A Really Short History of Nearly Everything

Rating

Bill's own fascination with science began with a battered old schoolbook he had when he was about ten or eleven years old in America. It had an illustration that captivated him - a cutaway diagram showing Earth s interior as it would look if you cut into it with a large knife and carefully removed about a quarter of its bulk. The idea of lots of startled cars and people falling off the edge of that sudden cliff (and 4,000 miles is a pretty long way to fall) was what grabbed him in the beginning, but gradually his attention turned to what the picture was trying to teach him namely, that Earth s interior is made up of several different layers of materials, and at the very centre of it all is a glowing sphere of iron and nickel, which is as hot as the surface of the Sun, according to the caption. And he very clearly remembers thinking- How do they know that? Bill's story-telling skill makes the "How?" and, just as importantly, the "Who?" of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages. In this exciting new edition for younger readers, he covers the wonder and mysteries of time and space, the frequently bizarre and often obsessive scientists and the methods they

Promotional Information

Bill Bryson's worldwide bestseller, A Short History of Nearly Everything, abridged and adapted for children now available in paperback. With full colour illustrations and photographs.

About the Author

Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. He settled in England in 1977, and lived for many years with his English wife and four children in North Yorkshire. He and his family then moved to America for a few years but have now returned to the UK. He succeeded Sir Peter Ustinov as Chancellor of the University of Durham in April 2005. His bestsellers include The Lost Continent, Neither Here Nor There, Notes From a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, Down Under and, most recently, A Short History of Nearly Everything which won the Aventis Prize for Science Books in 2004.

Reviews

"Written with his inimitable style and humour let loose upon who we are, how we got here and the systems that support us which is all beautifully illustrated" * Publishing News * "This history of life, the universe and everything in between is entertaining and Bryson is an excellent guide. Great for the kids and good for parents, too." * Sunday Express * "The incomparable Bill Bryson travels through time to bring bite-sized nuggets of information to the younger readers" * Angels and Urchins * "A great gift and one that will bear dipping into many a time as children discover more about their world and the universe" * Eastern Press * "Lively and enticing" * Spectator *