内容简介
EntertheworldofscienceasBillBrysonunmasksthemysteriesoftheuniverse.Didyouknowthat:-Everyatominyourbodyhasalmostcertainlypassedthroughseveralstarsandbeenpartofmillionsoforganismsonitswaytobeingyou?-Ifyouareanaverage-sizedkid,youhaveenoughpotentialenergyinsideyoutoexplodewiththeforceofseveralhydrogenbombs?And--Whathappenedtodinosaurs?Howbigistheuniverse?Whyareoceanssalty?Isameteorgoingtohitus?TacklingeverythingfromtheBigBangtotheriseofcivilization,BillBryson'sinimitablestorytellingskillmakesthewhy,how,and,justasimportantly,thewhoofscientificdiscoveryentertainingandaccessibleforyoungreaders.
作者简介
Abackpackingexpeditionin1973broughtDesMoinesnativeBillBrysontoEngland,wherehemethiswifeanddecidedtosettle.HewrotetravelarticlesfortheEnglishnewspapersTheTimesandTheIndependentformanyyearsbeforestumblingintobestsellerdomwith1989'sTheLostContinent,asidesplittingaccountofhisrollickingroadtripacrosssmall-townAmerica.In1995,hemovedhisfamilybacktotheStatessohischildrencouldexperience"beingAmerican."However,hisdeep-rootedAnglophiliawonoutand,in2003,theBrysonsreturnedtoEngland.Oneofthosepeoplewhofindsnearlyeverythinginteresting,Brysonhasmanagedtoturnhistwinloves--travelandlanguage--intoasuccessfulliterarycareer.Inastringofhilariousbestsellers,hehaschronicledhismisadventuresacrossEngland,Europe,Australia,andtheU.S.,delightingreaderswithhiswryobservationsanddescriptions.Similarly,hisbooksonthehistoryoftheEnglishlanguage,infusedwiththeperfectcombinationofwitanderudition,havesoldwell.Hehasreceivedseveralaccoladesandhonors,includingthecovetedAventisPrizeforbestgeneralsciencebookawardedforhisblockbusterAShortHistoryofNearlyEverything.Belovedonbothsidesofthepond,Brysonmakesfewclaimstowritegreatliterature.Butheisawriteritisnearlyimpossibletodislike.Wedefyanyonetonotsmileatpithy,epigrammaticopeninglineslikethese:"IcomefromDesMoines.Someonehadto."
