A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bill Bryson. 2003.

Read by the author. Abridged. 5 cds. 6 hrs. Random House Audio. 0-7393-0294-9. $29.95. Cardboard; content, author notes. SA

Bestselling author of travelogues, Bryson has collected facts from hundreds of books, articles, and interviews to give his readers a short course in science, a subject he admits to disliking in school Bryson takes his readers on a whirlwind tour through the Universe, subatomic particles, the origin of heavy elements, the Big Bang, Isaac Newton, the age and weight of the Earth, geology, paleontology, chemistry, Sir Humphrey Davy, the Curies, the atomic age, Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Niels Bohr, quantum mechanics, radiocarbon dating, holes in the ozone, astronomy, plate tectonics, Darwin's Origin of Species, supernovae, the oceans and how life started in them, binomial taxonomy, Leeuwenhoek, Gregor Mendel, Watson and Crick, and recent studies in mitochondrial DNA. That's nearly everything.

However, anyone who was paying attention during science class already knows it. What makes this book unique is Bryson's enthusiasm, wit, and humorous style. He makes you feel the infinity of space and teaches the lesson that "we are awfully lucky to be here." He reads his own work with verve, but mispronounces half-a-dozen words. Science is sometimes daunting for YAs, so Bryson's book is welcome because it simplifies the complex and makes science accessible. Janet Julian, Grafton, MA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.