Resumo de A Short History Of Nearly Everything

Through the
ages Earth?s History and evolution has tweaked the curiosity of much of
mankind. This curiosity led to the discovery of the elliptical nature of the
globe, and the pre-existence of immense and brutal creatures, as well as famous
journeys of discovery. To put all this down in a book would be impossible. A Short History of Nearly Everything is
a wonderful attempt at trying to do just that. Bill
Bryson takes us on a hyper speed journey
from the beginning of, well, time, in this brilliantly pieced and
excellently
researched Biography of the Universe, the Planet Earth and indeed life
upon it.
Obviously one cannot relate every fact about every event that
transpired over
the millennia, but this serves as the perfect summary. Bill Bryson
certainly
does not proclaim to be an all-knowing Scientist. In fact, he
specifically
states that he wants to learn more about the History of the Earth, Life
and everything else, and bases this book on his own journey of
discovery.

The epic
journey begins on how the planet Earth came to be, a wonderfully miraculous
feat considering how everything in the Universe is always trying to destroy
everything else. Discover how gaseous explosions, solar flares, cosmic dust,
strange radiations and accidental stellar collisions actually created the
perfect conditions for life to start on Earth, and how through many years Earth
somehow managed to survive through consistent battering, churning, burning and
quaking ? not only from outer space, but from all corners of the Globe ? both on
the surface and from deep inside. Amazingly, Bill describes the natural forces
at work in both harmonizing the Earth, as well as almost destroying it ? often.

Almost
everyone is often stupefied at the sheer vastness of the Universe, and Bill
Bryson certainly entertains with his account of astounding scientific, biological,
and human history. Find out why Yellowstone National
Park (one of the biggest National Conservation areas in the world) is a ticking time
bomb waiting to erupt, and why it hasn't yet.
We are also introduced to the worlds most notorious -
and often quirky ? Scientists, Chemists, Engineers and indeed
Inventors. One
such Engineer turned Chemist (though he believed himself to be more of
an Inventor)
? Thomas C. Midgley not only invented Chlorofluorocarbons (a gaseous
compound
considered to be the leading cause of the thinning of the Ozone layer -
and therefore a leading cause of skin melanomas due to an increase in
Ultra Violet Radiation levels), but he
was also the person who first added Lead (an extremely poisonous
Metallic Element) to Petroleum.
These two actions are considered the two greatest causes not only of
worldwide pollution,
but indeed Global Warming.

Ever wanted
to know how old the Earth really is?
Over the years many theories and several thousand calculations have resulted in
extremely varied opinions on the answer to that simple question, and once more
Bill Bryson?s account of these varied methods of calculation and the often
strange characters behind these methods will not disappoint. It would appear
that no-one really knows how old our lovely planet is ? every few years the Earth?s
age is recalculated according to a new method believed to be the most accurate
since, well, since the last method used; and always with varying answers.

Bill Bryson?s
comical wit and excessive research (his substantial sources are listed in the
final pages of the book) is expressed vividly and plainly across for any reader
to enjoy. Even the most technical discussions are related for anyone to
understand ? and more importantly: to feel. Bills own Journey is enthralling
and his writing stylistically superb. If you ever found yourself wondering
about where it all started, then ?A Short History of Nearly Everything? is an
excellent and highly entertaining read.

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