“There is nothing in the world that isn’t fascinating if you take the time to just examine it,” renowned American-British journalist and author Bill Bryson reminds me towards the end of our 15-minute video call.
I know immediately the man isn’t being glib. He’s made a living – and a name for himself – from chasing his curiosity.
Bryson is perhaps most known for his 2003 title, A Short History Of Nearly Everything, widely considered the 21st century’s bestselling popular science book.
As its name would suggest, the book is arranged in self-contained chapters, each focused on a major scientific field or discipline, from the birth of the universe to the makeup of atoms.
What makes it stand out, as compared with other books in the genre, is ostensibly his conversational writing style, paired with an undertone of awe that’s even more endearing when many would expect a person his age to feel jaded about the world.
At 74 (though surely at least half a century younger in spirit), he clearly has no intention of slowing down.
