by Bill Bryson
Bryson writes with great enthusiasm and helpful clarity on science —
from the Big Bang to tectonic plates, from evolution to extinction
events. He notes the lives of some of the more eccentric men of
learning, particularly in the 19th century, and he examines the ways in
which they found out what we know.
Bryson’s a very readable
writer: his voice is agreeable and, for the subject, suitably awed. I’m
sure that at times he inadvertently sacrificed accuracy for breadth of
scope, but that’s to be expected when a layman tackles such a vast array
of unfamiliar material. I do think Bryson stumbles a bit in his avowed
goal of explaining how we come to know some things, but the tone, and
especially the ending — an impassioned plea for knowledge as savior of
mankind — more than make up for any deficiencies in the information.
four stars
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