A Short History of Nearly Everything

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: William Roberts

Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

A Short History of Nearly Everything is Bill Bryson's quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. He takes subjects that normally bore the pants off most of us, like geology, chemistry, and particle physics, and aims to render them comprehensible to people who have never thought they could be interested in science. In the company of some extraordinary scientists, Bill Bryson reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.

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

Critic reviews

"To read Bryson is to travel with a memoirist gifted with wry observation and keen insight that shed new light on things we mistake for commonplace. To accompany the author as he travels with the likes of Charles Darwin on the Beagle, Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton is a trip worth taking." (Publishers Weekly)
"Stylish [and] stunningly accurate prose....Brims with strange and amazing facts...destined to become a modern classic of science writing." (The New York Times)

Sensational, I have listened twice

Any additional comments?

What a great overview of the world. For a non-scientist with a curiosity but no plan to research, this audio is sensational. William Roberts presents Bill Bryson’s words with clarity and personality that makes the 19+ hours both entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable even during the more tedious sections on mosses and the like. It has made my not inconsiderable commute pass with much more vigour for the week or so it took to listen each time and has made me that much more aware of just how insignificant and unlikely we humans really are.

Worth every minute of the listen

I enjoyed this audiobook immensely and found myself going back to parts I had already listened to hear them again. It is so accessible and yet entertaining, it brings intrigue into the history of scientific discoveries and our celebrated and less celebrated discoverers. I loved it!

Man's insignificance and responsibilities

packed with facts, the book passes on the important message of insignificance of man, at the same time pointing out the responsibilities of the species

A very interesting read

One of Brysons best. He covers a wide range of topics which are thought provoking, fascinating and make for a great read.

excellent content

very interesting information, a must read for all humans!
highly recommended and feeling inspired after completing the book

Superbly whimsical

A superbly whimsical miscellany of knowledge. The narrator matches the style of Bill Bryson impeccably. The range of subjects covered is wide, and the treatment of each is first class. If every child starting high school listened to this before choosing subjects, there would be a far greater enrolment in the sciences. Whether you're a kid of 9 or 90, you will find this fascinating. I cannot resist a minor quibble - the wealth of Johannesburg was not based on diamonds, but gold. The South African city founded on diamonds is Kimberly, whence the term Kimberlite, the volcanic rock that frequently yields diamonds. That aside, what a great book.

A

This is indeed one of the best books I have had the good fortune to read and also one of the best narrations from all of my Audible purchases.

All Audible customers should consider purchasing this book, whether or not you are history fans. The book is captivating, once you start listening you will not be able to stop -

be prepared to have your life disrupted!!!

A Short History of Nearly Everything

This is a well researched and entertaining story. Bryson has an absolute knack for turning the boring into the interesting. It is clear that his interest and passion for this enormous subject grew during the construction of the book. Its a different Bill Bryson and I like it. BUT I am not a fan of the reader. OK I'm from Australia but I enjoy a lot of american reads. This one is very difficult to put up with for long stretches. It needs to be read with a fun lively attitude. Sadly this one did not. I have the printed book too which I love to pick up and read. If you can stand the reader, get the audio book!

encompassing but not too in depth... just right

"Oh fuck, not another phylum." is by a wide margin the best take away moment.

A short history

Entertaining, enthilling and thought provoking. However, it's a bit outdated. Science has come a long way in the last few years. We now know Pluto has three moons, not one. And it's not even a planet anymore... (just to mention one thing). The conclusion drawn that life only appeared once in the history of the universe is extraordinary, considering that, as mentioned in the book, we are not even close to have discovered all life on this planet. And we have no idea how much life there is in our own solar system. Mars have fluent water and a few moons can theorerically be teeming with life. According to some estimates there's more planets in the (known) universe then grains of sand in the Sahara desert. We will never know if there's life out there unless we find it, or evidence there of.