A Really Short History of Nearly Everything

Doubleday(October 2008)
www.doubleday.co.uk

Did you know that:
Every atom in your body has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to being you?
If you are an an average-sized kid, you have enough potential energy inside you to explode with the force of several hydrogen bombs?
What did happen to the dinosaurs?
How big is the universe?
How heavy is the Earth?
Why are the oceans salty?
Is a meteorite going to hit us?

Bill Bryson's story-telling skill makes the 'How?' and, just as importantly, the 'Who?' of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages.

In this exciting new edition of his worldwide best-seller, A REALLY SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING, which has been specially abridged and adapted for younger readers, Bill Bryson explores the mysteries of time and space and how, against all odds, life came to be on the wonderous planet we call home.

Along the way, we meet several bizarre scientists, crackpot theories which held sway for far too long, and some accidental discoveries which changed the way that science developed.