Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything begins with his motivation for switching from his traditional trade of travel writing to science non-fiction. He recalls a cut-away diagram of the Earth from a childhood science textbook, and his wonder at how scientists figured out what exactly is inside our planet. His younger self is, ultimately, disappointed by the explanation - or lack thereof - provided by his school book.
Bryson's book, on the other hand, is anything but such a disappointment. A Short History of Nearly Everything is a travel guide through space, time, and knowledge, and explains both scientific fact and guesswork for the layman reader. While readers more inclined to fiction may assume they have no interest in a scientific book, they will be pleasantly surprised as Bryson weaves the history of life into a veritable page-turner.
A Short History of Nearly Everything begins with the Big Bang, that mystical event many science classrooms mention vaguely but have a hard time describing. From the creation of the universe to the 21st century, Bryson's tale uses applicable, practical examples that illustrate abstract and difficult concepts in a manner even those who abandoned science in high school can grasp. While tackling enormously complex subjects such as relativity and the size of the universe might result in stilted and convoluted writing in less talented authors, Bryson's prose is as smooth as butter; it is both logical and literary and a true pleasure to read.
But perhaps what makes A Short History of Nearly Everything so unique and enjoyable, is that it reads like non-fiction. Amidst the facts and figures lies an intriguing story of humanity and our attempt to understand and control the world around us. Scientists are the protagonists of the tale, and Bryson casts them as both geniuses and real people, with quirks and foibles as truly bizarre as life itself. Bryson also gives a share of the limelight to the underdogs of scientific history, the ones who fade into the background or are ignored entirely in more traditional accounts.
Ultimately, however, it is neither the scientists nor the ordinary folk of Bryson's book that steal the spotlight. That place of honour belongs to the one character that is both protagonist and antagonist, friend and foe: the Earth itself. Tectonic plates, ice ages, volcanoes, and thunderstorms are the elements that both create and destroy life in Bryson's story, and his book will leave readers both fearing the Earth for its power, and praising it for its incredible ability to create and sustain complex life. Bryson does a beautiful job demonstrating the paradoxes of life on Earth and within science itself, such as the planet's simultaneous role of villain and hero, or humanity's ability to discover and understand in contrast to its vast ignorance of how and why we exist. The reading experience is similar to existence itself - both deeply confusing and enlightening.
It is apparent that Bryson always remembers that not only are Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton human, but so are his readers. Thus, he does not simply regurgitate facts as if both he and his audience were computers. Rather, he carefully explains the politics behind scientific discoveries, as well as their social impacts. He takes a humanities view on science, and by doing so answers the big question many textbooks fail to address: "so what?"
And in answer to that question, after guiding readers from creation through to extinction, Bryson ends on a warning for the future: that if we are not careful, our end may be nigh.
Bibliography
Bryson, Bill. A Short History of Nearly Everything. Published by Transworld Publishers, 2004. ISBN 978-0-55-299704-1.
Carolyn Psutka - MA in English and self-professed bibliophile.
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