万物简史

Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays safely at home he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him.

History of Science was never made as interesting as Bryson managed to do in a single 500-page book. From the greatest friendships to the bitterest rivalries, this book showcases not only the beautiful and funny side of the science but also the weird and ugly resentment often between the Greatest Minds of their Time. It certainly made me appreciate how principles were once moments of epiphanies, that brought about lots of humiliation as it provided an alternative explanation over the norm. What I will certainly remember most was the acknowledgement of the many forgotten scientists who fail to make an appearance in textbooks. However, my biggest problem with this book is Bryson's aversion to maths starting with the avoidance of scientific notation which made it difficult to comprehend the true scale (I kept trying to convert million billion to standard notations). More importantly though, as Math is the language of science Bryson shockingly managed to avoid any reference to even the most basic equations from the chapters on astrophysics to even the chemistry chapters. To me, it seemed like a lost opportunity as knowing the math certainly made me appreciate the history behind a few of the theories a lot more.Nonetheless, this was without a doubt a beautiful read, anyone who wants to learn something new should read.Happy Reading!