Bill Bryson Books

This book was written in the style of John McPhee and even quoting him once in a while. It includes facts and people like "The Perfect Storm." Then Bill Bryson adds first hand personal experiences. You can identify with his comments that do not have to be funny to be familiar.

This book recounts Bill Bryson's experiences on the Appalachian Trail. The dry facts can be picked up through other material. However the personal experiences are just that, personal. If you have never been hiking then you still get a feel for what you have missed. However if you have hiked then you can really appreciate the people he met, and circumstances that he went through. There are hikers and then there are hikers. In the Boy Scouts you are usually in a well-organized group, in the military you have to be more cautious of objects and terrain, Sierra Club and Outward Bound have their unique points of view. So if his experience is different, it still makes for fun reading.

I even liked the sections on selecting and using the equipment. I am afraid if I had met Bill Bryson on the trail; I would have been one of those "equipment comparing" people.

Anyway do not expect an epic and you will enjoy the time you spend reading this book. Oh, and it does make me want to go hiking.

Bill bryson has a nack for humurous story telling. His friend that goes on this adventure is hilarious. I've read a few of Bryson's books and they are all good. Definitely worth the cost for a fun read.

It seems kindof cheesy at first, and Bryson's writing style can be a little precious. (Although always easy to read, and I certainly never felt bogged down in this book; in fact, I finished the whole thing in a weekend.) But I read it toward the beginning of a long kick to learn about stuff, and as I've gotten more in depth in several fields, I find myself remembering things I read in this book. He's given me a firmer foundation in...well, nearly everything...than I realized.

Many of you people know a lot of things, and for you this may be unnecessary. But some of you may be like me: high school chemistry is a distant memory, and you're not sure if you've ever even had a history course, and suddenly you sortof wish you knew all those things school was supposed to teach you. If that describes you, this book is a remarkably good place to start.

This is not a book to be devoured, or scanned lightly, though Mr. Bryson's fluid prose and wit would allow us to do so. This is a work to be pulled from the shelf more frequently than not and re-examined like a long Del Prado wall. It possesses the richness of a Qalicheh carpet or a Benares silk--an item to be held with awe. What an amazing compilation and composition.

The book was an entertaining read. It briefly touches on just about every subject. The only real thing that isn't that great is that it will go through several historical figures very quickly leaving you with a lot of information to digest. Later, the author often returns to talk about that figure, but after you've already forgotten about him. Not a big deal though.

Also, I thought the book would be more focused around history but it is actually more focused around the history of science.

I dont know much about Sci. but just had a good time reading this book/

Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything is an great read for people who are interested in Science. It describes in easy to understand terms what the current thinking is in the various sciences including Biology, Geology, Astronomy, Physics, and Chemistry. It reads differently from your science text book in a number of ways. It covers the history of how we got to what we currently think and does so in a "warts and all" approach. It tells you which scientists were brilliant, which were loons and which were just jerks. Of course sometimes this describes the same person, say Sir Isaac Newton. It also describes some of the reaction in science to a new theory, and seldom is that pretty. It also is not afraid to say that many of the "facts" that we learned in school are either now wrong or speculation, sometimes based on a surprisingly small amount of data.

Bill Bryson's take on Australia is hilarious. I'm going there in a few weeks and can't wait to compare my experiences with him. This is a book that will have you chuckling, laughing out loud and then marveling at his insight and sense of humor. A must read for anyone interested in Australia and that part of the world.

source: http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/bryson-sunburned.html
excerpt: (C) 2000 Bill Bryson All rights reserved. ISBN: 0-7679-0385-4
It is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef, and of the largest monolith, Ayers Rock (or Uluru to use its now-official, more respectful Aboriginal name). It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world's ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures--the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish--are the most lethal of their type in the world. This is a country where even the fluffiest of caterpillars can lay you out with a toxic nip, where seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you. Pick up an innocuous cone shell from a Queensland beach, as innocent tourists are all too wont to do, and you will discover that the little fellow inside is not just astoundingly swift and testy but exceedingly venomous. If you are not stung or pronged to death in some unexpected manner, you may be fatally chomped by sharks or crocodiles, or carried helplessly out to sea by irresistible currents, or left to stagger to an unhappy death in the baking outback. It's a tough place.

Oh yes, I read it, also the German version Frühstück mit Kängurus, both several times. And I will have to warn you: First you will read a lot about a lot of things, events and facts you never never knew before, and secondly: You schouln'd read this book in public places (like buses, trolly, metro, libraries etc). You outbursting laughter will make people worried about your well being.
You will not be able to narrate from this book to your family or as a teacher to your students. At least not continuously for more than 3 minutes. Bill Bryson is not a clown, he is very serious ..... me too.

Bryson really captures the essence of Australia by detailing his experiences and interactions in different places throughout the country. Using humor or strange conversations, he conveys the attitude and friendly personalities of the the Aussies. While spending long passages describing too many historical details that he might only find interesting, he dives deep into the culture and history of a country most people know nothing about. Seeing as I just moved here, this introduction was perfect to welcoming me here. :)

This funny account of travel in Australia isn't necessarily the greatest of Bryson's works, but it is worth a read! You will find it entertaining, with his usual piercing, sarcastic, and witty insight.

Funny, funny. I want to travel to Australia during retirement. Cannot wait to go!

I was very fortunate to grow up in this period in a small town. It was amazing that the kids in Iowa were doing the SAME dumb stuff as we did in Texas. I had the electric football game and never could figure out how to have fun with it. We went to the local fair and got into the stripper tent at age 15 (true). The stripper in Texas was probably on a circuit that went to Iowa. All in all, a fun book to read for anyone of that era. All the buildings are now gone, but the memories still remain. Bill did a great job bringing those back to life.

As I finished this amazing book Des Moines made the news by flooding today. Even though I have never been to Iowa, I felt sad due to having just read this memoir of Bill Bryson's who is from Des Moines. This is a wonderful valentine to Iowa and to Bill's childhood growing up in Des Moines. It is so funny that you will find yourself laughing so hard and so loud. I was born the same year as Bryson and could relate to everything he recalls while growing up in the strange world of the 1950's. He brings back what a very strange time the 50's were. How did we ever become such an interesting generation after a decade of jello,black and white westerns on TV,Dick and Jane books, sci-fi badly made movies and a long list of ridiculousness that our parents and government held up as rules for the good life in America. Bryson's talent of looking at things that at first seem funny(ha-ha) but underneath those events or things lie a lurking dark side of reality that is anything but funny.

There are over 200 reviews for this book that attest to really how good it is.

What's most enjoyable is that if you lived during the 50s, Bryson has brought back to you many of the memories all of us enjoyed. This book is laugh-out-loudable while tickling your memory. If you enoy Jean Sheppard and his tales (A Christmas Story), then you are guaranteed to enjoy the Thunderbolt Kid. I was there wish there was a sequal... there certainly was back in the day!!

Bill Bryson writes of bygone days during his middle-America, middle-class childhood in the 1950's. Many hilarious vignettes sparkle, including "the toidy jar," getting permission from the teacher to go to the bathroom (Number 1 or Number 2??) and his friend Willoughby who ran the scan involving bugs and pond water in his restaurant food to get free meals.

There were times I was doubled over in laughter. You may get a few belly laughs too, especially if you grew up in the 1950's.

Anyone born in the 50's can relate to the experiences of Bill Bryson. I began reading this book on an airplane and was laughing so hard, the people around me were smiling. Bill Bryson uses excellent humor to bring his story to life. You feel as though you know him or someone like him. Memories of my own childhood came flooding back. Excellent read. Never dull.

I read this from the library, then purchased a copy for my father-in-law, who lived through the depression. The writing style is straightforward with lovely language. Even though I've never lived in the midwest nor experienced depression living, it kept me interested. Wonderful anecdotes of kid sneakiness are described.

This book brought back a host of memories from my own Midwestern childhood, although mine took place nearly fifty years after hers. The author's simple, unadorned voice echoes the simplicity of her upbringing, and the effect is entirely charming. She has created quite a treasure that -- were it not for thorough first-hand accounts like this -- might be lost forever.

I had a feeling when I looked over the cover and liner notes of "Little Heathens" that I was in for a special treat. Luckily, my instinct was right. I am so glad I read this book. My wife and son read it right after me and also enjoyed it.

The book has the feel of a beloved relative talking about the "old days", except that the story is told with the literary sure hand of a retired English professor. Not only is Mildred Kalish's style wonderfully readable, I found her choices of subjects to be interesting.

I did sort of skim over the recipes in the book, but there was one that caught my eye: the "apple cream pie". My wife baked it the other night, and it is pretty darn good. Beware though: there are a lot of apples in it!

I think the value in this book are the lessons it teaches, and how it teaches those lessons without being preachy or judgemental about the current state of society. The values are some we could use more of today: self-reliance, respect for our family, the satisfaction of hard work, and bearing our trials with dignity. Sadly, when Ms. Kalish's generation have all passed away, these values are in danger of becoming some sort of antiquated curiosity. This book can also be therapeutic, allowing us to put the annoyances and challenges of life today in proper perspective. Maybe it's not so bad after all that the line at Starbuck's is long. Maybe our kids can learn that there are other ways to have fun than video games and text messaging. Maybe we can all just slow down a little, and be happy with what we have.

The most telling passage is at the very end. She could have complained about the hard times, the poverty, and the back-breaking farm work. Instead, she is grateful. A lesson for us all.

Highly recommended.

To be honest with you, I don't know who recommended this book to me but I am eternally grateful to whomever did, because it really was a fun read. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought my own copy of it so I can lend it to people. My great-great-grandma immigrated from Germany to Iowa and her daughter and grand-daughter grew up in Iowa till the Great Depression drove them to Ohio. The grand irony is while the author lived in Iowa during the Great Depression, my relatives moved back east looking for jobs.

The stories and historical tidbits that Millie had shared about her childhood on the farm are familiar stories passed down to me from my relatives. I grew up as a town girl and so did my mom, but she would visit her cousins every summer and they lived on the farm. She would share her stories with me at the family reunions and Millie has a great way with words. Reading this book almost made me feel like I was sitting at her knees as she rocked in her rocking chair and passed on so many stories of her childhood. She has taught me a few things as well as answered so many questions I never knew that I had.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book and one that every family in the Midwest should own as a reminder of their ancestors' past. It is chock full of information, stories, old-folks' tales and musings. It is a great book to share with your children and grandchildren, and a piece of history that is made all the more real since it was penned by a woman who grew up on the farm. I love memoirs and this one just beats them all.

This one comes highly recommended.

6/29/08

I'm the daughter of parents who grew up during the depression so many of these stories are familiar. My parents also read the book and were equally pleased with the stories. It doesn't quite delve into how difficult it was however, and stays on the light reading side. Great gift for anyone who's been to the midwest, grew up in that era, or just someone who appreciates the simpler times.

I bought this book as a replacement for a lost borrowed book. I had started reading it in Phoenix when I lost it. But the few pages I read there prompted me to buy this book from Amazon when I returned home. (And yes, I did return the new book to the lender.)

There are 2 parts to this book. Part 1 is awesome! It is a great story of 2 men hiking part of the Appalachian Trail and the ups and downs they had doing it. It's funny, witty and well written. Part 2 however lags a bit. The author drives part of the trail and walk parts of it in day trips, not nearly as exciting as part 1. The only thing in my opinion that save part 2 is the history and facts the author talks about. Especially about Pennsylvania and the Delaware Water Gap. Overall I gave it 4 stars. It could have been so much better if he hiked the whole thing, but overall was still a very good read.

Heard A WALK IN THE WOODS, written and read by Bill Bryson

It is the true tale of the author's attempt to walk the 2,100 Appalachian
Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine . . . although he ultimately
was not successful in completing the entire AT (as it is called), it wasn't
for lack of trying.

You'll find yourself actually laughing out loud at much of his
account . . . also, you'll shake your head in disbelief about his
having to deal with his walking companion: an out-of-shape
Stephen Katz who thinks nothing of discarding provisions in
order to lighten his backpack.

In addition, Bryson makes history come alive as he describes
the evolution of the trail . . . he further makes you appreciate
the need to maintain such areas and in doing so, takes
the National Park Service to task for not doing enough.

Much of the writing is brilliant, such as this passage describing what
it feels like when you've finally reached one of your goals:
* When, after ages and ages, you finally reach the tell-tale world
of truly high ground, where the chilled air smells of pine sap and
the vegetation is gnarled and tough and wind-bent, and push through
to the mountain's open pinnacle, you are, alas, past caring. You sprawl
face down on a sloping pavement of granite, pressed to the rock by the
weight of your pack, and lie there for some minutes, reflecting in a
distant, out-of-body way that you have never before looked this closely
at lichen, not in fact looked this closely at anything in the natural world
since you were four years old and had your first magnifying glass. Finally,
with a weary puff, you roll over, unhook yourself from your pack, struggle
to your feet and realize--this is the barest fraction of what you will traverse
before you've finished.

Bryson's use of dialogue was equally impressive, as evidenced by this
hilarious account of what happened when Bryson and Katz had their first
encounter with a bear:
* "Have you get anything sharp at all?"

He thought for a moment. "Nail clippers."

I made a despairing face. "Anything a little more vicious than that?
Because, you see, there is definitely something out here."

"It's probably just a skunk."

"Then it's one big skunk. Its eyes are three feet off the ground."

"A deer then."

I nervously threw a stick at the animal, and it didn't move, whatever
it was. A deer would have bolted. This thing just blinked once and
kept staring.

I reported this to Katz.

"Probably a buck. They're not so timid. Try shouting at it."

I cautiously shouted at it: "Hey! You there! Scat!" The creature blinked
again, singularly unmoved. "You shout," I said.

"Oh, you brute, go away, do!" Katz shouted in merciless imitation. "Please
withdraw at once, you horrid creature."

"F*ck you," I said and lugged my tent right over to his. I didn't know what
this would achieve exactly, but it brought me a tiny measure of comfort
to be nearer to him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm moving my tent."

"Oh, good plan. That'll really confuse it."

Reading A WALK IN THE WOODS will motivate any past, present
or future hiker to check out the AT . . . as for me, I think I'll take a
pass . . . yet I will commend you, if you give it a try, and I'll look
forward to reading about your efforts as I bask in the comforts of home.

A laugh-out loud tale of Bill Bryson as he hikes the Appalachian Trail. This was one of my first adult-type books my mom let me read. A hiker myself, I have read this book three times and it never fails to amuse me. The experiences listed are realistic for hiking on the AT, and Bryson's unique writing style as, in all of his books, never lets the reader down.

It's been several years since I read this book, but it still annoys me. Bryson neatly avoids the truth: he can't hack it. He quits. He gives up. But along the way he's sure to make fun of other hikers. He's going to get it done in his jeans, he tells us as he drags along his friend that he mocks incessantly. He sure showed us.

Let me start by saying I LOVE Bryson's work.

I was very drawn into this book because I knew very little about the story of Shakespeare. I learned a LOT about the man and his family and friends and about that time period. I couldn't put it down.

However, about 2/3 of the way through the book it started to get really dry and boring. That surprised me a little. I am very glad to have read the book and when I think back to the beginning parts it was a really good book. It just ended pretty dry for me.

Bill Bryson

Shakespeare


Fact and main theme:

There is very little that we know about Shakespeare.


This is an exceptional book for one with little knowledge of the history of the period and the man himself.


It covers not only the person, but some information of the history surrounding Shakespeare in a very entertaining simple way.


What does Shakespeare look like?

There are 3 possible likenesses:

1) 1839: Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandon Grenville purchased the "Chandros portrait," hought to be Shakespeare during the period 1590 -1610. Interesting to note that black was various prosperous due to the cost of dye for black.


2) "Martin Droeshout engraving" - Copperplate engraving appeared as the frontpiece of the collected works of Shakespeare in 1623 - the famous First Folio.


3) Painted life-size state at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare is buried (and was born): Created by Gheerart Janssen in1623.


Side note on researchers: Charles and Hudda Wallace, in the early 1900's Went to England to search for Shakespeare. Went through public records. Went back to Texas and became a millionaire in oil.


It is not surprising that little is known as it is noted that other playwrights were even more famous than Shakespeare at the time, but even less is known of them: Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson.


First Folio, put together by Henry Condell and John Heminges, is the basis for much of our knowledge of Shakespeare's 884,647 words


Early Years, 1564-1585

Exact date of birth not known but accepted as April 23, St George's Day, also the day he died.

Date of Baptism April 26.

But born under the old Julian calendar, not the Gregorian (pope Gregory XIII) which was not created until 1582 and rejected in Britan until 1751: Thus, confusing the matter even more. Thus, April 23, is really May 3.


Religion of the day was keyed to ruler at the time: Protestant under Edward V to Catholic under Mary Tudor and back to Protestantism under Elizabeth.


Parents: John Shakespeare was Stratsford mayor 1568. Died in1601 at age 70.

Mary Arden, mother of 8 (4 girls).


Family:

Shespesare married November 1582: The bride according to the ledger, was not Anne Hathaway but Anne Whaeley of nearby Temple Grafton. The marriage Bond correctly notes Anne Hathaway, but "Shagspere," one of many spellings to be noted.


3 children: Susana in May 1583, twins Judith and Hamnet in February 1585.


Shakespeare's career as a playwright began in about 1590.

The comedy of errors, the two gentlemen of Verona, the taming of the shrew, Titus Andronicus, King John or the three parts of Henry VI are thought to be his first works.


Purchased a coat of arms, allowing farther and son and all their heirs in perpetuity to style themselves gentlemen.


March 1616 Shakespeare changes his will, left in Britain's National Archives at Kew in London with 3 of 6 Shakespeare's signatures.

February 1616 daughter Judith (31) married to Thomas Quiney,

April 23, 1616, Shakespeare dies.


Wealth: 200 to 700 pounds per year

Comparable: Sir Francis Drake - 600,000 pounds in 1580.

15 pounds comparable to 15,000 pounds in today's money.


Lost years, 1585-1592

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

Spanish Armadas spread over 7 miles in the sea.123,000 cannonballs with 3,000 "bronze" cannons, which required to be cooled after every 2-3 rounds..

English had "cast-iron" cannons. 3 weeks Spanish Armada was decimated.


Plays were held by the company not the playwritght.


Christopher Marlowe, killed 1593 at Eleanor Bull in Deptford in south-east London by Ingram Frizer.


By 1594 2 main troupes: Admiral's men under Edward Alleyn and a new group, the Lord Chamberlain's Men led by Richard Burbage, (died 1597: AT 67) associated with Shakespeare.


Reign OF King James, 1603-1616, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, after the death of Elizabeth (March 24 under the Julian calendar at 69. King James famous for the King James Version of the bible (1604-1611).


Sonnet is a 14 line poem from Francesco Petrarca, 14th century Italian poet. Word comes from "little song'"


Rules of plays: "law of re-entry, which stated that a character couldn't exit from one scene and reappear immediately in the next.


Anatomisms - getting one's geography wrong.


Oxford Dictionary of Quotations - roughly one-tenth of all most quotable utterances written or spoken in English since its inception - a clearly remarkable proportion.


Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC, Henry Clay Folger (dies 1930), President of Standard oil and member of the Folger's coffee family. Collection of First Folios and other books: 350,000 in total.

Frankly, I have always admired the idea of Shakespeare but never had a great desire to actively listen to or read anything he wrote. I feel that I am a fairly well read person but listening to Shakespeare seemed as interesting as watching dental plaque build up on my kids braces. Having heard and read a number of Bryson's books I figured that I might as well give this one a shot. I was not dissapointed. In fact I have listened to several of Shakespeare's plays on audiobook since listening to this book and I now appreciate his complexity and depth thanks to the insight that I gained from listening to this book. In reading some of the negative reviews I can understand that some would prefer for this book to be rather more critical of the Bard's identity or they would have prefered for him to dautle on other ideas. I disagree. Those ideas are covered but I believe that Bryson's main point was to bring an appreciation of just how interesting Shakespeare and his works truly are and he accomplished that fully. Perhaps Bill will one day write a book that I find utterly uninteresting but this one is not that. It is yet another dose of his unique wit and insight.

This book is a great fun read, busting all the myths out there. Any lover of Shakespeare will love it. As usual, Bill Bryson's thorough research sets out all the facts while thoroughly entertaining us.

I am one of those individuals who enjoy Bryson's work. When I read this author's books, I get the impression that he does not take himself all that serious, much in the same way I take myself. I can relate. This little volume on the individual who is probably and arguably the greatest of all our English writers is no exception. It, as others here have pointed out, is sort of a book about nothing. By that I mean, we know almost absolute nothing of the man, William Shakespeare. We don't even know for sure how he spelled his name due to the fact that he, himself, did not spell it the same all of the time. Bryson has taken nothing and turned out a work, 196 pages of work, of something. Now if you think that is easy, try it some time.

This is not a scholarly dissertation (thank goodness) which tries to pass itself off as the beginning and end of all that was ever written about the life of Shakespeare. It is a short study of just what we do not know about him, which we find, is quite a lot! I picked up absolutely dozens and dozens of facts as to what I did not know, and until I read this book, did not realize I did not know. In addition to this I picked up some wonderful trivia (and some information that was not trivial at all) concerning the era in which Shakespeare wrote, if indeed, he wrote during that era. I had no idea of the words and phrases, which happen to number in the hundreds, which were introduced to the English Language via Shakespeare. As one reviewer has pointed out, this is really not a biography, but rather a history lesson, a lesson of little facts that you would not normally be exposed to. Bryson has done his home work and we have all benefitted from his seemingly endless curiosity.

Now for those folks who are Shakespearian scholars. This probably will not be all that much help to you; of course picking up the book, noting that it has only 196 pages, should pretty well tip you off to that fact pretty quickly. If it doesn't, perhaps you might want to find some other line of work. This is a readable book, an interesting book, written for those of us who have not made the study of Shakespeare a profession or made it an obsession, which ever the case may be. It is not a book that you can use as a substitute for a sleeping pill, as so many hard core books on this subject are. It is for those of us who are curious, and who want to know bits of this and pieces of this and that. I will say though, that by reading this work, I have gained even further appreciation for the work of Shakespeare, which says a lot, as I had already admired him greatly.

I did enjoy the last chapter or so, as it addresses the many theories of the many rather odd individuals who have been obsessed over the years, trying to prove that Shakespeare was not Shakespeare, or that someone else wrote his writings. These nut jobs seemed to have started from the beginning. The neat thing about it is, as Bryson so well points out, we know even less of the basis of their theories than we know of Shakespeare. Some of them are pretty funny though and worth taking a look.

Bryson does have a low keyed sense of humor and this fact shines through on ever page of this work. His style is easy on the eye, and in this work, there are no pretentions. It is sort of what you read is what you get. I enjoyed this one front to back and feel much richer for having read it. I did give this one five stars as I truly enjoyed it and felt, for me, it was a very worthwile book. Others may disagree with this, but hey, they can write their own review.

Funny, but overall not as entertaining as Bryson's other works like A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail or I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away.

It's hard for me to put my finger on it -- it's definitely still a Bryson book and has his signature style. But it reminds me of when a great baseball player is in a hitting slump -- you know it's still him when he walks to the plate, but the end result just isn't as impressive.

If you're a Bryson devotee, you'll probably read the book anyway. Just know in advance that he isn't bringing his A-game. If you're new to Bryson, go ahead and read "The Thunderbolt Kid" -- Bryson bringing his B-game is still better than most other writers bringing their A-game. And once you read one Bryson book, you'll find you just can't stop.

Bill Bryson writes in a way that brings his book to life. I actually see whats going on rather than imagine it. And while he wrote this book with an obvious adult retrospective - he spices it up with a child's perspective also. Everything is "the best", "the biggest", "600 kids on the baseball field" - over-exaggerating things like kids are known to do. I found myself rereading paragraphs simply for the delight of it!

This is a wonderful read.....nostalgic, funny, sentimental, but never sappy. If you are NOT a fan of the "big box chains," then this is a book for you.

At this point, I've read most (but not quite all) of Bryson's narrative works, and this is probably his weakest. In interviews, he's admitted that writing his previous book, (AA Short History of Nearly Everything) was rather taxing, and he was looking for something relatively easy to tackle after that. The result is that this meandering childhood memoir/ode to the halcyon days of 1950s America feels rather loose and dashed off in comparison to his other books. There's still good writing, good humor (albeit a bit more forced than usual), and good anecdotes, but instead of a solid framework or narrative arc, he relies on a lot of cut-and-paste cultural history to serve as the binding glue.

Bryson grew up in a comfortably prosperous family in Des Moines, Iowa, and clearly enjoys this extended trip down memory lane. Whether or not the reader has as much fun probably depends on their approach to the book. For one thing, you have to realize that Bryson depends a great deal on exaggeration and comedic license to amp up the humor in his recollections -- to the point where it's not clear what really happened and what is just a good yarn. Also, since this is Bryson as a kid, a lot of the humor derives from rather juvenile sources.

Another thing to realize is that Bryson's 1950's middle-American childhood is pretty unremarkable and uneventful (something he readily admits in the foreword). We are treated to well-worn touchstones such as the arrival of the first TV on the block, the promise and threat of the atomic age, the banning of comic books, the lure of the movie theater, the rise of teenagers, etc. The problem is that many, if not most, American readers will have heard most of this stuff before. Another problem is that the chronology is somewhat confused. For example, he goes into detail on how his beloved comic books were sanitizedby industry's adoption of the self-censoring Comic Book Code, but that actually happened in 1954, when Bryson was 2 years old! Indeed, most of the hijinks he relates take place in the 1960s, but one would be hard pressed to realize this with all the 1950s background material.

Don't get me wrong, there are a number of memorable anecdotes that will bring chuckles and outright laughs to the reader. My own favorites included the match wars he and his friends would wage in a dark basement, and a rather spectacular beer heist. But the whole enterprise feels rather phoned-in and more like a flaccid first draft than a finished book. Nostalgia seekers and Bryson fans will probably find it worth checking out (especially for the appearances of his traveling pal Stephen Katz), but others will find it somewhat pointless.

A father who's a top sports columnist. Wax teeth, the Butter Boys, infatuation with atomic energy, and a booming post-war economy. Is it any wonder that Bill Bryson (the second) turned out the way he did? Reading this crazy essay is a walk down memory lane for baby boomers. Who could forget crawling under a school desk to ward off the effects of a nuclear attack by communists? Or the rise of rock and roll? Bryson recalls and describes it all in his typical dry, wry, and deadpan way. I did not laugh my way all the way through it - that only happened maybe once in each chapter - but I never stopped smiling. Great fun.

Got the original from the library and took it back after the second chapter. I had to buy my own copy. Then I found out there was an Illustrated Edition and it was well worth the extra money. There are some really dull parts just like a chemistry course so the illustrations carry you through to the more intrigueing parts. I read it about three times. You don't have to start at the beginning, it's all interesting.

This is a very informative book, which can be a very useful reference for kids' scientific education.

Brysons method of converting the magnitude of events, sequences and experiences through analogies of scales of size and time is infinitesimal(in relation to the amount of content in the book) and yet extremely valuable in making this book of knowledge work. Further his explanations of connections in history relating to the dawn of discoveries and the scientists, explorers and or discovers is so important in understanding the driving mechanisms that have helped shape science as it is today. I can agree that Brysons book helped fill the gaps of certain drearily taught college courses I experienced years ago that I held on tight to enjoy, but some of them just seemed to be missing that connective tissue, geology, or force needed to make them more astonishing. I additionally just finished 'A Walk in the Woods'-what a great book, I actually laughed outloud a couple of times. Great work to Mr. Bryson.

Bryson is a gifted writer and observer who focused on science for three years to get the perspective to write this. Where a younger student might miss the connections, where an older scientist may be too focused and where most lack the writing skills to connect with a broad audience, Bryson steps in. Whether you know nothing or everything it presents, you'll likely appreciate this point of view.

This and the God Delusion will be my 2007 stocking stuffers.

This is the most fantastic book in print. Every human being should read this book. It containes a huge store of factual knowledge. Every person should know at least this much about the universe they live in. This type of scientific understanduing will have a bearing on the decisions you make concerning your future. I am a bibliomanic and have a several thousand volume personal library and there is no other book I would reccomend more highly; --- for young and old.
Jess Culpepper, Humble, Texas, 77338.