I love when someone attempts to give me an overview of things. Generally, history is a weak spot in my brain – but I will work on it – starting with Bill Bryson’s modern classic “A Short History of Nearly Everything”. Reading the preface, I find his writing quite amusing, and really believe he can entertain me through the rest of the pages as well. If this is not the case, I guess the illustrated children’s book “A Really Short History of Nearly Every” might do the trick.
I love this book!
I’ve got the audio book version, and have heard it over and over again. I also love the be given a brief overview, and this book covers most of it. I mean, everything (In science). I is funnier than the Dalai Lamas take on this (The Universe in a Single Atom) and more readable that Steven Hawkings totally un-understandable A Brief History of Time.
Bill Bryson has also written several other books (travel books in a funny tone) and IS truly entertaining. I especially enjoyed the “The life and times of the thunderbolt kid”, the story of Brysons youth parallel to the story of the american society in the 1950s.
Do read the rest of the book, the worst case scenario is that you spend time learning odd things about science while you chuckle and smile, and pick up thins only useful during quizzes. And that’s quite good, right?
Oh, you got me there. I’m only reading it to boost my quiz knowledge ;) But if I can chuckle and smile while boosting brain – hooray!