellen ist und sicher viele geniale, aber literarisch durchschnittliche Wissenschaftler und potentielle Sachbuchautoren davor zurückschrecken lässt, ein eigenes Werk zu kreieren.
Selbst in noch menschenleeren Erdepochen oder rein theoretischen Ausführungen gelingt es Bryson, den Gegenstand der Betrachtung derart mit Leben zu füllen, dass die Assoziationsmöglichkeiten und Anschaulichkeit regelrecht Sympathie wecken für Geißeltierchen, Quanten und Ursuppe.
Und der Spaß steigert sich mitsamt der Evolution bis zum vorläufigen Endresultat des schrulligen Wissenschaftlers. Was geniale Menschen an verhaltenskreativen Potential zusätzlich zu ihrer eigentlichen Begabung zu bieten haben, treibt durchschnittlich talentierten und sozial unauffälligen Zeitgenossen doppelte Schamesröte ins Gesicht. Normal im Denken und Verhalten statt exzentrisch und brillant, welch Ungerechtigkeit.
Seien es besondere Vorlieben, Sozialängste, misanthropische Tendenzen, eigentümliche Versuchsanordnungen oder neurotische Neigungen, Genies waren zu allen Zeiten eigentümliche Zeitgenossen. So potenziert sich der schon vorgegebene Unterhaltungswert mit dem Talent des Autors und führt so nebenbei durch die wesentlichsten Punkte der Wissenschaftsgeschichte. Theorien, Lehrmeinungen, Anachronismen und Paradigmenwechsel geben sich die Klinke in die Hand und zu den Höhepunkten gehören die Aufeinandertreffen zweier ebenbürtiger Gegner, in diesem Fall Wissenschaftler.
Zu welch seifenopernhafter Bosheit Menschen des Geistes fähig sein können verblüfft angesichts des Stereotypes vom laborkitteltragenden Einzelgänger. Und mit welch Argumenten, Taktiken und Winkelzügen die eigenen Thesen untermauert und im Gegenzug konkurrierende Erklärungsansätze ihrer Existenzberechtigung enthoben werden, gehört zu den immerwährenden Nebenerscheinungen der Forschung. Wobei der aktuelle Stand der Dinge nicht so unterhaltsam anmutet wie die Debatten vergangener Tage, da man sich in modernen Zeiten wähnt. Aber der aktuelle Wissensstand und die damit einhergehende, zu allen Zeiten felsenfeste Gewissheit über dessen Richtigkeit und Bestand, werden in Zukunft für ähnliche Heiterkeit sorgen, wie der Blick in die vermeintlich primitive Vergangenheit.
Gerade dass so viele, tiefgreifende Veränderungen mit sich bringende, Erfindungen rein zufällig aufgrund unerwarteter Ergebnisse von unbeabsichtigten Experimenten gemacht wurden, veranschaulicht den Tümpel der Erkenntnis angesichts des Wasserplanetens des Unwissens.
Als einzigen Mangel kann man gelegentlich falsche Zahlenangaben anführen. Aber unter dem Aspekt, dass sich schon etliche wissenschaftliche Sachverhalte und Zeiträume extrem verschoben, reduziert oder gesteigert haben, kann man hinsichtlich dessen getrost ein Auge zudrücken.

Don’t let the 3 star rating mislead you. This was an awesome book and I’m certain others will think more highly of it. It is a great introduction for those not into the biography of the universe and the history of science. However, if you watch the Science Channel, History Channel, PBS, etc., then you’ll already know much of what’s covered. It is the true "Once upon a time. . ." story.

As someone with an interest in all things science, I was still impressed with the witty style of the writing and use of analogies to drive home various points. It’s a very entertaining listen and the narrator does an excellent job in reading it.

The most salient point of the book for me was the human paradox of how we are changing the world through our presence but at the same time how precarious our existence on it is. A favorite quote from the book for me is, “All life is one, is one of the most profound true statements there is.”

Think about this, for you to get where you are today, all of your ancestors had to survive long enough to find someone willing to pair up. Not an easy task surviving disease, war, or just being eaten. One break in the chain, one moment sooner or later in the conception process anywhere along the line and you don’t exist. It’s a miracle you’re here. And yet you are despite the odds against it. Just when you think you were meant to be here, you have to remember we could all be wiped out by a meteor strike at any moment.

Humans have been apart of only 0.0001% of Earth’s history and yet we have been chosen. As the author states, “We are the least there is. We may be all there is. We are the living universe’s supreme achievement and its worst nightmare simultaneously.”

One last quote to end with comes from Edward O. Wilson in his book,  The Diversity of Live, “One planet, one experiment."

El libro, como su título indica, da un repaso a un montón de temas como la cosmología, la física, la química, geología, paleontología, zoología, etc y etc... pero todo de una forma muy amena, fácil de entender, y sobre todo muy interesante.

Muerta me he quedado con la descripción de los miles de peligros que nos rodean, y que si estamos aquí hoy en día en este planeta es por puñetera casualidad u_u

11/10 - a book everyone should read simply because of the knowledge it imparts to the reader.

This is one of those books where I realised after a few pages that I couldn't even plan to write this book, let alone put the words on to the page.

A stunning achievement and if I had to recommend one anecdote, it would be Edmond Halley (of comet fame) going to see Isaac Newton about the path the Earth follows around the sun.

Halley and Christopher Wren (in the time when he was a famous mathematician / astronomer before he became a famous architect) and Robert Hooke (the man who proved the law of elasticity) couldn't agree on the path - was it a circle, an ellipse, a parabola?

Isaac was able to prove what kind of curve the Earth took around the sun, however he couldn't put his hand on the written-down proof because his desk wasn't too tidy, so Isaac wrote it down again and sent the proof to Edmond Halley.

A book whose mere existence attests to the massive amount of research Bill Bryson did. Even harder, I'd imagine, was whittling all that research into digestible chapters and writing in a clear language for all us laypeople.

I've always been terrible at science and math, and must make peace with the fact that I can grasp onto very little in these fields. Most of the information in this book was processed by my brain, understood briefly, and then punted directly out of my left ear drum, never to be seen again. So it goes.

I did enjoy, however, the profiles of the mad scientists and peculiar inventors that uncovered important aspects of how our world works. There appears to be a direct correlation between scientific genius and being petty, cantankerous, or downright devious. Half of the greatest discoveries of humankind were done on accident, and the other half were stolen from some poor fool now forgotten by history. There is more drama in each chapter than an entire season of The Bachelor.

مجهود عظيم وكتاب موسوعي ضخم بياخدك في رحلة طويلة بتحس في آخرها إن نافوخك تمدد. وكل ده بخفة دم وأسلوب خفيف. مشكلتي الأولى معاه مشكلة شخصية ولا تعيب الكتاب، وهي أنه بعض فروع العلوم اللي اهتمامي بيها كان أقل أخذت مساحة أكبر على حساب علوم أخرى كان اهتمامي بها أكبر. مشكلتي التانية إنه الخوض في سير العلماء وحياتهم الشخصية وصراعاتهم، زائد حكايات الكاتب الشخصية في زياراته ومحاوراته للعلماء ومسؤولي المتاحف، أخذوا أكبر من حقهم من صفحات الكتاب. لكن في النهاية أرجع وأقول إنه كتاب عظيم وممتع فعلاً، ورغم مشاكلي دي لكن مستحرم أخصم منه نجمة لأن المهمة اللي كانت على عاتق الكاتب مرعبة وهو نجح فيها بشكل كبير.

”Накратко - животът просто иска да го има. Но - и тук е интересната част - в повечето случаи не иска да е кой знае какво.”

Накратко: Бил Брайсън за пореден път доказва, че знаем, че всъщност нищо не знаем. Но пък светът е пълно с чудеса място, довели - освен до развитието на различните митологии - и до изграждането на ядрото на съвременните научни дисциплини, които да отговорят на вечните въпроси кои сме ние и какво ни заобикаля.

Астрофизика, квантова механика, геология, палеонтология, биохимия и генетика шестват с неестествена лекота и достъпност из страниците. И за някой като мен, дълго смятал науки като физика и химия за пълна скука, е истинско откровение. В строен ред и с шеговитото, скептично намигване на чичо Бил, напомнящо, че науката всъщност е с отворен код и много, много далеч от крайното и окончателно обяснение на заобикалящите ни загадки вътре и извън нас.

Всичко започва, разбира се, с Големия Взрив, и се простира до появата на Homo Sapiens. Той е толкова неинтуитивен, че умът чак не го побира. Квантовият скок и котката на Шрьодингер дообъркват крехките ни представи за света. Тектоничните плочи, галактиките и Гълфстрийм, вулканичната дейност, лишеите и микробите, слънчевата активност, загадъчните “ненужни” участъци на ДНК веригата са компонентите на живота, които едва започваме да осмисляме. Въпреки тяхната древност, нашите представи и теории са млади, неуверени и далеч от изчерпателност, но пък пълни с невероятни нови открития за древни чудеса.

Науката е поле на чудесата. На грешките, предрасъдъците, чудатостите, на безсмисленото изтребление понякога, на повторенията и великите пробиви. На трагедии и триумф. И като всичко в живота - не трябва да се вземат напълно сериозно и без усмивка.

Книга, която всяко по-малко и по-голямо дете трябва да прочетат, за да повярват в чудеса. И да се научат на смирение.

“Смущаваща е мисълта, че навярно сме едновременно върховното постижение на вселената и нейният най-голям кошмар.”

Stunning in scope and execution. Loved every page of it, even geology was made exciting. That really is some feat.