A short history of nearly everything vs Cosmos: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Ouvrages de vulgarisation, Popular works, Science
A short history of nearly everything
A Short History of Nearly Everything by American author Bill Bryson is a popular science book that explains some areas of science, using easily accessible language that appeals more so to the general public than many…
vs
Cosmos
This book is about science in its broadest human context, how science and civilization grew up together. It is the story of our long journey of discovery and the forces and individuals who helped to shape modern…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Cosmos is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 10 for A short history of nearly everything.
- Cosmos has the widest readership — 163219 ratings behind its score.
- Cosmos runs the darker storyline; A short history of nearly everything stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Cosmos
≈ 4h vs 10h for A short history of nearly everything
Want the crowd-tested pick?
Cosmos
163219 ratings vs 3022 for A short history of nearly everything
In the mood for something dark?
Cosmos
a darker storyline than A short history of nearly everything
Want something lighter?
A short history of nearly everything
an easier tone than Cosmos
Scores by source
| A short history of nearly everything | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (3022) | 4.4 (163219) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (990) | 3.5 (2) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (321) | 4.5 (290) |
Reception
| A short history of nearly everything | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 3022 | 163219 |
| Editions | 57 | 74 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 8646 | 275575 |
| Reading it now | 327 | 12732 |
| Written reviews | 202 | 5493 |
| Wikipedia attention | 6029 | 4647 |
| Pages | 544 | 227 |