Part I: Bibliographic information
Type: Nonfiction/Crossover
Title: A Short History of Nearly Everything
Writer: Bill Bryson
Copyright Date: 2003
Publisher: Broadway Books
ISBN: 9780767908177
Genre/subgenre: Science/popular
Interest Age: 13+
Reading Level: Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Pages: 544
Awards: 2004 Aventis Prize
Part I: Reader’s Annotation, Plot Summary, Critical Evaluation
Reader’s Annotation -- Well-known author Bill Bryson’s abbreviated scientific history takes us from the beginning of time through rather recent scientific breakthroughs that help explain the nature of our universe and ourselves. Along the way, he introduces dozens of thinkers who have contributed to this incredible story of, well, ‘nearly everything’ and underlines their connections across disciplines and decades.
Plot Summary -- Initially, we are introduced to some history of the universe itself. This section explores the theories of the origins of our universe and likely first moments of creation, which actually amounted to about three seconds according to some estimate. We also learn that even to get to the edge of our own solar system and back is beyond any one human lifetime. The universe, he emphasizes, is enormous. In fact, so big we have no idea how big.
So all this space that is the universe can only be scrapped on the surface as far as direct observation -- and even the theorists cannot quite grasp its size. The author then turns to the question of how stuff came about -- as in matter. This relates to and defines things like supernovas and black holes that are the territory of astrophysicists. And this also involves some fundamentals of chemistry and the components that were introduced to initiate the chain of events that have lead to our current planet Earth. He states that others like us must exist given the enormity of the universe but none that we have direct evidences of.
We move to the all-important 17th century during which Newton began the important breakthroughs that would utterly change everything about humankind’s understanding of the universe and the early principles of scientific discovery. He sparked generations of scientists who would go about proving and attempting to disprove the infamous Newton and each other. This leads away from the physics to Earth sciences where discoveries in the last century have changed our perceptions of Earth’s origins many times over. The theory of plate tectonics are not yet a century old and yet are utterly essential to a modern understanding of Earth. This section unveils some of the theoretical developments that continuously challenged the status quo beliefs about our past and the nature of the earth’s physical makeup.
The book then moves into the work of biologists and their speculations on the origins of life. This involves discoveries about the smallest and largest of creatures -- from protozoa to blue whales. He begins with a long explorations of the ocean and discusses its importance in the underwater processes that have lead to life on the planet. He also emphasizes how little understood our oceans are -- with perhaps millions of species yet undiscovered. This leads to an extensive look at bacteria as a foundation of life and possible roles these small creatures play in our fine balance that is life itself as well as our modern understanding of health. He touches on the role of DNA and proteins play in formulating the basis for cells and the intricacy and complexity involved. And, there is even discussion of the theory that proteins may have arrived from elsewhere via asteroid and thus established life on earth some three billions years ago.
The next section discusses Darwin’s theories and the role these play in our current understanding of the origin of species and evolution. He also looks at some of the blanks in the famous theories of Darwin, including answers that came later through additional scientific finds. One of these is Mendel’s finds about dominant and recessive ‘genes,’ a work that was only coined later when the importance of his work was fully recognized. These fundamentals lead to decades of advances in medical sciences that are now being further explored as the human genome studies. Somehow this all comes back to the Ice Age, a relatively recent event in the bigger picture of the planet’s history, and Bryson ties this into the importance of the climate to our ability to survive. This takes us to the all important issue of global warming today.
Additionally and finally, he discovers and discusses the history of humans on the planet. This goes through the various theories over time about the earliest man and exactly where and when our species may have arrived on the scene. For a time, it was thought that three million years ago we emerged from the forest in the form of “Lucy,” who is often referred to as our earliest ancestor and the link between ape and man. Interestingly, some additional finds indicate that this specimen may not in fact be a direct ancestor. But, by this point in the book, we realize that this process of theory and challenge to theory is what constitutes the march of science that elevates our understanding one theory at a time and leads us towards a higher understanding as new ideas refine the older ideas in the long march of man’s understanding of everything.
Critical Evaluation -- This nonfiction book would fall into the genre that is sometimes called ‘popular science.’ Bryson tells this story in a highly personal fashion that feels like one man’s attempt to grasp all things at once in a fashion that fits in a nicely tied package. Yet the book not only reads like a personal observation on the entire history of science but the scientists themselves. It might be retitled, “The History of Science and Those Who Discovered It,” in fact.
This is what makes it so appealing to young readers in my estimation. Those who may be asked to study this or the science are often not offered much in the way of the bigger picture. Bryson’s work fills in that big picture by introducing us to both the ideas behind our modern understanding of the world and its contents and the people who discovered these realities -- and this gives us, the lay person, a reason why all of that science is, indeed, important.
The importance of this book relates to its ability to open the uninitiated into the realm of scientific theory -- and how it works. The scientifically inclined will be inspired. The not so inclined will be at least exposed to how the disciplines within science work on the most superficial level. In this way, this single work delivers a powerful punch in a ‘short history’ that can be read to supplement classroom learning.
Part III: Author Info
The Official Website of Bill Bryson offers this about him: “Bill Bryson's bestselling books include A Walk in the Woods, Notes from a Small Island, In a Sunburned Country, Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, A Short History of Nearly Everything, which earned him the 2004 Aventis Prize, and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Bryson lives in England with his wife and children” (Random House, 2013).
According to his Wikipedia page, William MacGuire Bryson is a 61-year-old award-winning American author of Irish descent born in Des Moines, Iowa. He dropped out of university in 1972 to travel throughout Europe and began writing about his experiences. Later, he returned to the United States to complete college but married a British woman and returned to the United Kingdom for twenty years, working primarily as a journalist and copy editor. He returned to the United States in 1995 upon leaving journalism and published several popular books during this period before returning to the United Kingdom in 2003 to serve in academia. He has written books about most of his life experiences. Additionally, he is something of a celebrity and has made many public appearances and been involved with numerous documentaries. His book A Walk in the Woods (1998) is slated to be released as a motion picture in 2014.
Part IV: Curriculum Ties, Diversity, Booktalk Ideas, Challenge Issues
Curriculum Ties, if any -- This book would be a particularly good addition to a general science course. However, it also addresses physics, geology, chemistry and other natural sciences.
Diversity of Cultures -- Unfortunately, much of this book discusses the achievements of dead white men. As has been the critique of European art, this book could be culturally predisposed to emphasizes the achievements of Western thinkers.
Booktalking Ideas -- Science appeals to certain people and makes others uncomfortable. What are the aspects of science that draw people in? What things repel people? Do you like science? Why? Why not?
Challenge Issues -- Some creationists might object to this work’s focus on a particular history of the universe that is not in sync with biblical scripture. Others might find this work over simplistic and, at times, dated in its content.
Part V: Reasons chosen
It’s my sense that young adults -- both those the like and dislike science -- will find this book mind opening and challenging to their assumptions. And, some might actually be inspired to pursue science as a profession by its content. We too often see science as either something we are forced to take or something for very smart individuals not including ourselves. Yet, in today’s world, an understanding of and participation in science is essentially to most professions. This is the sort of book that achieves that challenge but also intrigues us intellectually to want to know more. It really should be mandatory reading for general science students at the secondary level.
Part VI: Citations
Bill Bryson. (n.d.). Wikipedia.com [webpage]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bryson
Random House. (2013). About Bill Bryson. Retrieved from http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/about.html.
No comments:
Post a Comment