A Short History Of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
This is a book which is EXACTLY as the title suggests.
You may have come across Bill Bryson via his other books, which are greatly acclaimed for their descriptions of American, British & other nations, from the point of view of a traveller/’alien’.
This book is quite different, in that it focuses on everything the in the world, from the year dot, to the present day. This may sound like a huge undertaking, more befit of a volume of books, however the author manages to dip into all the most pertinent areas, without skimping on details.
I realise that a lot of people will probably have already been put off by that description, HOWEVER this book is not some dreary, droning piece of work for academics alone. Bill manages to not only capture your interest with each subject, but actually raise a smile quite often.
Whether you consider yourself knowledgeable about such matters, or simply in need of a refresher course, I highly recommend this book…