Author: billbryson

This “fascinating” New York Times bestseller (NPR) that “could stand as an ultimate prescription for life” (The Guardian) provides a glimpse into the inner workings of the human body. “Glorious… Astonishing… You will marvel at the brilliance and vast weirdness of your design” (The Washington Post).

A loving and hilarious—if occasionally spiky—valentine to Bill Bryson’s adopted country, Great Britain. Prepare for total joy and multiple episodes of unseemly laughter. Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to discover and celebrate that green and pleasant land. The result was Notes from a Small Island, a true classic and one of the bestselling travel books ever written. … travel books ever written. Now he has traveled about Britain again, by bus and train and rental car and on foot, to see what has changed—and what hasn’t.Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the…

From one of the world’s most beloved writers and “New York Times” bestselling author of “One Summer,” a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950s Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century–1951–in the middle of the United States–Des Moines, Iowa–in the middle of the largest generation in American history–the baby boomers. As one of the best and … best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with…

One of the world’s most beloved and bestselling writers takes his ultimate journey — into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer.In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail — well, most of it. In In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his … book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand — and, if possible, answer — the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory everything from the…

In this New York Times bestseller, the author of A Walk in the Woods recounts the summer of 1927 — a pivotal time in US history. “Bryson offers delicious detail and breathtaking suspense… A glorious look at one summer in America” (Booklist).

This new edition of the acclaimed bestseller is lavishly illustrated to convey, in pictures as in words, Bill Bryson’s exciting, informative journey into the world of science.In A Short History of Nearly Everything, the bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods and The Body, confronts his greatest challenge yet: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed … answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as his territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to…

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods shares his hilarious, witty observations on Great Britain. “An amusing guide to the UK’s foibles, as well as a tribute to its enchantment” (The New York Times Book Review).

What does a nation’s language say about its character? In this “literate exploration of why we use — or mangle — our native tongue” (USA Today), a #1 New York Times bestselling author traces America’s history through its etymology, from everyday phrases to strange town names.

This New York Times bestseller explores the fascinating development of the English language — from the sounds we are able to make to the idiosyncratic ways we communicate. “Diverting and richly anecdotal” (The Boston Globe), with over 10,800 five-star Goodreads ratings.

What does history really consists of? Centuries of people quietly going about their daily business – sleeping, eating, having sex, endeavouring to get comfortable.And where did all these normal activities take place? At home.This was the thought that inspired Bill Bryson to start a journey around the rooms of his own house, an 1851 Norfolk rectory, to consider how the ordinary things in life came … rectory, to consider how the ordinary things in life came to be. And what he discovered are surprising connections to anything from the Crystal Palace to the Eiffel Tower, from scurvy to body-snatching,from bedbugs…