My wife calls me the most boring person in his 30s (very late 30s), for, it is not very often that I break into a laughter or even a smile. It is not an exaggeration to say that I am emotionally as flat as a warm beer. So, whenever she sees me chuckle she orders a cake to celebrate and these celebrations happen very often when I am reading a book by Bill Bryson.Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa (1951), spent most of his professional life (as a Journalist) in the UK, moved back to US very briefly and moved again to England. In the process he wrote two wonderful books: 'Notes from a Small Island', a travelogue across 'United Kingdom', just before moving back to US and 'I am a Stranger Here Myself' - a compilation of his weekly column on the changes that have happened to the US in his absence. Today, he is probably the best selling non-fictional author, surely the most loved. It is not an exaggeration when Chicago Sun-Times says that, "Bill Bryson could write an essay about dryer lint or fever reducers and still make us laugh out loud."
I got introduced to Bill Bryson on the 21st of July 2004, when i brought his popular science book "A Short History of Nearly Everything", in a small, excuse for a book shop at the Pune airport (finally, some use of noting down the date and place of purchase of a book!). 'The Short History of Nearly Everthing' is a wonderful compilation of, as the title suggests, a short history of nearly everything, right from the big bang, thru the early stages of our planet, evolution, and an impressive cover of various developments in science. All of which is told in an engaging, dry 'Bryson' humor.
It all starts from an admission that he is not familiar with science and how science books at school were a bore (they still are!) and one fine day in a trans Atlantic flight he was struck by the realization of how little he knew and became curious to know more; how lucky for us! This book must be a mandatory study at every high school! The book really shows us how little we know of the planet we call home and even about ourselves. It is a huge seller internationally and won the Aventis Prize for Science Books as well as the Descartes Science Communication Prize.
After finishing this book, I hunted for all the other books written by Mr. Bryson have managed to read whatever is available in the market! All of them written with the same great wit and a style that is so endearing.
BTW, I have just got home his latest book 'At Home" and my dear wife is ordering for cakes!
Here is a sample chapter from his book "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" -an absolute joy.
His other books:
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
Bill Bryson's African Diary
In a Sunburned Country - Travel - Australia
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
A Walk in the Woods
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America (1989)
Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe (1991)
Notes from a Small Island (1995)
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States (1998)
Shakespeare: The World as Stage (2007)
And the latest:
At Home: A Short History of Private Life (2010)
