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MoneyGuy · 05-01-2024, 10:16 AM

My seventh book so far this year…. I’m on track now for 21 for the year, easily exceeding my 10-book target for the year.

Just finished A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. this is a great book but a hard read at times because his subject is highly technical and the author is thorough. If you love science, you’ll love this book; Bryson is a terrific writer, excelling at making highly technical topics interesting. His book is a well researched mix of historical anecdotes, gee-whiz facts, and fascinating science. One reviewer described the book as moving so fast that it’s “science on a toboggan.”

Some highlights for me:

Bryson writes about the Burgess Shale fossils in Yoho near Field, B.C. One of the most important paleontological sites in the world, these were discovered accidentally in 1909 by Charles Walcott, then secretary of the Smithsonian Institute. More than 500 million years old, these are older than dinosaurs and famous for how well preserved they are, showing details such as eyeballs and brains. There are guided hikes and you can hold some of the oldest animal fossils on Earth.

Yellowstone National Park is a giant caldera, the largest in the world. It’s also a dangerous volcanic hotspot that’s about due to go off. The caldera measures 50x70 km and was formed by a cataclysmic eruption 640,000 years ago. When it erupts again, its effects will be worldwide. Such an eruption will have regional effects such as falling ash and there will be global climate impacts over years or decades.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of our oceans. Its 63.8 million square kilometres comprise 46% of the earth’s water surface and 32% of the planet’s total surface area. The Pacific is larger than all of the total land area on Earth. Note: this feature is of particular interest as we’ve sailed across the Pacific from San Diego to Australia.

I give this book a solid 4.8/5. If you love all aspects of science, read it. It took me a few weeks to read these 480 pages. It requires concentration and isn’t an easy read, as I wrote earlier.

05-01-2024, 10:16 AM	#28
MoneyGuy Franchise Player Join Date: May 2006 Exp:	My seventh book so far this year…. I’m on track now for 21 for the year, easily exceeding my 10-book target for the year. Just finished A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. this is a great book but a hard read at times because his subject is highly technical and the author is thorough. If you love science, you’ll love this book; Bryson is a terrific writer, excelling at making highly technical topics interesting. His book is a well researched mix of historical anecdotes, gee-whiz facts, and fascinating science. One reviewer described the book as moving so fast that it’s “science on a toboggan.” Some highlights for me: Bryson writes about the Burgess Shale fossils in Yoho near Field, B.C. One of the most important paleontological sites in the world, these were discovered accidentally in 1909 by Charles Walcott, then secretary of the Smithsonian Institute. More than 500 million years old, these are older than dinosaurs and famous for how well preserved they are, showing details such as eyeballs and brains. There are guided hikes and you can hold some of the oldest animal fossils on Earth. Yellowstone National Park is a giant caldera, the largest in the world. It’s also a dangerous volcanic hotspot that’s about due to go off. The caldera measures 50x70 km and was formed by a cataclysmic eruption 640,000 years ago. When it erupts again, its effects will be worldwide. Such an eruption will have regional effects such as falling ash and there will be global climate impacts over years or decades. The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of our oceans. Its 63.8 million square kilometres comprise 46% of the earth’s water surface and 32% of the planet’s total surface area. The Pacific is larger than all of the total land area on Earth. Note: this feature is of particular interest as we’ve sailed across the Pacific from San Diego to Australia. I give this book a solid 4.8/5. If you love all aspects of science, read it. It took me a few weeks to read these 480 pages. It requires concentration and isn’t an easy read, as I wrote earlier. Last edited by MoneyGuy; 05-01-2024 at 08:59 PM.