At a little over 600 pages of fascinating text, this book by Bill Bryson kept me turning those leaves. That there are, in addition, 32 pages of bibliography, suggests the author has done his research, and done it thoroughly.
The Book is subtitled ‘A Short History of Private Life’ and takes the form of an inspiring tour through his home, explaining along the way how certain rooms, and their contents, came into being.
We take much of modern life for granted, uncaring it seems about origins. But this wonderful tome opens the readers eyes, and mind, to many unexpected, quirky, often interrelated, amusing, and intriguing facts about everyday objects and how they came to be called what they are. During the excursion the reader is presented with contradictions of previously preciously-held beliefs. There are revelations about historical figures of renown that will, if not unseat them, at least diminish them in the eyes of the open-minded reader. Some of those myths and legends that we heard in childhood and adolescence are exposed as the lies or exaggerations they truly are.
I’ve read and enjoyed a number of this author’s books and have yet to be disappointed. This one has, so far, proved to be his best for my tastes. Thoroughly entertaining, enormously informative, and gently educational, this book is one I can recommend to all without hesitation. Enjoy! I certainly did.
Stuart Aken 
I didn’t know about the movie, but I’ve read ‘A Walk in the Woods’, which is very interesting. I can’t see many of his books as films, though, due to the complex nature of his general subject matter. Not character-driven, but factually based and always tinged with humour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was my sense of his writing, too. Thanks, Stuart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the introduction. I hadn’t heard of this author before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s quite a surprise, Lynette. Bill Bryson is a ‘best-seller’ in the book world. He’s an American, currently living here in the UK and has written a good many books – almost all of them factual but written in an entertaining style. Give him a try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just looked him up and am surprised that he escaped my notice. Just one of those things, I guess! I read that he is actually now a British citizen and has lived a lot of his life in the UK. I remember the Robert Redford movie based on one of his books: A Walk in the Woods. I don’t remember the movie very well, only that I didn’t think much of it at the time. After reading a bit about Bryson I suspect it’s just that his book didn’t transfer well to the screen.
LikeLiked by 1 person