Time periods covering billions of years and the size of a bacteria are difficult concepts for grown-ups too. De indrukwekkende beschrijving van het universum, de materie en levende wezens heeft mijn besef versterkt dat blind toeval nooit het leidende mechanisme kan zijn voor zulk een ingenieus en schitterend ontwerp, maar dat er een hogere macht moet zijn die dit alles heeft gecreëerd. We generally read this book once or twice a week just before their bedtime to keep their awesome, developing minds focused on the wonders found in the world of science and discovery.

Remember, “If you burned this book now, its matter would be changed to ash and smoke, but the total amount of ‘stuff’ in the universe would be the same. The net effect including humanities' contribution however is tipping the balance in favor of the global warming argument.He also describes some of the most recent destructive disasters of volcanic origin in the history of our planet, including Krakatoa and Yellowstone National Park. P62 ‘Radioactivity is so harmful and long-lasting that even now Marie Curie’s papers are too dangerous to handle. I must confess here too that just reading to my children for 30 minutes a night is, perhaps, some of the best 30 minutes of my entire day. Uncover the mysteries of time, space and life on earth in this extraordinary book - a journey from the centre of the planet, to the dawn of the dinosaurs, and everything in between. Bill Bryson has also written several highly praised books on the English language, including Mother Tongue and Made in America.

Nos da diferentes teorías sobre el nacimiento del Universo, sobre los grandes descubrimientos en física, química, biología, paleontología y mucho más. It is also fun in many ways, using humor and illustrations to explore a topic and make learning interesting. Een bijzonder aantrekkelijk geschreven verhaal waarin veel onderzoekers voor het voetlicht komen op zo'n manier dat ook hun persoonlijke situatie duidelijk wordt. Inside it explains prehistoric animals, measuring Earth, the Earth’s age, supernovae, many famous scientists.The idea of lots of startled cars and people falling off the edge of that sudden cliff (and 4,000 miles is a pretty long way to fall) was what grabbed him in the beginning, but gradually his attention turned to what the picture was trying to teach him: namely that Earth’s interior is made up of several different layers of materials, and at the very centre is a glowing sphere of iron and nickel, as hot as the Sun’s surface, according to the caption. I started this book primarily because the completeist in me wanted to tick one off in completing the Bill Bryson set of books (I have one more to go). Curiously, this little wonder does leave you feeling that one person truly can make a difference -- whether for good or evil. In this book, Bryson takes his vast knowledge and wealth of life experience, and condenses and simplifies it into language which is considerably more readable to children.

This history of life, the universe and everything in between is entertaining and Bryson is an excellent guide. A few editions in audiobook form are also available, including an abridged version read by the author, and at least three unabridged versions. Los humanos conductualmente modernos llevamos por aquí sólo un 0,0001 % más o menos de la historia de la Tierra…, casi nada, en realidad, pero incluso existir durante ese breve espacio de tiempo ha exigido una cadena casi interminable de buena suerte. It’s a slightly troubling fact that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you. This seems to be the structure for a lot of middle grade/ YA non-fiction and I would love to find some (besides biographies) that explore a topic in depth at an age-appropriate level.

Bill Bryson’s own fascination with science began with a battered old school book he had when he was about ten or eleven years old. It was one of the bestselling popular science books of 2005 in the United Kingdom, selling over 300,000 copies.