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A Short History of Nearly Everything Audiobook
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(4.00) - 80,469 listener ratings
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Synopsis
Bill Bryson is an ambitious man. A book with the title "A Short History of Nearly Everything" can't be written by any other sort of person. The hardcover printed edition weighs in at 478 pages, not including notes or index, and the audiobook runs to almost 18 hours--and a very enjoyable 18 hours they are!
Of course, even at ten times that length, he can't talk about everything, which is why the book is about "nearly everything". Still, he does his best within the confines of his subject. He stays mostly to the physical sciences. In chapters tellingly and entertainingly labeled with titles such as "How to Build a Universe", "Good-bye to All That", "The Stuff of Life", and "The Mysterious Biped", Bryson takes us from atoms to galaxies, chemistry to biology.
Rather than a dry rendition of what we know, he gives us an entertaining account of how we know it, which leads the reader along the path of the history of modern science, and the fascinating men and women who shaped it.
Bill Bryson, born in America in 1951, is a popular author of non-fiction books. He moved to England in the 1970s and has lived there almost ever since. His earliest books were notes on his travels through Europe and America, but he has since branched out into well-respected books on language, history, and science. His trademark humor puts the listener at ease and makes a subject which might be weighty or even boring in other hands a sheer delight to listen to.
A fascinating exploration of life, the universe, and, well, everything, Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" will keep you fascinated from beginning to end, and give you a whole new perspective on the world around us.
"My prejudice - I love Bryson. I can see hanging with him, drinking a pint and trading pub tales. This book is entirely Bryson but much more disciplined. He has a love for nature and the scientific realm which shines through. I taught a variety of science classes. I could quite easily have thrown out our textbooks and used the appropriate sections of this book. Easily the most enjoyable 'non-science guy" book I've read."
— David (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Stylish [and] stunningly accurate prose. We learn what the material world is like from the smallest quark to the largest galaxy and at all the levels in between . . . brims with strange and amazing facts . . . destined to become a modern classic of science writing.
— The New York Times -
Bryson has made a career writing hilarious travelogues, and in many ways his latest is more of the same, except that this time Bryson hikes through the world of science.
— People -
Bryson is surprisingly precise, brilliantly eccentric and nicely eloquent . . . a gifted storyteller has dared to retell the world’s biggest story.
— Seattle Times -
Hefty, highly researched and eminently readable.
— Simon Winchester, The Globe and Mail -
All non-scientists (and probably many specialized scientists, too) can learn a great deal from his lucid and amiable explanations.
— National Post -
"Bryson is a terrific stylist. You can’ t help but enjoy his writing, for its cheer and buoyancy, and for the frequent demonstration of his peculiar, engaging turn of mind.
— Ottawa Citizen -
Wonderfully readable. It is, in the best sense, learned.
— Winnipeg Free Press -
“[A Short History of Nearly Everything] is a crash course in the basics of climatology, chemistry, biology, botany, geology and physics. Bryson’s enthusiasm is infectious, his explanations simple. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to get them.
— The Citizen’s Weekly
A Short History of Nearly Everything Listener Reviews
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John Welch, 11/1/2024
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Kristina Hill, 2/16/2023
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Flo, 1/28/2023
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Doug , 5/28/2022
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Galen, 4/5/2022
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Robert Clontz, 3/30/2021
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Nick Chalmers, 8/4/2020
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Rick L, 11/5/2019
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" Bill Bryson shows how to explain complex concepts in a clear and entertaining way. "
— Peter, 2/20/2014 -
" Fascinating book, well organized and fun. Heard the whole thing as audiobook. "
— Joanna, 2/20/2014 -
" Re-read this several times... I love how is it seemingly comprehensive but concise and always with humor. "
— Canice, 2/6/2014
About Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson is the New York Times bestselling author of At Home, A Walk in the Woods, The Lost Continent, Made in America, The Mother Tongue, A Short History of Nearly Everything—winner of the Aventis Prize—and various other works. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he now lives in England, where he has worked for both the Times and Independent and written for most other major British and American publications.
About the Narrators
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.