3.
Author: Bill Bryson
Title: A Short History of Nearly Everything
Publication: New York: Broadway Books, 2003.
Pages: 478, not counting notes
Genre: Nonfiction, science
Acquisition: Off my partner's shelf
Date Completed: January 13, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

I believe it was Stasia that remarked that Bryson's book is anything but "short", and in 478 pages of general text he attempts to cover, well, nearly everything about our planet.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is highly regarded by several men I admire, including my grandfather, my partner, and his grandfather. Each has read Bryson's book a number of times, gaining new insight each time. They never fail to recommend the book to others, and I picked up the book this month fully prepared to be amazed.

Unfortunately, I am not as enthralled with Bryson's work as my relatives. The general writing of A Short History of Nearly Everything is interesting and easy to follow, and is directed towards a general audience that makes the book approachable as a whole. In terms of its content the book is a general glossing of all scientific studies, focusing largely on the questions of how and why our planet came to be, what keeps it going, and how it all ended up with us. My interest varied with each chapter; passages dedicated to subjects I already find interesting were informative and entertaining, but my attention drifted on subjects I either find dull or simply too outside my area of understanding.

I would recommend A Short History of Nearly Everything to those with an interest in reading general science books, but it may not hold your attention if you're more interested in the humanities.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 3
1010 Challenge: Nonfiction Book 1
Off-the-shelf: Book 6