Best books I read in 2008 Part 1

I hate countdowns and top tens and such so my best books posts will be divided into little essays on comparable books, starting with some science and nature, doing a bit of history, fiction and other stuff, and then returning to some more science and nature at the end of the journey.

If you want a really comprehensive view of science and nature, you could start with either of these books I read in 2008: The Ancestor’s Tale, by Richard Dawkins, or A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson. I have blogged about both elsewhere. Richard Dawkins is of course considered a heavy thinker, whereas Mr. Bryson is considered a clever writer and in these books they both show off their strengths and weaknesses. It's hard to argue with Dawkins, but it's hard to like him much either; he obviously knows a lot more than I do and is eager to tell me all about it. Bryson has been criticized for being "science lite" and for introducing errors by summarizing things too glibly. But if you had to take a book on a long cruise, Bryson would provide both more entertainment and more fodder for conversation around the pool.

Round One goes to Bryson in a split decision.

Next: Revolution!