A Short History of Nearly Everything
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Narrated by:
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William Roberts
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By:
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Bill Bryson
About this listen
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Editorial reviews
Critic reviews
"To read Bryson is to travel with a memoirist gifted with wry observation and keen insight that shed new light on things we mistake for commonplace. To accompany the author as he travels with the likes of Charles Darwin on the Beagle, Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton is a trip worth taking." (Publishers Weekly)
"Stylish [and] stunningly accurate prose....Brims with strange and amazing facts...destined to become a modern classic of science writing." (The New York Times)
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Story
Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion on the Appalachian Trail resulted in the best seller A Walk in the Woods. Now, we follow him "Down Under" to Australia with this delectably funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance that combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity. More from Bill Bryson.
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Laugh out loud funny
- By Larry on 06-09-03
By: Bill Bryson
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The Body
- A Guide for Occupants
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body - how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted."
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Must Read for the Sheer Fun of It
- By J.B. on 10-16-19
By: Bill Bryson
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Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- By: Will Durant
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The first volume of Will Durant's Pulitzer Prize-winning series, Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Volume I chronicles the early history of Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia.
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Wonderful
- By Michael on 11-30-13
By: Will Durant
What listeners say about A Short History of Nearly Everything
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Philip
- 08-12-05
Good Read
What a great introduction to science. Bryson's great skill is to make a complicated subject enjoyable and easy to understand. Some of the most memorable moments in the book come from the stories of the various scientests detailed. A great read (listen!)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Simon
- 06-14-05
A fascinating insight into (almost) everything...
A great listen and read well by William Roberts. Every chapter was packed full of amazing facts that made me just want to listen on. There were very few dull moments and the highlights more than easily out-weighed these. So much of the book has interested me and made me want to learn more on the many subjects covered in the book. You don't necessarily need any prior knowledge on the subjects and is spoken on a intermidiate level. The unabridged version is great, only I wish it went on for longer! I am anticipating another listen later this year - it's that good.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Kerrie
- 07-21-05
An incredible read (...listen)
I found it hard to get out of the car while listening to this book. Every part of it was fascinating. This was the first of my Audible books and it will be awfully hard to top. Bryson manages to delve into complex topics but still be funny. William Roberts is wonderful, very easy to listen to. He delivers Bryson's dry wit brilliantly. This book has made me want to learn more about 'nearly everything'. Topics which have the potential to be dull are exciting and intoxicating in this book. If you listen to nothing else, you really need to listen to this. I know I will listen to it many times over.
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- Michael
- 07-16-14
great precursor to understand the universe
Would you consider the audio edition of A Short History of Nearly Everything to be better than the print version?
yes read and listened prefer to listen
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Short History of Nearly Everything?
too many to list
What about William Roberts’s performance did you like?
easy listening
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Did you know?
Any additional comments?
great starter for anyone wanting to know more about the world and universe
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Overall
- carolin ellwood
- 08-29-09
a short history of nearly everything
i enjoyed listening to this book so much...i wrote in the review space.
now that's really saying something!
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- Jack
- 05-23-19
Great summary of everything
very interesting content.
well read and engaging
last three chapter was boring for me personally
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- Ian
- 02-15-14
An amazing blend of history and scientific facts
What did you love best about A Short History of Nearly Everything?
I have just finished this book and I am about to listen to it for a second time which I have never done with a previous book. So many interesting facts and figures that they don't all sink in the first time. For anybody with even a passing interest in science and global warming this is a must read. William Roberts breezy style of reading is just right to keep the listener interested through what is quite complicated subject matter in places. I wish my science teachers at school had made the subjects this interesting.
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Overall
- Christopher
- 06-17-05
Great
It's long, but worth it. Very interesting.
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- Jon White
- 02-13-18
Enjoyable Knowledge
Now slightly dated, but an enjoyable wealth of fascinating information, Bill Bryson takes you on his journey to discover how incredible it is to be part of this universe.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-23-20
Just excellent
The narration is brilliant, the story is profound and moving. Everyone should read this as a minimum
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