Tag: Chapter

Bill Bryson – The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid | Review

Title: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Author: Bill Bryson

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 416

Rating: 4/5

Bryson’s non-fiction is always a lot of fun to read, and this book was no different. What’s interesting, though, is that instead of focussing on travel writing as he usually does, this was instead a memoir about Bryson’s childhood adventures. That was cool in one sense, but in another sense I would have preferred to have had some travel writing from him, purely because that’s what he’s best at.

There’s also the Thunderbolt Kid gimmick, which I wasn’t particularly a fan of because I’m not much into superheroes in general. I get that it was his childhood fantasy and stuff and it did a good job of tying the book together, it’s just that I have different interests I guess. Plus it wasn’t really needed, and it ended up just feeling like a gimmick that Bryson relied on when he wasn’t too sure how to finish a chapter.

But I don’t want to complain too much, and in fact as a general rule, I did still really enjoy this. Bryson’s writing is always a pleasure, and I’m sure he could write about literally any subject and I’d still enjoy it. If anything, that’s kind of the gist of this review. I have less in common with Bryson when he’s writing about his upbringing as a kid in America than I do when he’s writing about the places that he’s visited.

And that’s kind of the problem here. I don’t really have anything else to say about this one and it was just okay, although at least it didn’t have any of the sort of inadvertent snootiness that’s ruined a couple of other Bryson books for me. Overall, it was eminently readable and I’m glad I picked it up, especially because it was for free from a little book exchange outside someone’s house, but it wasn’t quite as good as I was expecting.

If you’re a Bill Bryson fan then you’ll want to pick this one up of course, but at the same time I should warn you that it’s just so-so, and definitely not up to scratch if you compare it to some of his other stuff, and Notes from a Small Island in particular. If this was written by just anyone, it would’ve been fine. But because it’s by Bill Bryson, it’s a let down.

Learn more about The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.


Richard Dawkins – The Magic of Reality | Review

Title: The Magic of Reality

Author: Richard Dawkins

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 272

Rating: 3.5/5

This book is a bit of a weird one because it takes the form of a series of responses to questions, and so every chapter in the book is based upon a question like, “When and how did everything begin?” It’s a pretty simple setup that allows Dawkins to tackle some of the bigger questions that people have, but it does also mean that it feels as though something’s somehow lacking.

Don’t get me wrong, the science was solid and Dawkins made his arguments well, and I do feel that I’ve learned a bunch of stuff here. At the same time, it feels a bit like he’s set out to try to explain everything and then settled for just a few frequently asked questions. I’m not sure what he could have done differently though, because if the book was two or three times the length, it would have ended up feeling long and drawn out.

Still, it was a pretty good way to keep my brain trained and to learn a few new lessons about science and stuff. This isn’t necessarily the best non-fiction science book on the market, but I polished it off in 24 hours or so and was happy with it, even if it was just okay. After all, I’m slowly working my way through everything that Dawkins has ever written, and this is probably one of the most approachable. All in all, I’m glad I read it and maybe you’ll like it too.

Click here to learn more about The Magic of Reality.