A Short History of Nearly Everything

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Richard Matthews

Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the world’s most beloved and best-selling writers takes his ultimate journey - into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer.

In a Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail - well, most of it. In In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand - and, if possible, answer - the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us.

To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world’s most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, travelling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps. He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Science has never been more involving or entertaining.

©2003 Bill Bryson (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc. Published by Arrangement with Random House Audio Publishing Group, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Not to be missed." (AudioFile)
"Destined to become a modern classic of science writing." (The New York Times Book Review)

VERY worthwhile, even for the science reader

Almost passed up this book based on a review which mentioned that frequent readers of lay science books wouldn't learn anything new---glad I didn't!
True, there were a couple sections that quoted books and ideas I was already familiar with, but Bryson's books encompasses SO much ground that there were also many areas which were new to me (in this level of detail) and they have actually encouraged me to seek out some of the books he refers to. In addition, like all of Bryson's books, his point of view is frequently hilarious, and always fun reading. An outstanding book.

Everyone needs to know this stuff

Near the beginning Bryson states that he knew almost nothing about the only world he would ever inhabit. Most people seem to be in pretty much the same state. If you listen to this you will join him in not being quite so ignorant.

That's great, but what I like best is that while he presents our best current understanding of how our universe works, he also provides a series of wonderful profiles of the very human men and women who have slowly and painfully (and in some cases arrogantly) built up the framework of what we know -- and upon which we will continue to built our understanding. It is an ode to science and scientists. As far as I am concernerned this should be required readling...or listening!

Completely entertaining

If you like science and history and good documentaries on television, you will thoroughly enjoy this audiobook. The reading material itself is gold and really brought to life by the excellent narration of Richard Matthews. Funny, illuminating, inspiring and all encompassing, this audio book is very long yet never drags. I grabbed it on a whim, decided to test out a chapter to see how it was and sat transfixed for hours! Volcanism, dinosaurs, astronomy, anthropology, the human genome...it's as good as non-fiction audio gets.

Unbelievable!

I actually found myself fascinated by stories of stromatolites and geological societies... and i can listen to this over and over again without being bored, which is saying a lot because i usually have the attention span of a squirrel. Bill Bryson has given a gift to the world by illuminating important but typically dry information in a fascinating story-like book. I hope he will publish many more books like this, although his travel books are also among my favorites, especially A Walk in the Woods.

Simply the Best

I had not heard of Bill Bryson prior to listening to this book. I've since read 3 more in print. Mr. Bryson has the gift of allowing us to look at things in a new light. I found this book to be a great one for both myself and my young son who is just developing an interest in science. This is well worth the time invested in listening to it.

GREAT 5 STAR FUN

In this very popular and highly rated read. Bryson guides you through the history of science and invention with unmatched wit and skill. Though it may seem a daunting task to create a book on science that is such a joy to read for the masses, Bryson exceeds with flying colours. His mix of humor and wonder coupled with wit and wisdom shine in this very enjoyable yet superbly informative book.

I enjoyed this so much that I bought a copy for everyone on my Christmas/ Hanuka list. while this works well on audible, I'm not sure that I like the narration, though others might find it just fine. While this is great for all ages, In the FULLY Illustrated book edition it makes a particularly great gift for kids 12 or more who show some interest in the subject. I bought a copy for my son but it has so far spent most of its life in my hands. You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink. Highly recommended !

Makes me want to know more

I already was fairly literate in science (for a nonscientist), having faithfully read SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN for years, and having taken many science courses in college (Organic Chemistry, Genetics, Ecology, Microbiology, and lots of Anthropology etc.) In short, I'm a science junkie in my spare time.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I had feared that the content would include too much stuff I already knew. This turned out to be groundless, as even familiar topics were presented with fresh perspective, wit, and details. Less familiar topics were accessible and entertaining.

I emerge wanting to know much more about paleontology (a small captivating portion of this wide-ranging book); I emerge with a renewed sense of wonder about, well, nearly everything.

I LOVE BILL BRYSON

When Bill Bryson's book came out, I bought it. It is not a small volume and for a person with neck and shoulder problems it can be uncomfortable to hold the book for any length of time with any comfort. The solution? Not to give up reading it, but to listen instead.
The English-accented narrator is a perfect choice to read Mr.Bryson's work. The rhythm and inflections in his voice seems to match the humor that is in such abundance.
The content itself is brilliant the way that it is compiled and presented. I have always wanted to know so much more about science and the universe that we inhabit but in seeking out information found that it was not so easy to understand. This book reveals very complex concepts and facts in ways that leave me filled with that wonder and astoundment that I had forgotten about since I was a child just entering school and learning for the first time.
I cannot recommend this work highly enough! Since being fortunate enough for this book to have fallen into my lap, I have looked to Bill Bryson for more and have not been disappoined. I also bought his, "In a Sunburned Country" and it, too, is filled with fact and humor that is his magical way of story-telling. My only wish is that Audible would get all of his body of works in the UNabridged formats. Once you listen to one of his stories, you will want them all too!

An interesting, informative listen

This is an interesting and informative book. The narrator does a fine job of delivering lots of info without sounding pedantic. Well worth the time.

Edifying and Entertaining

This is a great piece of work. I enjoyed the reader's voice and manner; well-suited to Bill Bryson's prose. This is a very accessible book for people interested in science. The overview of science is at just the right level of depth to provide a deep sense of wonder. It is never boring.

Along with the ideas, it's full of fascinating stories behind famous and not so famous scientists. My daughter's favourite was the paleontologist Gideon Mantell, whose life and career sound like they come from A Series of Unfortunate Events. The scope is dizzyingly broad, including cosmology, physics, quantum mechanics, relativity, chemistry, alchemy, earth sciences, and the origins of life. That may sound daunting, but it really isn't.

The abridged version features Bryson's own gentle voice, but this full unabridged version is the way to go. I've never had as much fun in a car. (At least, not alone.)