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.A Short History of Nearly Everything

by: Bill Bryson

September 14, 2004
Bill Bryson has produced a comprehensive book "of nearly everything". If you want to know about atoms and molecules, anthropology, Einstein, Darwin, genetics or even the effect of over-fishing the oceans this book has the knowledge you are looking for.

I loved reading about the extinct animals that our world was once blessed to have, can you imagine a sloth tall enough to look into a house's upper window? What a treasure that some people had the mind set to record their observations of these extinct animals, but what a shame that people on whole did not realize the implications of misusing the earth and thereby causing extinction.

One thing I have learned over the years and this book reinforces that theory is that ... Read More:
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Used Price: CDN$ 13.79

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.In a Sunburned Country

by: Bill Bryson

June 12, 2001
I can't even remember how many times I've read this fantastic, hilarious, well-researched and touching account of author Bill Bryson's travels across distant Australia. There are endless anecdotes which are worked seamlessly into an already wonderful piece of writing. The chapter on cricket on the radio always stands out for me, my mom often quotes favorite lines from that particular section.

But most of all, when I first read this book I was 13. I didn't really know anything about Australia aside from the fact that it was the home of kangaroos and dingos. Well, In A Sunburned Country made me fall in love with Oz. Now I see it as a kind of Canada of the Southern Hemisphere, rugged and very nature driven with a small population and friendly ... Read More:
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Used Price: CDN$ 2.22

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.Shakespeare: The World as Stage

by: Bill Bryson

October 11, 2007
I'm an ardent Bryson fan ...and although this is a departure from his normal fare, I still very much enjoyed it. I may not agree with his views on Shakespeare as the real author of the works attributed to the bard, but he tells his side of the story in an interesting and entertaining way as always. I'd recommend this to anyone who is unsure whether to follow Bryson off his normal beaten track.
As an aside, I'd also suggest you get 'Shakespeare My Butt!' and put it on your bookshelf next to Bryson's Shakespeare just to balance the 'did he or didn't he' debate - even if just for show!. Oddly enough, Shakespeare My Butt isn't about Shakespeare at all - but is a lot more Brysonesque (if that's a word) than this actual Bryson book.

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Used Price: CDN$ 15.49

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.The Mother Tongue

by: Bill Bryson

September 01, 1991
This book is a notch above Bryson's other books. And that is saying A LOT! It is compelling, very witty, and overall memorable. It certainly piqued by interested in the English language and linguistics in general. Do yourself a favour, and get this book. You will not be disappointed with this well-researched tome that Bryson produced here.
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Used Price: CDN$ 4.36

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.The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

by: Bill Bryson

September 25, 2007
I always enjoy Bill Bryson's travel books (NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, A WALK IN THE WOODS) and his books on language (THE MOTHER TONGUE).

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID is a memoir, and since Bryson and I grew up in the same decades, I found a lot to like in this book. His writing is always funniest when it's personal and self-deprecating, and his stories of himself as a child are vastly entertaining.

But this book is more than memoir or a string of funny stories about his childhood. Bryson captures the time and place -- 50's small-town America -- and serves those "simpler times" up with affection. In those pre-minivan days a bicycle was a kid's ticket to ride; the movies were a gateway to the world; and a costume, whether the Thunderbolt ... Read More:
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Used Price: CDN$ 13.00

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.A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America Along the Appalachian Trail

by: Bill Bryson

December 26, 2006
Perhaps it was a fit of angst dealing with his own personal version of a mid-life crisis that led Bill Bryson to tackle the challenge of hiking the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail! It was certainly a solid understanding of his own personality and clear recognition of his own physical and mental limitations that prompted him to invite his friend, Stephen Katz, an overweight and out of shape recovering alcoholic with an inordinate fondness for snack foods and cream soda to accompany him on this daunting challenge. The demands of the AT ultimately proved too much for Bryson and Katz who sensibly (and with an almost relieved sense of philosophical acceptance) decided to abandon the notion of a complete through hike. But the resulting story, drawn from Bryson's daily journal of the summer's ... Read More:
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Used Price: CDN$ 5.30

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.Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors

by: Bill Bryson

May 20, 2008
I bought this on a whim, and it was a mistake. I did enjoy Bryson's clear explanations and often-amusing examples of how a word or expression can be misused and how to employ it properly, but the fatal problem with this so-called dictionary is that it is so completely idiosyncratic. Bryson says himself in his introduction that this is a "personal collection," and I should have paid more attention to that, because it means that whatever entry I'm looking for usually isn't there. When nine times out of ten the book has no answer for you ... well, soon enough you give up trying. This is more a witty random compendium, and I enjoyed it on that level, yet it's billed as a reference work. My copy has migrated from my desk, where it didn't earn its keep, to the bathroom, where it proved somewhat ... Read More:
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.Bill Bryson's African Diary

by: Bill Bryson

December 03, 2002
This book may disappoint you a bit if you are used to Bryson's other books. It contains the characteristic marks of Bryson's books, but it isn't as well done as the others. Something is missing. Maybe the brief format or more serious subject matter tempered things a bit? I don't know. Oh well, this book was done for a good cause. And I applaud that effort.
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Used Price: CDN$ 9.24

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.Notes from a Small Island

by: Bill Bryson

March 12, 1998
It started out as an interesting and humorous travel story, then Bryson's encounters lost their charm when he started to become overly negative and sometimes just plain mean. I prefer reading a regular travel book over this one.
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Used Price: CDN$ 2.78

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.Troublesome Words

by: Bill Bryson

September 24, 2002
Written in the form of a dictionary but with only a fraction of the words, this book was fascinating from beginning to end. The author has chosen a selection of words in common english usage that are either spelled incorrectly or used inappropriately, with many examples from the popular press. This is the type of book you can pick up from time to time and just read a few pages or read in its entirety on an annual basis. I was amazed at how many words I've been using in the wrong context or just misspelled. Educational without being pedantic, Bryson injects his dry wit on every page. Under the entry for "barbecue" he simply writes - "Any journalist or other formal user of English who believes that the word is spelled barbeque is not ready for unsupervised employment." It is an essential text for ... Read More:
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Used Price: CDN$ 9.40