Natural history can be a tonic for readers of fiction. It broadens the mental horizons. I probably would have never read this, but I got it for Christmas; and am I ever glad. It's a lucid, colorful survey of modern scientific thought. Why didn't I want to read this before? Bryson, as a scientific outsider with a congenial tone, is the perfect author for such a book. He doesn't confuse or distort. Despite the presumptuous title, just about every chapter leaves off with a confession of our abiding ignorance of the world around us.

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This is an international bookring. If you're interested, send me a personal message and I'll add your name to the list below.

Current location in bold type.
1. Me (Leesburg, Florida, USA)
2. agschoolgrad (Jefferson, Georgia, USA)
3. bugandbean Columbus, Ohio, USA) prefers to ship stateside
4. DrBrown (Sierra Madre, California, USA)
5. aava (Jyväskylä, Finland) will ship overseas
6. alanfoxboro (Hixson, Tennessee, USA) can ship anywhere
7. mysteryfan03 (Moberly, Missouri, USA) can ship anywhere
8. HallieK (Austin, Texas, USA)
9. bookmanu (Cascais, Portugal)
10. Could be you...
11. etc.

Postal release to agschoolgrad. Please let us know when it arrives. Hope everyone likes it as much as I did.

Received in the mail today. Thanks!

I can't get into this book right now, must not be the right time in my life to read it. I am sending on to the next person.

hoo boy - received today, thanks! this must be ring season - they all seem to be on their way to me. But persevere I must, and I'll check back in later.

This is the most interesting science book I have ever read, although I have to admit that I skimmed and skipped some. But the parts I did read (which was most of it) was great - and even humorous. He inserts so much human interest as he relays the various scientists and their discoveries - the part where Richard Owen lost a freshly severed head, for instance. I think I've learned, or at least understood, more about earth science in the last week that I ever have in my life. The only thing that strikes me as so funny is his constant use of terms like "extremely lucky" "fortunate" "uncanny" and others to describe the amazing details found in life that form us, our earth, and allow us to be alive, and he gives NO credence to any intelligent design! I guess that's not "scientific", but I can't imagine how anyone can ignore the idea completely. Well, maybe he threw it in during a chunk that I skipped! anyway, good book - it should be used as a textbook in high schools.
Contacting DrBrown.

This actually arrived a week or so ago, but I forgot to journal it. Sorry, bugandbean

The book waited me when I came back from my holiday. Thanks.

I´m so sorry... it has taken me too long with this book but finally last night I finished it. It is a fascinating book. I was never good at science stuff at school, but this made me wonder that maybe after all it´s not so boring after all. Many funny anecdotes about the wise men(yes, mostly men I´m afraid, altough the very radioactive cook book of Marie Curie made me laugh too)and also some serious questions about... well, about anything really. So many thanks to Rico-Verde, now it´s time that the book heads back overseas.

I received this book today in the mail. Thanks to Rico-Verde for the bookring and to aava for sending it on to me. I will read it and post a review ASAP.

I am a great fan of Bill Bryson. I am glad I read this, although I enjoy his travel themed books more.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is a fast-paced and entertaining synopsis of past and present scientific thought. Unfortunately, like most books of its kind, it raises more questions than it answers. The most striking point of this book is how much we don't know about nearly everything.

I am sending this book on to the next participant, pending an address. Sorry to have taken so long with it.

On the way to mysteryfan03.

Hmmmm. I received this book today. It is in a brown paper bookcover! What will people think that I am reading?!!! LOL The book has lots of notations in it as if it were used for a textbook. I will get started on this soon and journal again. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

While parts of this book were interesting, most of it was pretty boring to me. I skimmed most of the book. Just not my cup of tea, I guess. I have tried PMing HallieK since I received the book and if I dont get an address soon, I will try the next person. Thanks for sharing the book!

Got this in the mail today. Looking forward to reading it!

Okay, well, I never quite got to this and I don't want to keep it anymore. I'm mailing it on to the next in line on 8/5/06. Thanks for sharing this one anyway!

Thanks HallieK and Rico-Verde, received safe and sound.

I've noticed that i'm last in line for this bookring so if you don't mind I'm going to hold onto it for a while. I have some RABCKs and swaps which I've committed to read and send out to a few fellow bookcrossers in Mt TBR first.