At Home

A Short History of Private Life

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

From one of the most beloved authors of our time—more than six million copies of his books have been sold in this country alone—a fascinating excursion into the history behind the place we call home.

“Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.”

Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has fig­ured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.

Bill Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and he is a master at turning the seemingly isolated or mundane fact into an occasion for the most diverting exposi­tion imaginable. His wit and sheer prose fluency make At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR AT HOME: A Short History of Private Life:

"...a delightful stroll through the history of domestic life. Now living in a 19th-century church rectory in Norfolk, England, the author decided to learn about the ordinary things of life by exploring each room in his house.... In a sense, Bryson’s book is a history of “getting comfortable slowly".... Informative, readable and great fun."—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"[D]elightful.... Considering our homes means a dash through history, politics, science, sex, and dozens of other fields. If this book doesn't supply you with five years' worth of dinner conversation, you're not paying attention."—PEOPLE magazine

"Fascinating.... Join this ambiable tour guide as he wanders through his house, a former rectory built in 1851 in a tranquil English village.... [It] takes a very particular kind of thoughtfulness, as well as a bold temperament, to stuff all this research into a mattress that's supportive enough to loll about on while pondering the real subject of this book -- the development of the modern world.... Bryson is fascinated by everything, and his curiosity is infectious...[his] enthusiasm brightens any dull corner.... You'll be given a delightful smattering of information about everything but...the kitchen sink."— Dominique Browning, The New York Times Book Review

Edutainment!

Bill Bryson is as engaging as ever with clever observations, amusing anecdotes and a wry take on historical events. His discussion of the history of the home veers off into many paths, all of which are enlightening. I found myself being educated and entertained at the same time.

Another Great Book from Bill Bryson

I am about halfway through "at Home" and I find it fascinating. As usual Bill Bryson takes to his subject and drills down to the minutia and that is a good thing. His command of the language makes what is pretty much a dull subject, very interesting and entertaining. I agree with one reviewer that he should be a teacher as he makes each point interesting. I love the fact that he goes into detail on such things as food basics and the how & why things were done in the past. I regret that in about 6 short hours I'll have completed the book and will be waiting impatiently for the next.

So many things to like here.

Bryson is one of my my favorites and this book did not dissapoint. It is filled with many interesting facts and stories using the rooms in his home as a sort of plot device for this study of the Western history of habitation. I Highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys learning history from exhibits at good history museum like I do.

Fascinating view of the home

If you enjoy Bill Bryson's writing, or just like learning strange facts and history of commonplace items and words this is a great book. Bryson spends too much time on certain points, particularly at the opening of the book, but it picks up quickly and it becomes horribly engrossing. While there is always the danger to bog down in some detail overall Bryson does a great job of finding the right line of providing depth and detail and not beating a dead horse. The added bonus of hearing Bryson actually narrate is a nice touch.

No thank you

Love this book, it’s great! So happy I have discovered this writer, he is the best!