A Short History of Nearly Everything

Corbett | August 28, 2009 5:21 PM

I had a few hours in HK and was in a great bookstore in Wanchai, and wanted to get away from the China focused books I've been reading lately. Also, I wanted to get away from anything related to business. I have to deal with China and business everyday. This left a lot to choose from, but nothing struck me as really interesting. The last two really interesting books I got - one about how the CIA screwed up Afghanistan, and the other about black swans - kept putting me immediately to sleep.

Then I stumbled across A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson. What a wonderful, smart, engaging read. I like the way Bryson throws in funny human traits inbetween all the science. Reading this book makes me do something I'd forgotten to do - take a step back, look around, and think about how truly amazing life really is, and what a short blip we have to get anything done, and how we should truly appreciate what we have and who we are.

I now remind myself of this while dodging cars bent on hitting me, spit blobs at my feet, elbows on the subway, snaky business tactics, and people who think it's alright not to return the correct change.

For the past couple of days I haven't been so bothered by these things. It could also be the sunglasses, and Blackalicious pumping on my earpods. Still, I'm feeling pretty cool being an age old collection of atoms randomizing through the streets of Shanghai.

Category: Ramble

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