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An invitation to an email interview has been sent to our author, Bill Bryson. Whether he will accept remains to be seen but most authors are quick to accept our email interview invites so for now assume he will accept.

This thread will be locked until at least January 1, 2017 to give BookTalk.org members enough time to read all or at least a significant portion of A Short History of Nearly Everything. Once this thread is unlocked you are all encouraged to add a question or two for Bill.

This thread is now open for business!

Please spend time and energy formulating intelligent and thoughtful questions for Bill. Proofread your question and present it once it is complete with no spelling, capitalization or grammar errors please. I say this knowing I can occasionally slaughter the English language.

Chris

Bill has agreed to an email interview so please start thinking of some quality questions!

Mr. Bryson, thanks for being willing to answer questions on your book. You did a hell of a job on it. I am, by the way, going to embark on an Appalachian Trail hike in a few months (though will not go quite as far as you did), and also want to say I thoroughly enjoyed A Walk in the Woods.

Around BookTalk, we often bring up the topic of scientific consensus when discussing subjects such as evolution and climate change. Did you form a particular view of scientific consensus as you recounted the history of scientific theories? Does your view tend to color how you look at "settled science" today?

Overall, would you say you're more impressed with the resilience of life on the planet or its fragility? Regarding the latter, I'm thinking partly of the chapters in which you talk about disasters that could befall us. Scary stuff!

Several of us remarked that your approach was effective teaching, not just because it informed but because it entertained. Was your own experience as a student that science didn't really come alive? Were you pretty conscious of trying to remedy that in A Short History?

I'll let others have a chance to talk. Thanks again for giving us this opportunity.

How would you compare the social function of the accurate ‘creation story’ of science, as presented in A Brief History of Everything, to pre-scientific creation myths?

Is science a worldview with core values?

If so, how well does science succeed in telling a coherent story, integrating facts and values?

Does a good story about science need a sense of meaning and purpose to enthuse the public?

Any additional questions or should I send this off to our author?

Your own effort to be scientifically literate appears pretty exhaustive (and exhausting?). What advice would you have for those of us with less time to spend and/or less determination than was the case for you?

Did you come away from the project with one or two topics having become your favorites, ones that you find yourself continuing to learn about?

Did writing this book change your life? I mean, did you live any differently after you'd finished it?

Thank you very much Robert and DWill! Your excellent questions have been forwarded to Bill Bryson's daugther, Catherine, who says she will send them to her father. I'll keep you posted!

No further interview questions are needed but you guys are more than welcome to comment in this thread. I don't see a purpose in locking it.

Bill's daughter is working on this! Today's email from Catherine...

I am seeing my Dad tomorrow (he's been out of the country) and will show him the questions then.

Best wishes,

Catherine

According to his daughter Bill says he is too busy to answer our questions. Sorry guys.