Today I finished "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson. It is a journey trough the discovery of the world around us. It is the science textbook you've always wanted to have. The book puts all mayor scientific discoveries in their context in history. You meet all of the humanity's greatest thinkers and their strange and sometimes funny habits.
Did you know for instance that a Avogadro's complete name was Lorenzo Romano Amadeo Carlo Avogadro, Count of Quarequa and Ceretto? And that Avogadro's number (about 6.022e23) is equivalent to the number of popcorn kernels needed to cover the USA up to a depth of 9 miles? Hilarious are the quarrels in the scientific world and the extreme bad luck some scientists went trough. Bill Bryson makes the abstract scientific stuff visible and imaginable and puts a face to all the famous scientists.
All the while the book is written in a tone of great respect for the planet and the unique lucky stroke that brought us here.
Plus the book has got a very handy index for fact freaks like myself!
