57 pages • 1 hour read
Bill BrysonA Short History of Nearly Everything
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Origins
While Bryson wrote this book to explain the history of everything on Earth, he constantly comes back to the idea of origins: how did the Earth begin, and how did our life on this planet start? Although each section explores the different components of life on Earth, Bryson continually ties these elements back to our origins as a species and as a planet. Bryson opens the book with the lens drawn back, lookingat things such as the universe and our solar system at large. He then focuses in, tying everything together by illustrating how the very things that comprise these vast structures are also the fundamental building blocks of the human body.
Bryson also provides continual information revealing the origins of each scientist he introduces. For example, rather than just stating the scientist and explaining his or her contribution to the field, Bryson gives an often-thorough background history of each scientist. By doing so, he reveals that each scientist is human, and simultaneously flawed and genius.
The Lack of Sufficient Evidence
Throughout the text, Bryson demonstrates the painstaking lengths scientists have gone to in order to understand the origins of life on Earth. He lists the wide array of scientists, theories, and technologies that have made our current knowledge possible. And yet, he repeatedly states that for everything that scientists know, we still know so little about how the world began, how life blossomed, and why we’re here. This common thread helps to weave the understanding that life and planet Earth are amazing. It also helps readers understand that discovery is a lengthy process, and for every new discovery an equal number of unanswerable questions arise.
The Good and the Bad
Bryson goes to great lengths to demonstrate that not every scientific discovery has been a good one. While scientists have done an abundance of good for our species, like inventing life-saving antibiotics, they have also done an incredible disservice to the planet. For example, while chemists were busy discovering a plethora of new elements, they also stumbled upon such harmful substances as CFCs, which destroy the ozone layer. In addition, as technology advances, the moral implications of these advancements become increasingly vague. For example, although fishing technology has become increasingly advanced, allowing fishermen to haul in unprecedented amounts of fish and thus feed more people, the effect has been devastating for the oceans. As the fish populations continue to decrease at alarming speeds, where do humans draw the line? Throughout each section, Bryson is adamant to point out the harmful effects of each new discovery whenever possible.
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