Review: A short history of nearly everything

Science is always objective, right? That’s certainly how it’s presented in our culture. Especially so when it comes to arguing with religion. People make up all kinds of beliefs, but science deals with truth.
If you were ever tempted to believe that sentiment, Bill Bryson’s wonderful book will provide something of a rude shock. Science, as it turns out, has not always been so scientific.
This incredible book is something of a history of science, in the broadest sense of the term. It explores the moments, breakthroughs, politics, and movements throughout history. It’s an incredible feat to cover so much territory in one book. And even more so, to do it in an engaging, humorous and masterful way.
Bryson shows us how the history of science is littered with all kinds of rivalries between key players. Often, we learn, science very much has taken a back seat to reputation, recognition, political motivation, and maintaining the status quo. If ever someone suggests to you that science is only about truth, this book provides a mountain of evidence that begs to differ.
On reflection, perhaps the most confronting aspect of all of this is to consider that, today, we might not be all that different. Although some may acknowledge the dark history of scientific discovery, they may also suggest that “we’ve moved beyond that, now”. I’m not for a moment suggesting that we should disregard modern science – it is a wonderful gift and resource for understanding the world. But, humans are just as human as ever, and there is little reason to have any confidence that, while those of the past got it wrong, we’ve got it right. Historical snobbery, and all that.
Bryson attempts a holistic retelling of how we have come to modern understandings of pretty much everything. There is no theology here, but that is obviously not the point. For providing an abridged summary of ‘nearly everything’, this is a remarkable and highly enjoyable read.
Who wrote it
Bill Bryson is a prolific author and journalist.
Why I read it
What’s not to love about that title? I probably felt just as curious as to how someone could accomplish a history of everything, as I was curious about the history itself. This was my first Bill Bryson book (though I’ve since read a few more). An accessible guide to the whole history of science is hard to dismiss.
What I liked
Informative. Pleasant. Humorous. It was everything I’d want from a book like this.
What I didn’t
Nothing. There’s a reason this has been so popular. And that Bryson has written many more books.
Major Takeaway
Hard to narrow it down, so here’s some fun quotes that give a little sense of the tone of the book:
“There are three stages in scientific discovery. First, people deny that it is true, then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.”
“There seemed to be a mystifying universal conspiracy among textbook authors to make certain the material they dealt with never strayed too near the realm of the mildly interesting and was always at least a long-distance phone call from the frankly interesting.”
“Geologists are never at a loss for paperweights.”
Who should read it
If you have any interest in history, science, or learning new things, this is excellent.
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Science is always objective, right? That's certainly how it's presented in our culture. Especially so when it comes to arguing with religion. People make up all kinds of beliefs, but science ...