Bill Bryson

[Twenty Inch]

I fancy reading some of his stuff, as he appears to be well thought of (and I saw him on telly recently) but on searching amazon it appears he has a fair catalogue!

Any recommendations? I have a £20 book token burning a hole in a pile of paper somewhere...

Get down to your local library. They'll be pleased to see you, and they'll have lots of Bryson. You may be able to join one near where you work too.

And you can spend your 20 quid on something they don't have.

 

[bobg]

In Notes from a Small Island, he arrived at Liverpool Lime Street stepped out into the city and presumed that he had arrived during the annual "Festival of Litter" ... I larfed... very accurate ... although it's combined with a JCB Convention at the mo....

 

[Dayvo]

Mother Tongue was well worth reading, if you have an interest in the origins and development of languages.
IIRC it was one of his first books, and therefore before his head was too far up his own ar$e!

 

[andy_wrx]

An opposite viewpoint to some others.

A friend lent me 'Walk in the Woods' and I found it hilarious, so went and bought a few others and found them very disappointing, stopped reading him.

 

[Jaded]

try Notes from a samll island out here

 

[Dave Davenport]

I can see why he's popular but I find his writing a bit obvious & superficial.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

'Walk in the woods' was OK, but not as LOLworthy.

He didn't walk in the woods. He coughed to having made it all up. This explained his relaxed views on bear and loony attacks.

 

[User482]

I have read all of his books except Thunderbolt Kid. Most follow a similar pattern of witty anecdotes whilst being a very light read, but I thought "Brief History" was an absolute tfour de orce. If you don't look at the world with a renewed sense of wonder after reading that, there's something wrong with you.

 

[Dave5N]

There's something wrong with me.

Or,

maybe there are better pop science books.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I have read all of his books except Thunderbolt Kid. Most follow a similar pattern of witty anecdotes whilst being a very light read, but I thought "Brief History" was an absolute tfour de orce. If you don't look at the world with a renewed sense of wonder after reading that, there's something wrong with you.

"Tfour de orce"??
I agree with the rest of it, a great book. "Thunderbolt Kid" is pretty good too, I've read it twice now and found it pretty amusing and insightful.

 

[ChrisKH]

I met the man very briefly in Austalia when he was researching his book of the same. I have enjoyed every book of his. A man who can take the piss out of everything, including himself. One of the few people I would pick to have to dinner, even if he did read a book through it (which is what he was doing when I met him).

 

[User482]

"Tfour de orce"??
I agree with the rest of it, a great book. "Thunderbolt Kid" is pretty good too, I've read it twice now and found it pretty amusing and insightful.

Note to self: do not post on CC when inebriated.

 

[515mm]

Yet another vote for 'Brief History of Almost Everything' It made me wish I'd read it at the start of my comprehensive school education - if it'd been published then 'natch.
Far, far more inspirational than the dull science teachers I met at school.