A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0

Brought to you by Penguin.

Journey through time and space with Bill Bryson in the best-selling popular science book of the 21^st century, exploring the history of the Earth, the universe, and everything in between.

NOW FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED.

Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays at home, he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him.

A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 is the result of his quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization – how we got from being nothing at all to what we are today. Now fully updated it explains among much else:

• why Pluto is no longer a planet
• how the number of moons in the solar system has more than doubled in 20 years
• how scientists used advances in genetics to discover previously unknown species of early humans
• why we still don't know what most of the universe is made of
• how the little Higgs boson transformed physics

This journey through time and space will inform a new generation of readers, young and old, as well as those who read this book on first publication with a new perspective based on what we know now.

Written in his inimitable style, Bryson makes complex subjects fascinating and accessible to everyone with an interest in the world around them.

A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 reveals the world in a whole new way.

'Possibly the best scientific primer ever published.' Economist

'Truly impressive...It's hard to imagine a better rough guide to science.' Guardian

© Bill Bryson 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025