Bookbot

Bill Bryson

    8. december 1951

    Bill Bryson je majstrom v zachytení ľudskej skúsenosti prostredníctvom humoru a bystrého pozorovania. Jeho cestopisy, ktoré sa často zameriavajú na malebné zákutia Ameriky aj Európy, sú pretkané bystrým postrehom a nákazlivým optimizmom. Brysonov jedinečný štýl, ktorý sa nebojí porovnávať kultúrne rozdiely a skúmať zdanlivo obyčajné s fascináciou, z neho robí obľúbeného rozprávača. Okrem svojich cestovateľských eskapád sa venuje aj populárno-náučným dielam, v ktorých zrozumiteľne a pútavo sprístupňuje zložité témy ako je veda a história jazyka, a to všetko s nezameniteľným humorom.

    Bill Bryson
    At Home
    Down Under
    A Walk in the Woods
    One Summer: America 1927
    Stručná história takmer všetkého
    Ľudské telo
    • Ľudské telo

      • 512 stránok
      • 18 hodin čítania

      Príručka pre majiteľov ľudského tela. Celý život trávime v jednom tele, a predsa väčšina z nás v skutočnosti netuší, ako telo funguje a čo sa v ňom odohráva. História anatómie a medicíny je plná zabudnutých hrdinov, ohromujúcich príbehov a zaujímavých faktov. Mimochodom, od okamihu, ako ste začali čítať túto vetu, vo vašom tele vznikol asi milión červených krviniek. Kniha Ľudské telo je naozaj fascinujúca, komplexná a prístupná. Vydajte sa s autorom na cestu do hlbín ľudského tela a zistite, ako funguje, čo sa v ňom môže pokaziť a ako skvele sa dokáže uzdraviť. Uvedomíte si, že sme oveľa zložitejší a záhadnejší, než ste si mysleli. Kniha je napísaná z pohľadu erudovaného a inteligentného laika, ktorý venoval veľa času štúdiu rozličných zdrojov informácií a jednotlivé aspekty ľudského tela ho úprimne fascinovali. Téma bola preňho nová, vo svojej kariére sa totiž venoval najmä cestopisom a dejinám vedy. Dielo poteší najmä čitateľov, ktorí hľadajú zaujímavosti o ľudskom tele a o chorobách. Nenájdete v ňom systematický prehľad ľudského tela, chorôb, diagnostiky či liečby. Práve tento aspekt mu vyčítali niektorí kritici a čitatelia. Bill Bryson však evidentne postupoval podľa kľúča, ktorý si stanovil – informácie museli byť zaujímavé, neošúchané a k veci. Ďalším pútavým aspektom je autorov dôvtip, nadhľad, zmysel pre humor a pokora, s ktorou nepriamo upozorňuje, že o ľudskom tele a jeho fungovaní ešte vieme veľmi málo.

      Ľudské telo
      4,3
    • Stručná história takmer všetkého

      • 656 stránok
      • 23 hodin čítania

      Neuveriteľná poznávacia jazda svetom vedy Zem je náš jediný domov v celom vesmíre. Poznáte ju dobre? Určite ste sa o nej všeličo dozvedeli na hodinách geografie, biológie, fyziky či chémie, no jej skutočný príbeh je oveľa fascinujúcejší. Kniha Stručná história takmer všetkého vás zoberie na jedinečné potulky. Zo žeravého jadra planéty sa vyšplháte až na Mount Everest, od veľkého tresku prejdete až po 21. storočie. Nazriete do vnútra atómu aj za oponu nekonečného vesmíru. Za všetky poznatky, ktoré v súčasnosti máme, vďačíme géniom, odvážlivcom a pracovitým vedcom minulosti, ktorí hľadaniu pravdy obetovali roky mravčej práce. Občas im však pomohla aj šťastná náhoda. Súčasťou príbehu Zeme ste aj vy, lebo všetko, čo sa tu zatiaľ odohralo, nepochybne viedlo k vašej existencii.

      Stručná história takmer všetkého
      4,2
    • One Summer: America 1927

      • 672 stránok
      • 24 hodin čítania

      In summer 1927, America had a booming stock market, a president who worked just four hours a day (and slept much of the rest), a devastating flood of the Mississippi, a sensational murder trial, and an unknown aviator named Charles Lindbergh who became the most famous man on earth. It was the summer that saw the birth of talking pictures, the invention of television, the peak of Al Capone's reign of terror, the horrifying bombing of a school in Michigan, the thrillingly improbable return to greatness of over-the-hill baseball player Babe Ruth, and an almost impossible amount more. In this hugely entertaining book, Bill Bryson spins a tale of brawling adventure, reckless optimism and delirious energy. With the trademark brio, wit and authority that make him Britain's favourite writer of narrative non-fiction, he brings to life a forgotten summer when America came of age, took centre stage, and changed the world.

      One Summer: America 1927
      4,2
    • A Walk in the Woods

      Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

      • 276 stránok
      • 10 hodin čítania

      Bryson share his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend. The two encounter eccentric characters, a blizzard, getting lost, and rude yuppies along the way

      A Walk in the Woods
      4,1
    • Down Under

      • 432 stránok
      • 16 hodin čítania

      It is the driest, flattest, hottest, most desiccated, infertile and climatically aggressive of all the inhabited continents and still Australia teems with life - a large portion of it quite deadly. In fact, Australia has more things that can kill you in a very nasty way than anywhere else. Ignoring such dangers - and yet curiously obsessed by them - Bill Bryson journeyed to Australia and promptly fell in love with the country. And who can blame him? The people are cheerful, extrovert, quick-witted and unfailingly obliging: their cities are safe and clean and nearly always built on water; the food is excellent; the beer is cold and the sun nearly always shines. Life doesn't get much better than this...

      Down Under
      4,1
    • At Home

      • 581 stránok
      • 21 hodin čítania

      In these pages, the beloved Bill Bryson gives us a fascinating history of the modern home, taking us on a room-by-room tour through his own house and using each room to explore the vast history of the domestic artifacts we take for granted. As he takes us through the history of our modern comforts, Bryson demonstrates that whatever happens in the world eventually ends up in our home, in the paint, the pipes, the pillows, and every item of furniture. Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and his sheer prose fluency makes At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.

      At Home
      4,0
    • Notes from a Small Island

      • 415 stránok
      • 15 hodin čítania

      After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the USA. Before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, he took one last trip around the UK, and in this book, he turns an affectionate but laconic eye on his adopted country.

      Notes from a Small Island
      3,9
    • The Road to Little Dribbling

      • 480 stránok
      • 17 hodin čítania

      Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation's heart and became the bestselling travel book ever, and was also voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain.Now, to mark the twentieth anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey round Britain to see what has changed. Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath, by way of places that many people never get to at all, Bryson sets out to rediscover the wondrously beautiful, magnificently eccentric, endearingly unique country that he thought he knew but doesn't altogether recognize any more. Yet, despite Britain's occasional failings and more or less eternal bewilderments, Bill Bryson is still pleased to call our rainy island home. And not just because of the cream teas, a noble history, and an extra day off at Christmas. Once again, with his matchless homing instinct for the funniest and quirkiest, his unerring eye for the idiotic, the endearing, the ridiculous and the scandalous, Bryson gives us an acute and perceptive insight into all that is best and worst about Britain today.

      The Road to Little Dribbling
      3,8
    • The Body Illustrated

      A Guide for Occupants

      • 560 stránok
      • 20 hodin čítania

      The book has achieved bestseller status in both hardback and paperback formats, highlighting its widespread popularity and appeal among readers. Its compelling narrative and engaging characters have resonated with a diverse audience, contributing to its commercial success. This recognition underscores the book's impact and relevance in contemporary literature.

      The Body Illustrated
      4,6
    • A Really Short Journey Through the Body

      • 144 stránok
      • 6 hodin čítania

      'A sure fire winner . . . sparkles with interest and excitement throughout' Guardian Best Children's Books of 2023 'Offers children a series of fascinating scientific facts' Daily Telegraph We spend our whole lives in one body and yet most of us have practically no idea how it works and what goes on inside it. Want to know why the skin is the biggest organ? Why our brains can see into the future? Or why your eyes are back to front? Packed full of facts, big numbers (such as the amount of microbes that make you) and small numbers (the size of those very tiny microbes) all in full-colour. This non-fiction book, packed with wonder from the globally bestselling Bill Bryson is a head-to-toe tour of the most amazing thing about you - YOUR BODY!

      A Really Short Journey Through the Body
      4,5
    • Last Continent & Neither Here Nor There

      • 498 stránok
      • 18 hodin čítania

      Bill Bryson drove 14,000 miles in search of the mythical small town of his youth. Instead he found a lookalike strip of gas stations, motels and hamburger joints; a continent lost to itself through greed, pollution and television, and lost to him because he had become a foreigner in his own country. A funny and serious view of smalltown America.

      Last Continent & Neither Here Nor There
      4,2
    • Bill Bryson's beautifully illustrated book explores the evolution of the English language, from its earliest words to the first dictionaries. Suitable for all ages, it answers intriguing questions about language origins, including Viking influences and Shakespeare's contributions, making it an extraordinary journey through words and humor.

      A Really Short History of Words
      4,0
    • The Complete Notes

      • 679 stránok
      • 24 hodin čítania

      After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. back to the States for a while. But before leaving his much-loved Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around old Blighty, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had for so long been his home. The resulting book, Notes from a Small Island, is a eulogy to the country that produced Marmite, George Formby, by-elections, milky tea, place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey and Shellow Bowels, Gardeners' Question Time and people who say, 'Mustn't grumble'. Britain will never seem the same again.Once ensconced back home in New Hampshire, Bryson couldn't resist the invitation to write a weekly dispatch for the Mail on Sunday's Night & Day magazine. Notes from a Big Country is a collection of eighteen months' worth of his popular columns about that strangest of phenomena - the American way of life. Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, or the mind-numbing frequency of commercial breaks on American TV, Bill Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on the world's richest and craziest country.The Complete Notes combines two of Bill Bryson's best-loved travel books in one volume, It demonstrates his unique take on life - from either side of the pond.

      The Complete Notes
      4,1
    • Walkabout

      A Walk in the Woods & Down Under - Two classic Bryson bestsellers in one volume

      • 543 stránok
      • 20 hodin čítania

      Omnibus edition of A Walk in the Woods and Down Under, which is also published under the title In a Sunburned Country.Combined in one volume are Bryson's "Down Under/In a Sunburned Country", an account of his memorable walk across Australia, and "A Walk in the Woods", that tells of his lengthy stroll along the longest continuous footpath in the world - The Appalachian Trail, with his old friend Stephen Katz. The Trail stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine, through some of the most arresting and celebrated landscapes in America - the Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts and the Great North Woods of Maine.

      Walkabout
      4,1
    • The Weather Makers

      • 357 stránok
      • 13 hodin čítania

      Sometime this century the day will arrive when the human influence on the climate will overwhelm all other natural factors. If nothing is done, the twenty-first century will see global warming that could lead to conditions the planet has not seen in forty million years. With one out of every five living things on this planet committed to extinction by the levels of greenhouse gases that will accumulate in the next few decades, we are now reaching a global climatic tipping point. The Weather Makers is both an urgent warning and a call to arms, outlining the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do to prevent a cataclysmic future. Along with a riveting history of how climate change has shaped our planet's evolution, Flannery offers specific suggestions for action for both lawmakers and individuals, from investing in renewable power sources like wind, solar, and geothermal energy, to offering an action plan with steps each and every one of us can take right now to reduce deadly CO[subscript 2] emissions by as much as 70 percent. The Weather Makers is the most ambitious book yet written by a world-renowned scientist on the greatest crisis facing the twenty-first century. Book jacket.

      The Weather Makers
      4,0
    • The Rough Guide to Sardinia

      • 400 stránok
      • 14 hodin čítania

      An insider's handbook to one of the Mediterranean's largest and most fascinating islands, this guide features the best places to eat and stay, accounts of the evocative ruins and includes information on the wildlife.

      The Rough Guide to Sardinia
      3,5
    • A classic from the New York Times bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods and The Body. After living in Britain for two decades, Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children (he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens—as he later put it, "it was clear my people needed me"). They were greeted by a new and improved America that boasts microwave pancakes, twenty-four-hour dental-floss hotlines, and the staunch conviction that ice is not a luxury item. Delivering the brilliant comic musings that are a Bryson hallmark, I'm a Stranger Here Myself recounts his sometimes disconcerting reunion with the land of his birth. The result is a book filled with hysterical scenes of one man's attempt to reacquaint himself with his own country, but it is also an extended if at times bemused love letter to the homeland he has returned to after twenty years away.

      I'm a stranger here myself : notes on returning to America after twenty years away
      3,9
    • Troublesome Words

      • 242 stránok
      • 9 hodin čítania

      Should you ever split an infinitive? What's the difference between aiding and abetting? The English language is a minefield of difficulty. In this new edition of his book, Bill Bryson discusses the problems and offers advice on usage.

      Troublesome Words
      3,9
    • The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

      • 384 stránok
      • 14 hodin čítania

      Bill Bryson's first travel book opened with the immortal line, `I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.' In this deeply funny and personal memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was, in the curious world of 1950s Middle America.

      The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
      3,9
    • Mother tongue

      • 288 stránok
      • 11 hodin čítania

      How did English, 'treated for centuries as the inadequate and second-rate tongue of peasants' become the undisputed global language? How did words like shampoo, sofa and rowdy (and others drawn from over fifty languages) find their way into our dictionary? In this revealing and often hilarious book, Bill Bryson examines the mother tongue and explores the countless varieties of English and the perils of marketing brands with names like Pschitt and Super Piss. With entertaining sections on the oddities of swearing and spelling, spoonerisms and Scrabble, and a consideration of what we mean by 'good English', "Mother Tongue" is one of the most stimulating books yet written on this endlessly engrossing subject. Show More Show Less

      Mother tongue
      3,9
    • Neither Here Not There

      • 304 stránok
      • 11 hodin čítania

      Bill Bryson's first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither here Nor there he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hamemrfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to istanbul on the cusp of Asia. Fluent in, oh, at least one language, he retraces his travels as a student twenty years before. Whether braving the homicidal motorists of Paris, being robbed by gypsies in Florence, attempting not to order tripe and eyeballs in a German restaurant, window-shopping in the sex shops of the Reeperbahn or disputing his hotel bill in Copenhagen, Bryson takes in the sights, dissects the culture and illuminates each place and person with his hilariously caustic observations. He even goes to Liechtenstein.

      Neither Here Not There
      3,9
    • Notes from a big country

      • 172 stránok
      • 7 hodin čítania

      Eine Auswahl von 25 Geschichten aus Brysons Amerika-Band, darunter: Rule Number 1: Follow All Rules - Room Service - Friendly People - Why No One Walks - So Sue Me - The Best American Holiday - The Waste Generation - Shopping Madness. Texte in der Originalsprache, mit Übersetzungen schwieriger Wörter am Fuß jeder Seite, Nachwort und Literaturhinweisen. Sprachen: Deutsch, Englisch

      Notes from a big country
      3,9
    • V tejto knihe poviedok autor kladie otázky budúcnosti človeka v zmechanizovanom svete, v odosobnenom svete automatov. Neznamená vpád techniky do života zánik kultúry, vedomé podceňovanie a potláčanie duchovných hodnot? Dokáže človek využiť objavy a vynálezy vo vlastný prospech, alebo sa nimi nechá zotročiť a v konečnom dosledku zničiť? Prevláda tu fantastika, poviedky sa zamýšľajú ľahostajnosťou k problémom a sú akousi oslavou nezlomného ľudského ducha.

      Zlaté jablká slnka
      3,8
    • The Lost Continent

      • 320 stránok
      • 12 hodin čítania

      An unsparing and hilarious account of one man's rediscovery of America and his search for the perfect small town.

      The Lost Continent
      3,8
    • In true Bryson style, in a study that manages to be witty, amusing and anecdotal as well as informative, on one of the greatest British dramatists that has ever lived, he recounts his travels during which he discusses Shakespeare and his life with expert academics, actors, directors and theatre managers, while following the Stratford route.

      Shakespeare
      3,8
    • Made in America

      • 478 stránok
      • 17 hodin čítania

      Bill Bryson turns away from the highways and byways of middle America, so hilariously depicted in his bestselling The Lost Continent, for a fast, exhilarating ride along the Route 66 of American language and popular culture. In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land - explaining how a dusty desert hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up - as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame. Buy this book at once and have a nice day!

      Made in America
      3,7
    • The Ascent of Rum Doodle

      • 160 stránok
      • 6 hodin čítania

      First published in 1956, The Ascent of Rum Doodle quickly became a mountaineering classic. As an outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a peak in the Himalayas, many thought it was inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest. But Bowman had drawn on the flavor and tone of earlier adventures, of Bill Tilman and his 1937 account of the Nandi Devi expedition. The book’s central and unforgettable character, Binder, is one of the finest creations in comic literature.

      The Ascent of Rum Doodle
      3,7
    • Edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, with contributions from Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, Richard Holmes, Martin Rees, Richard Fortey, Steve Jones, James Gleick and Neal Stephenson amongst others, this beautiful, lavishly illustrated book tells the story of science and the Royal Society, from 1660 to the present.

      Seeing Further
      3,6
    • Bill Bryson goes to Kenya at the invitation of Care International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. It is a country that shares many serious human and environmental problems with the rest of Africa : refugees, AIDS, drought and grinding poverty. Travelling around the country, Bryson casts his inimitable eye on a continent new to him, and as a result publishes - the diary. (Adapted from verso)

      Bill Bryson's African diary
      3,5
    • Icons of England

      • 176 stránok
      • 7 hodin čítania

      Following the success of A Portrait of England this book focuses on icons that are quintessentially English. Published in association with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and introduced by their President, Bill Bryson, this beautifully designed tome is a a celebration of our shared rural heritage. Icons of England combines stunning photography and quotes, poetry, reminiscences and celebrity anecdotes. Highlights include: A full introduction from CPRE President Bill Bryson. A share of the book's profits will go to help support CPRE campaigns. • Bill Bryson explains his fascination with Red Telephone boxes • The Iron Bridge, built in the eighteenth century as the first crossing of the Severn Gorge • The life and history of the great oak trees that dominate our countryside • The thatched cottage and it’s unique welcoming charm • The robin red-breast and friends Contributors include: • Michael Palin • David Lodge • Tony Robinson • Richard Mabey • Joan Bakewell • Simon Jenkins

      Icons of England
      3,4
    • 1000 Traumziele abseits der bekannten Wege

      • 336 stránok
      • 12 hodin čítania

      Dieses außergewöhnliche großformatige Reisebuch stellt über 1000 Alternativen zu den bekanntesten Reisezielen in aller Welt vor, die zwar weniger bekannt, jedoch ebenso faszinierend und spannend sind. Wer die Pyramiden von Gizeh beeindruckend findet, dem könnten auch die Pyramiden von Meroe gefallen. Wer gerne einmal die Lebensfreude des südamerikanischen Karnevals erleben möchte, den interessiert sicherlich statt Rio de Janeiro auch der Karneval von Salvador. Und auch in den bekannten Metropolen wie New York oder London lässt sich noch viel Neues entdecken. In neun Kapiteln kann jeder neue Traumziele entdecken, die seinen Interessen entsprechen. Schon beim Durchblättern kann sich der Leser dank der prächtigen Fotos und informativen Texte inspirieren lassen. Praktische Informationen und nützliche Hinweise zu den Reisezielen helfen zudem bei der konkreten Urlaubsplanung.

      1000 Traumziele abseits der bekannten Wege
    • Eine kurze Geschichte der alltäglichen Dinge

      »Unterhaltung der Extraklasse!« The Times - Mit aktuellem Vorwort des Autors

      • 640 stránok
      • 23 hodin čítania

      Die Welt verstehen ohne einen Fuß vor die Tür zu setzen Was bleibt nach der »Geschichte von fast allem« eigentlich noch zu schreiben? Die Geschichte von fast allem anderen, natürlich. Bill Bryson hat sich daher in seinen vier Wänden umgesehen und sich gefragt: Warum leben wir eigentlich, wie wir leben? Warum nutzen wir ausgerechnet Salz und Pfeffer, und weshalb hat unsere Gabel vier Zinken? Aber es bleibt nicht bei Geschichten von Bett, Sofa und Küchenherd. Die Geschichte des Heims ist auch immer eine der großen Entdeckungen und Abenteuer. Ohne die Weltausstellung in London hätte man vermutlich das Wasserklosett nicht so schnell zu schätzen gelernt. Und ohne die großen Entdecker müssten wir wohl ohne Kaffee, Tee oder Kakao auskommen. Bill Bryson zeigt uns unser Heim, wie wir es noch nie gesehen haben. Und wir verstehen ein wenig mehr, warum es so ist, wie es ist. Ausstattung: 19 sw-Abbildungen

      Eine kurze Geschichte der alltäglichen Dinge