Review of The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged) by Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford
As a lover of popular science and history, my heart raced with excitement upon discovering The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged). The title alone promises a grand journey through knowledge, all wrapped in the engaging styles of Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford—both authors whose previous works, Hello World and How to Argue with a Racist, respectively, I’ve devoured and cherished. I naively believed I might find a spiritual successor to one of my all-time favorites, A Short History of Nearly Everything. However, this ambition may have set the bar just a tad too high.
At first glance, the title hints at a robust exploration of the universe, but it’s the subtitle, Adventures in Math and Science, that offers a clearer view. The book weaves through various topics—ranging from humanity’s history of measuring time to emotional expressions in animals—like a delightful science fair where each booth reveals a new wonder. Yet, as I dove in, I found the organization to be a bit like that unsorted box of holiday decorations: charming, but chaos incarnate. The chapters felt like a grab-bag of intriguing subjects, sometimes flowing wonderfully and at other times meandering off in unexpected directions.
Reading an eARC version on my Kindle introduced some formatting issues which, while not the authors’ fault, seemed to echo the frenetic nature of the writing. I found myself bewildered as sidebars abruptly jumped into the action mid-paragraph, disrupting the flow and leaving me disoriented. This conversational style, though intended to be approachable, didn’t quite click for me, and I struggled to find a rhythm.
Nonetheless, the content itself is where the book shines. The authors share fascinating anecdotes, including nuggets of information that I had never come across before—like Darwin’s overlooked work The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals. These small gems reminded me why I adore science: the layers of history and discovery that shape our understanding. That said, I noticed some inaccuracies within the more technical discussions, which left me uneasy. Their attempts to explain complex topics like radiological dating and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle sometimes veered into misleading territory. While imperfect, these moments also sparked my curiosity, making me want to dig deeper into those subjects.
Despite the aforementioned challenges, there’s potential here. The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything could serve as an enticing gateway for those intrigued by science yet unsure where to dive deeper. I can see this book captivating a broad audience eager to explore various fascinating areas, even if it didn’t fulfill my personal expectations.
In conclusion, while I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone, I won’t dismiss it either. If you’re someone who enjoys lively discussions that spark curiosity, this might just be your cup of tea. However, if you, like me, appreciate a more structured approach to scientific narratives, you might find it lacking. All in all, this reading experience left me reflecting on my own preferences, reminding me that not every book will resonate, even those penned by beloved authors.
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