Review of A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

I read every day. I always have. What I read ranges from technical texts to light fiction and poetry. I have been doing this for many, many years. In other words, I have read a lot of books. I have never enjoyed one more than Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'.

I received this as a gift from an English Professor. Out of respect for him and his impeccable judgment regarding literature (which means, of course, that his taste agrees with mine) I started to read it. I expected little. Bryson is not a scientist; I am. I have taught courses in the history of science and I expected a superficial, amateurish treatment. Part of my abysmal misjudgment stemmed from the indefensible fact that I was not familiar with Mr. Bryson's works. I am now; there is a stack of them next to my bed.

From the very beginning of this book, my initial scoffing at the hubris of an amateur in thinking he could do justice to, as he puts it, nearly everything, began to change to awe. I have a near corner on narcissistic arrogance, and I would never have attempted so sweeping an undertaking. Bill Bryson not only attempted it, but did it great justice. O.K., as one reviewer noticed, it's not perfect. There is, indeed, a mathematical error. But perfection would have downright terrified me. I would have assumed that I missed something or that Mr. Bryson was not human. However, from the very beginning, I questioned my initial cynicism. Bryson's explanation of his motivation and procedures in undertaking this task were very compellingly written. I was captured early. I loved his style. He writes with an inherent humor that infuses his points with great readability. Perhaps, as one reviewer noted, it is not as replete with deliberate comedy as most of Bryson's writings. But it is funny. It is humorous (not merely as a byproduct, but clearly deliberately); it is constantly entertaining as it informs, and by God, it informs.

As stated earlier, I have something of at least a passing acquaintance with some of the subject matter. There was no chapter (and few pages) from which I didn't learn something that I didn't know. I expected naivete' and superficial treatment of complex concepts.I got surprising sophistication and a marvelous level of understanding that would teach a novice and not embarrass a professional. in at least seven different fields. Cosmology, geology, biology, chemistry, sub-atomic physics, epistemology, and biochemistry are all seamlessly woven into a history of their development. Moreover, I could argue that mathematics, including chaos theory, archeology, and psychohistory are well represented. Depending on how one classifies the sciences, another issue that Bryson treats well, the list of his achievements in presenting them could grow indefinitely. In something just short of 500 pages, Mr. Bryson provides an informative discussion of these fields without the need for any math beyond a few rudimentary concepts not exceeding beginning calculus.

What I found so irresistible in Bryson's treatment was the manner in which he interwove personal tidbits and striking insights into the lives and psychology of the people who were, and are, responsible for the advancement of these sciences. I cannot emphasize enough the degree to which these well chosen gems of information contribute to an understanding of the sciences, not only the humanizing of the scientists, but insight into the very nature of the knowledge. Besides, many of these anecdotes were new to me and they shed light on other items that I did know about these people.

Have I mentioned that I love this book? My first copy was a gift to me. Subsequently, I have bought five other copies to give to people I love, people that I knew must have this book. I don't have the slightest idea of how much they cost me. I certainly do not have any money to waste, but I would have paid nearly any price for this book, so I didn't look when I picked them up. Besides, the cost was always overwhelmed by the other purchases I made at the same time (I like books) so it couldn't have been too much. There is no point in my making any attempt to recapitulate any of this work in this review. Buy it and read it for yourself.