At Home
by Bill Bryson
nonfiction
completed
Review
Bill Bryson walks us through his house, using the rooms as a framework to share a wealth of knowledge about human history and story behind everyday objects.
Few things that surprised me:
- How recently (historically speaking) humans discovered and pursued comfort. The life of Kings and Queens in the 19th century was positively dreadful in comparison with modern standards
- How history is woven from random chaotic events
- How little knowledge is preserved about most common things
Somewhere between learning about scurvy, Thomas Jefferson design issues with Monticello and origins of word ‘dandy’ I forgot what the book was actually about, but to me it didn’t really matter.
This is the kind of book that you must have in your physical possession, dog-eared with bookmarks and highlighter lines, serving as future study and reading list that covers art, history, architecture, medical science and many other topics.