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A Short History of Nearly Everything

The bestselling popular science book of the 21st Century

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A Short History of Nearly Everything

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: Bill Bryson
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.


Featuring a special introduction written for the audiobook edition and read by the author

A Radio 4 Book Club Selection.

The ultimate eye-opening journey through time and space, A Short History of Nearly Everything is the biggest-selling popular science book of the 21st century and has sold over 2 million copies.

Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays safely at home he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him. A Short History of Nearly Everything is his quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization - how we got from there, being nothing at all, to here, being us.

Bill Bryson's challenge is to take subjects that normally bore the pants off most of us, like geology, chemistry and particle physics, and see if there isn't some way to render them comprehensible to people who have never thought they could be interested in science. As a result, A Short History of Nearly Everything reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.

'Possibly the best scientific primer ever published.' Economist

'Truly impressive...It's hard to imagine a better rough guide to science.' Guardian

'A travelogue of science, with a witty, engaging, and well-informed guide' The Times


©2003 Bill Bryson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Earth Sciences History History & Philosophy Physics Science Thought-Provoking Funny Natural History Mathematics Cosmology Black Hole

Critic reviews

Possibly the best scientific primer ever published.
'A travelogue of science, with a witty, engaging, and well-informed guide who loves his patch and is desperate to share its delights with us' (Peter Atkins)
'A thoroughly enjoyable, as well as educational, experience. Nobody who reads it will ever look at the world around them in the same way again' (William Hartston)
'Brims with strange and amazing facts...destined to become a modern classic of science writing' (Ed Regis)
'It deserves to sell as many copies as there are protons in the full stop that ends this review (at least 500,000,000,000).' (Craig Brown)
'The very book I have been looking for most of my life...Trunkloads of information, amazing stories and extraordinary personalities' (Christopher Matthew)
'The amount of ground covered is truly impressive...it's hard to imagine a better rough guide to science' (John Waller)
All stars
Most relevant
Bill Brysons enthusiasm and wit permeate every page of this book. The awards and paudits it has received are well deserved. The audio book races along at a good pace and the narrator captures the dryness of Brysons humour.
The book seeks to explain, in an accessible way, how science got to where it is today, some of the false trails that were followed and what is still unknown. Bill Bryson starts from the standpoint of his own youthful wonder at how scientists could possibly know what they did. His book is a personal voyage of discovery - the viewpoint of an enthusiastic layperson.

Superb

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I really enjoyed this, the narration as well as the book itself was superb. I just wish it was unabridged.

I just wish it was unabridged.

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Loved it! Such an interesting book.
I would recommend this to anyone who has a brain😄

Great Listen!

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Fantastic audiobook. I've found myself watching multiple YouTube videos and reading up about some of the topics raised.

Could Not Stop Listening

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A brilliant primer for the unabridged version, to be devoured especially when you’re on the move.

A Brilliantly Succinct Account

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