A Really Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson’s Bestseller Abridged and Adapted for Children

Dec 14, 2008

Bill Bryson explores the wonders of time and space, adapting his well-known adult text into an illustrated version suitable for readers aged 8 years and older.

In 2003, Bill Bryson achieved something that many might have believed impossible. He wrote, and published, a book that not only reviewed such generally incomprehensible topics as atomic science and bacteriology, but made them entertaining and understandable.

The popular and award-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything (Doubleday, 2003) was followed by An Illustrated Short History of Nearly Everything (Doubleday, 2005) and more recently by a version adapted for a younger audience, A Really Short History of Nearly Everything (Doubleday Children’s, 2008)

Bryson’s own fascination with science apparently began as a boy with a cut-away illustration of the earth in an old schoolbook. His interest in the world around him has led him around the globe and this book, and its predecessor, show that even when remaining at home he can’t help but wonder about things and seek out answers.

Greatly abridged from the 687-page original, A Really Short History of Nearly Everything covers a range of topics including the formation of the planet, the origins of life, evolution, the foundations of scientific research and dating techniques, and various related subjects such as archaeology, geology and paleontology. These are divided into six chapters:

Humans themselves, aside from numerous references to scientists and their discoveries, form a relatively small part of the overall information. There is no discussion of human biology and the functioning of the human body. A Really Short History of Nearly Everything focuses primarily on the formation of the world, the process of evolution and the waves of expansion and extinction that have shaped the people, animals, plants and micro-organisms that inhabit the world today.

Bryson’s humour appears throughout the book, although in a more subdued and less ironic form than his adult fans are familiar with.

Encouraging Children to Think

In the foreword, Bryson states “there isn’t anything in existence – not a thing – that isn’t amazing and interesting when you look into it”. His own excitement and fascination shines through, drawing the reader in and sparking their interest in the information being presented.

A two-page layout for each heading including photographs and illustrations, brief quirky and interesting facts and clearly explained scientific information, renders even the most serious and complicated topic quite approachable and unintimidating.

The final heading “Goodbye” encourages readers to think about not only the benefits but the responsibilities of being human. Commenting that “we have just one planet to inhabit, and we are the only species on it capable of deciding its future”, Bryson draws his scientific ponderings to a conclusion with a reminder that an understanding of how fragile life is should bring with it a desire to care for the planet to ensure that the story of mankind does not come to an end.

A Text to Inspire an Interest in Science

With more than 4 million copies sold worldwide, the original A Short History of Nearly Everything has been translated into 33 languages. With such evident enthusiasm for Bryson’s style and work, the newly adapted version for children is sure to be a popular choice as a Christmas or birthday gift for children of existing Bryson fans.

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything will appeal to primary school-aged children with an interest in science and the world around them. The holographic cover and combination of photographic and drawn illustrations create a visually attractive book. The very approachable presentation of interesting scientific facts about the origins the world and life will be certain to stir many young minds to a further interest in scientific fields.

For more quirky science trivia for teens and pre-teens, try Science is Golden (Harper Collins, 2008) and other books by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything (ISBN: 978-0-385-61480-1, 170 pages)

The copyright of the article A Really Short History of Nearly Everything in Children's Non-Fiction is owned by Susan Whelan. Permission to republish A Really Short History of Nearly Everything in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.