Bryson traces how scientists pieced together the history of the universe, the Earth, and life itself, from Darwin's On the Origin of Species through geology, chemistry, and paleontology, dwelling on the eccentric, often overlooked people who made the discoveries.
Books mentioned in A Short History of Nearly Everything (10)
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: “in 1859, in On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin announced that the geological processes...”
The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin: “The Descent of Man was altogether a more controversial book than the Origin...”
The Double Helix by James D. Watson: “As Watson cheerfully...remarked in his autobiographical book The Double Helix...”
Principles of Geology by Charles Lyell: “It was just at this time that he produced The Principles of Geology, published in three volumes between 1830 and 1833”
The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester: “The story is comprehensively covered in Simon Winchester's book The Map That Changed the World.”
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: “Huxley...used his ideas on genetic manipulation of humans as the basis for the plot of Brave New World.”
Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley: “Huxley...parodied him...as the scientist Edward Tantamount in the novel Point Counter Point.”
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: “a notion Mary Shelley exploited to full effect in her novel Frankenstein”
Longitude by Dava Sobel: “In Dava Sobel's popular book Longitude, Maskelyne is presented as a ninny and villain...”
Wonderful Life by Stephen Jay Gould: “Gould's Wonderful Life was published in 1989 to general critical acclaim...”