Harry Potter has spent the first 10 years of his life at the mercy of the dreadful Dursleys--the aunt, uncle and fat, spoilt brat of a cousin who reluctantly gave him a home after the death of his mother and father. But on his 11th birthday Harry discovers that he is no ordinary boy, and despite the best efforts of his hideous relatives he escapes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his new life as a trainee wizard. And the rest, as they say, is history...

As Harry battles against the evils thrown in his path, Stephen Fry injects the proceedings with a wry, dry and extremely contagious humour that perfectly suits the tale, wringing out the best in Harry and his cohorts as they get to grips with their new lives at the sharp end of Hogwarts. Fry's innate upper-class drone is perfectly suited to the telling of this most magical tale, cracking into the high-pitched squawking of Hermione the swat, or the gentle tones of the firm but fair Dumbledore, or the evil sniping of slimey Snape at precisely the right moments.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fine story and much has been written about its success but until you have heard Fry's cracking reading of this most magical of stories then you simply haven't lived. As with any audio book, this one is perfect for car journeys and an ideal way of introducing reluctant readers to the magic that is Harry Potter. (Ages 9 and over) --Susan Harrison

This book is a great book and I would reccomend it to all of you. I have enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.

The first of a great series!, 03 Aug 2005
What a fabulous read! The first book in the series, the Philosophers Stone, will grip your imagination and hold onto it untill you have read the entire book!

Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, has a past that will change his future.
When Harry was one year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort killed his parents. But he couldn't kill Harry. Instead Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar for the rest of his life.

Harry is shocked when he is told that he is a wizard. This means a new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), making new friends and learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle!

I think this book is very imaginative. I mean who would have thought that you could fit a massive castle in the middle of London and teach magic?

If you read this book you will experience J.K. Rowling's exquisite imagination!(Katherine, 11)

This book is a great book and I would reccomend it to all of you. I have enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.

The first of a great series!, 03 Aug 2005
What a fabulous read! The first book in the series, the Philosophers Stone, will grip your imagination and hold onto it untill you have read the entire book!

Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, has a past that will change his future.
When Harry was one year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort killed his parents. But he couldn't kill Harry. Instead Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar for the rest of his life.

Harry is shocked when he is told that he is a wizard. This means a new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), making new friends and learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle!

I think this book is very imaginative. I mean who would have thought that you could fit a massive castle in the middle of London and teach magic?

If you read this book you will experience J.K. Rowling's exquisite imagination!(Katherine, 11)

A delight!, 28 Nov 2007
Roald Dahl's voice is a delight. A refreshing change from the modern obsession for sound effects and other over-the-top techniques that, apparently, are added to capture a child's attention.

My two children listen to Dahl's audio CDs and read his books constantly. They enjoy many other styles of reading and story telling but I do believe Dahl has a special place in their hearts - and mine!

Dull, 27 Feb 2005
Its the pure tone of RD's voice that sends my daughter asleep! I don't think he reads it like it ought to be read to be honest. It is after all aimed at children, and so should be adapted for such an audience. It doesn't make me any less of a RD fan, I adore his work!

Stick to writing Roald!, 02 Jul 2004
Features the author doing a very bland reading job with no background music or whimsical sound effects. Only practical use I have found for it is to use it as an alternative method for making my 6 year old fall asleep.

All 4 stories, 24 Aug 2003
This CD set is fantastic value. If you are reading this you are obviously an RD fan and what makes these CD's so special is that they are read by the author. Not only is Roald Dahl one of the best authors of all time but he has the great ability to tell the story exactly as it was meant to be read. My 2 children [aged 8&6] adore this at bedtime or on a long journey. All the stories appeal to both boys, girls and parents. We all know the tales, but they are a pleasure to listen to. You will not regret this GREAT buy!

The Final Chapter
The pubdate of the seventh and final Harry Potter audio book has been announced, and the rumours are already circulating - what are the Deathly Hallows? Who will make it through to the end? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows CD Set tells the story of Harry's final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and this is set to be the best audio book out of the series! .

Visit the Harry Potter Store
Our Harry Potter Store features all things Harry, including books, audio CDs and cassettes, DVDs, toys and more.

This book is a great book and I would reccomend it to all of you. I have enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.

The first of a great series!, 03 Aug 2005
What a fabulous read! The first book in the series, the Philosophers Stone, will grip your imagination and hold onto it untill you have read the entire book!

Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, has a past that will change his future.
When Harry was one year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort killed his parents. But he couldn't kill Harry. Instead Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar for the rest of his life.

Harry is shocked when he is told that he is a wizard. This means a new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), making new friends and learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle!

I think this book is very imaginative. I mean who would have thought that you could fit a massive castle in the middle of London and teach magic?

If you read this book you will experience J.K. Rowling's exquisite imagination!(Katherine, 11)

A delight!, 28 Nov 2007
Roald Dahl's voice is a delight. A refreshing change from the modern obsession for sound effects and other over-the-top techniques that, apparently, are added to capture a child's attention.

My two children listen to Dahl's audio CDs and read his books constantly. They enjoy many other styles of reading and story telling but I do believe Dahl has a special place in their hearts - and mine!

Dull, 27 Feb 2005
Its the pure tone of RD's voice that sends my daughter asleep! I don't think he reads it like it ought to be read to be honest. It is after all aimed at children, and so should be adapted for such an audience. It doesn't make me any less of a RD fan, I adore his work!

Stick to writing Roald!, 02 Jul 2004
Features the author doing a very bland reading job with no background music or whimsical sound effects. Only practical use I have found for it is to use it as an alternative method for making my 6 year old fall asleep.

All 4 stories, 24 Aug 2003
This CD set is fantastic value. If you are reading this you are obviously an RD fan and what makes these CD's so special is that they are read by the author. Not only is Roald Dahl one of the best authors of all time but he has the great ability to tell the story exactly as it was meant to be read. My 2 children [aged 8&6] adore this at bedtime or on a long journey. All the stories appeal to both boys, girls and parents. We all know the tales, but they are a pleasure to listen to. You will not regret this GREAT buy!

I couldn't put it down, 12 Oct 2008
This thing, the deathly hallows, the beginning wasn't the best beginning, but... I could not stop reading it. I don't understand why people think the ending is disappointing. The Nineteen years later could be expanded into a book, maybe, but, if J.K doesn't then that's all we really need to know to end the Harry potter phenomenon. Hopefully she will deliver another H.P book, because I know, I know, it won't end here.

Brill but a let down, 07 Oct 2008
Don't get me wrong this was a brillaint book but it was a let down at the end. Myself and my fiance thought it would of had a better ending to the series that it had I was "eh why is it ended here that's stupid" she could of left us all hanging on and then released a new book saying all that and going into a bit more detailk than she did after all that would of kept everyone on the edge of their seats and she would of been able to rethink the ending because some of the ending could have been forseen much earlier in the series as myself and my fiance had guessed most of it was going to happen.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 17 Sep 2008
Like children, parents and grandparents, all over the world, I am a cult member. Harry Potter's final saga " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" had been set upon the world. I dare say that few would be disappointed. Harry's final adventure is a remarkable journey into the world of fantasy. The wedding of Fleur and Bill as it ends in chaos. The escape of our trio from the death eaters and that is only the beginning. The many subsequent adventures, ending with the final battle at Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldamort by Harry. An adventure froth with danger, fears, laughter, doubts and narrow excapes will have its readers on the edge of their seat. I was!

Not convinced, Sorry, 10 Sep 2008
i have read the first 5 over and over again, i now know them off by heart.
I thought no.6 was ok. it got me through a very boring time.
so when No.7 came out and it was to be the last one i was very excited. Great, i thought, a big ending, lots of unknowns, climaxes... but i did wonder how she would write it all...
So when it was released at midnight down at my local ASDA Store, i was there, in the que, waiting, my mother had to come too as i would not go alone( i am only 16 but my A level english group agree with me on the fact that we only read it to see how it ended) i got home and started it. i stayed up till 4.00 in the morning to finnish it but was rather dissapointed.
it was average all the way through, by the ending chapters you basically knew exactly what she had written and i was (sadley) bored.
it lacked that... spark all the others had. maybe it was too much pressure from the publishers and fans but i realise now, i actually only wanted to read it so that i could find out the ending and who died.
I admit, i was dissapionted. She should have stopped at 5.
I do hope though that she writes other books but it may be difficult for her to top Potter.

Classical Great, 05 Sep 2008
Despite my age (not given ;-)) I have been a Harry Potter fan, why..? Because Rowling gives back your childhood. She puts you back 'there' as if it were yesterday and makes you draw breath at the adventures she creates. It almost makes you envious that you didn't have the opportunity to be at Hogwarts, that your school was naff compared to it. Yes, I suffered the torment of teachers, detentions, lines and being hit across the head with books, which makes her series so real. Harry is a plausable character, we all knew someone like Harry, just no magicians, or so we think! Rowling's imagination deserves the credit it receives, and I for one will continue to read whatever she writes. Fantastic, classic, the children's Austin.

In fact, it dawned on him that "I didn't know the first thing about the only planet I was ever going to live on". The questions multiplied: What is a quark? How can anybody know how much the Earth weighs? How can astrophysicists (or whoever) claim to describe what happened in the first gazillionth of a nanosecond after the Big Bang? Why can't earthquakes be predicted? What makes evolution more plausible than any other theory? In the end, all these boiled down to a single question--how do scientists do science? To this subject Bryson devoted three years of his life, reading books and journals and pestering the people who know (or at least argue about it); and we non-scientists should be pretty grateful to him for passing his findings on to us.

Broadly, his investigations deal with seven topics, all of enormous interest and significance: the origins of the universe; the gradual historical discovery of the size and age of the earth (and the beginnings of the awesome notion of deep time); relativity and quantum theory; the present and future threats to life and the planet; the origins and history of life (dinosaurs, mass extinctions and all); and the evolution of man. Within each of these, he looks at the history of the subject, its development into a modern discipline and the frameworks of theory that now support it. This is a pretty broad brief (life, the universe and everything, in fact), and it's a mark of Bryson's skill that he is able to carve a clear path through the thickets of theory and controversy that infest all these disciplines, all the while maintaining a cracking pace and a fairly judicious tone without obvious longueurs or signs of haste. Even readers fairly familiar with some or all of these areas of discourse are likely to learn from A Short History. If not, they will at least be amused--the tone throughout is agreeable, mingling genuine awe with a mild facetiousness that often rises to wit.

One compelling theme that appears again and again is the utter unpredictability of the universe, despite all that we think we know about it. Nervous page-turners may care to omit the sensational chapters on the possible ways in which it all might end in disaster--Bryson enumerates with cheerful relish the kind of event that makes you want to climb under the bedclothes: undetectable asteroid colliding with the earth; superheated magma chamber erupting in your back garden; ebola carrier getting off a plane in London or New York; the HIV virus mutating to prevent its destruction in the mosquito's digestive system. Indeed, the chief theme of this sprightly book is the miraculous unlikeliness, in a universe ruled by randomness, of stability and equilibrium--of which one result is ourselves and the complex, fragile planet we inhabit. --Robin Davidson

This book is a great book and I would reccomend it to all of you. I have enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.

The first of a great series!, 03 Aug 2005
What a fabulous read! The first book in the series, the Philosophers Stone, will grip your imagination and hold onto it untill you have read the entire book!

Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, has a past that will change his future.
When Harry was one year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort killed his parents. But he couldn't kill Harry. Instead Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar for the rest of his life.

Harry is shocked when he is told that he is a wizard. This means a new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), making new friends and learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle!

I think this book is very imaginative. I mean who would have thought that you could fit a massive castle in the middle of London and teach magic?

If you read this book you will experience J.K. Rowling's exquisite imagination!(Katherine, 11)

A delight!, 28 Nov 2007
Roald Dahl's voice is a delight. A refreshing change from the modern obsession for sound effects and other over-the-top techniques that, apparently, are added to capture a child's attention.

My two children listen to Dahl's audio CDs and read his books constantly. They enjoy many other styles of reading and story telling but I do believe Dahl has a special place in their hearts - and mine!

Dull, 27 Feb 2005
Its the pure tone of RD's voice that sends my daughter asleep! I don't think he reads it like it ought to be read to be honest. It is after all aimed at children, and so should be adapted for such an audience. It doesn't make me any less of a RD fan, I adore his work!

Stick to writing Roald!, 02 Jul 2004
Features the author doing a very bland reading job with no background music or whimsical sound effects. Only practical use I have found for it is to use it as an alternative method for making my 6 year old fall asleep.

All 4 stories, 24 Aug 2003
This CD set is fantastic value. If you are reading this you are obviously an RD fan and what makes these CD's so special is that they are read by the author. Not only is Roald Dahl one of the best authors of all time but he has the great ability to tell the story exactly as it was meant to be read. My 2 children [aged 8&6] adore this at bedtime or on a long journey. All the stories appeal to both boys, girls and parents. We all know the tales, but they are a pleasure to listen to. You will not regret this GREAT buy!

I couldn't put it down, 12 Oct 2008
This thing, the deathly hallows, the beginning wasn't the best beginning, but... I could not stop reading it. I don't understand why people think the ending is disappointing. The Nineteen years later could be expanded into a book, maybe, but, if J.K doesn't then that's all we really need to know to end the Harry potter phenomenon. Hopefully she will deliver another H.P book, because I know, I know, it won't end here.

Brill but a let down, 07 Oct 2008
Don't get me wrong this was a brillaint book but it was a let down at the end. Myself and my fiance thought it would of had a better ending to the series that it had I was "eh why is it ended here that's stupid" she could of left us all hanging on and then released a new book saying all that and going into a bit more detailk than she did after all that would of kept everyone on the edge of their seats and she would of been able to rethink the ending because some of the ending could have been forseen much earlier in the series as myself and my fiance had guessed most of it was going to happen.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 17 Sep 2008
Like children, parents and grandparents, all over the world, I am a cult member. Harry Potter's final saga " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" had been set upon the world. I dare say that few would be disappointed. Harry's final adventure is a remarkable journey into the world of fantasy. The wedding of Fleur and Bill as it ends in chaos. The escape of our trio from the death eaters and that is only the beginning. The many subsequent adventures, ending with the final battle at Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldamort by Harry. An adventure froth with danger, fears, laughter, doubts and narrow excapes will have its readers on the edge of their seat. I was!

Not convinced, Sorry, 10 Sep 2008
i have read the first 5 over and over again, i now know them off by heart.
I thought no.6 was ok. it got me through a very boring time.
so when No.7 came out and it was to be the last one i was very excited. Great, i thought, a big ending, lots of unknowns, climaxes... but i did wonder how she would write it all...
So when it was released at midnight down at my local ASDA Store, i was there, in the que, waiting, my mother had to come too as i would not go alone( i am only 16 but my A level english group agree with me on the fact that we only read it to see how it ended) i got home and started it. i stayed up till 4.00 in the morning to finnish it but was rather dissapointed.
it was average all the way through, by the ending chapters you basically knew exactly what she had written and i was (sadley) bored.
it lacked that... spark all the others had. maybe it was too much pressure from the publishers and fans but i realise now, i actually only wanted to read it so that i could find out the ending and who died.
I admit, i was dissapionted. She should have stopped at 5.
I do hope though that she writes other books but it may be difficult for her to top Potter.

Classical Great, 05 Sep 2008
Despite my age (not given ;-)) I have been a Harry Potter fan, why..? Because Rowling gives back your childhood. She puts you back 'there' as if it were yesterday and makes you draw breath at the adventures she creates. It almost makes you envious that you didn't have the opportunity to be at Hogwarts, that your school was naff compared to it. Yes, I suffered the torment of teachers, detentions, lines and being hit across the head with books, which makes her series so real. Harry is a plausable character, we all knew someone like Harry, just no magicians, or so we think! Rowling's imagination deserves the credit it receives, and I for one will continue to read whatever she writes. Fantastic, classic, the children's Austin.

A fascinating and exciting insight into our exsistence., 05 Oct 2008
Well I love a good Bill Bryson book and this is surely the best. As a travel writer he has kept me interested and amused with many an exciting journey but this rates as the best journey he has ever written. A journey that takes the layman on a travel experience spanning billions of years including an insight into all the sciences and ologies one can imagine. If only I had been able to read science at school like this...I might well have found an interest.

Overrated, 23 Sep 2008
I am skeptical of journalists or writers who think they can write a book about anything. Yeah sure they've a great gift for writing but that doesn't mean they have a great gift for understanding! All too often they think they understand something when they simply don't.

I really can't fathom that in a long book which is supposed to be a "all you need to know" about the science, the scientific method itself isn't even explained. This means the mechanism which establishes science as most objective and reliable paradigm we have for establishing objective truth about the universe is omitted. Now, there's a countless amount of facts, dates, figures and 'imagine this' type stuff all there with the assumed intent of making a reader go wow. All very well, some of it will fuse the imagination, but let's not forget that the scientific method is what defines science and differentiates between science and pseudo-science. Without it, we have no way of differentiating the reliability between the big bang theory and crystal healers.

Too many times, instead of explaining principles and concepts, Bryson opts for facts about dates. It really doesn't matter if it was 1915, 1916, or 1917 when Einstein published his theory on general relativity what matters is what it is saying, the concepts that underpin it and why we can be confident it's correct. In this regard, Byrson comes up well short. Someone like Simon Singh, Stephen Hawking, just about anyone with scientific training does a much better job.

He does make reasonable attempts at describing many of the Scientific theories, but there are times when his understanding is just way off.

For example, when he discusses the theory of evolution which is just as sound as the theory of gravity in terms of the scientific method. Both are testifiable, falsifiable, have huge amounts of evidence (one billion+ fossils and infinite amount of DNA evidence), been through the same peer reviewing processes etc. So, in scientific terms doubting evolution is like doubting gravity. It's just asinine. Perhaps Bryson should think about that the next time he gets on a plane.

His poor understanding insinutates that the lack of fossils found in human evolution may cast doubt on the theory. He sounds like a scientifically illiterate ignoramus who has just sifted their way through some intelligent design propaganda.

Why doesn't he point out the probability of fossilation is only about 1 / million and the probability of finding one about the same, which by simple mathematics make every fossil find of our ancestors species a miracle in statistical terms? Why doesn't he go through the simple mathematics in DNA which have confirmed evolution an infinite amount of times and provide even stronger evidence than fossils?

If you want a pop Science book so that you can understand science just skip this book. Science is a very area broad area now. Experts in Physics are not experts in Biology. Experts in Biology are not experts in Physics. A writer with no scientific expertise is certainly not an expert in anything scientific. If you really want to understand science, pick a branch of science and then pick the appropriate expert. Someone like Feymen for Physics, Dawkins for Biology or Hawking for the Universe.

Before you do any of that, make sure you understand the scientific method as described by Karl Popper. This is the framework that underpins all science and what makes science an exceptionally reliable paradigm. It's why planes fly and why we know the origins of all species on our planet.

If you couldn't give a monkeys about understanding and just want lots of scientific trivia; dates and names rather than any real understanding, yes sadly this book could be a runner.


Essential introduction to science!, 23 Sep 2008
This book is not only highy educational, but very entertaining, and Bryson's writting style makes it fun, and it keeps you craving for more.
If would be a good idea to make this read a compulsory High School one, to excite the curiosity and the thirst for knowledge of our students, considering the fact that the more we know, the more we love.
It is a nearly complete and thorough overview on the main principles of science. Wery well informed with plenty of historical anecdotes and curiosities. I have learned and laughed so much!!!
A genius's work.

Not for me, 25 Aug 2008
I started out with enthusiasm with this book but should have read the title a little more carefully. A short 'history'of nearly everything with the emphasis on HISTORY. This book goes into great detail on how and when each new bit of information was discovered with biographies of the scientists involved. This was not really what I wanted to read about as would prefer just to know the latest most up to date information and there are plenty much more interesting books on these topics, I have been browsing the Lonely Planet version on space and science which is illustrated and topical. Dont wish to offend fans of Bill Bryson, it is probably my mistake.

How to learn very little about quite a lot, 24 Aug 2008
Bill Bryson's book is an attempt to discuss the origins of life, the universe and everything contained therein. It's slightly tongue-in-cheek title indicates that this isn't going to be some heavyweight, academic discussion but more of a Now That's What I Call Science! After all, no book can seriously claim to be all-encompassing and completely comprehensive on any one subject, let alone "everything."

A Short History of Nearly Everything is clearly written to be a book that appeals to people who wouldn't normally want to read a whole book about gravity, molecular science, or paleontology; as a result, the book falls betwixt two stools: it skims superficially pretty much every subject it touches upon, so those only mildly interested won't learn much and those who have already read something on their specialised subject probably won't learn anything they didn't already know.

The first half of the book is the most interesting, containing some great anecdotes about the famous names of science (Newton, Darwin and so forth); this section shines and brings to life people whose names have become synonymous with their subject matter. However, as the various disciplines become more professionalised, the well of anecdotal material runs short, and the book loses much of its appeal.

One of the key themes of this work, which is not overtly stated but seems unmissable, is that the narrative of the history of science is quite different from how the mainstream media portrays science itself. Specifically, science is often presented as being the concept of a battle over evidence: how an idea is proposed, evidence is put forth in support, counterevidence is held up against it and ultimately, whichever theory fits most of the facts is deemed to be that which is most probable. This is not the case, according to Bryson's book. What is deemed to be scientifically true is determined just as much by factors of cultural acceptance as objective facts. Theories are put forth, ignored, then ridiculed, then, when the evidence becomes such that it can neither be marginalised nor mocked, the theory is embraced and history effectively rewritten so that science can be presented as being the onward march of progress and enlightenment. A reassuring but historically dubious narrative.

A Short History... is marketed around the "Bill Bryson" brand: his low-key charm, wit and self-effacing humour is meant to enliven the driest of subjects. Therefore, if you enjoy his style, then you will probably enjoy this book and indeed, the book was charmingly well written and certainly easy to consume. However, at best, A Short History of Nearly Everything is a shallow introduction to the key disciplines of the various sciences, animated by some fine anecdotal touches. Bryson's book will probably provide a drop-off point for those wishing to explore in greater breadth subjects of which their curiosity has been piqued.

This book is a great book and I would reccomend it to all of you. I have enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.

The first of a great series!, 03 Aug 2005
What a fabulous read! The first book in the series, the Philosophers Stone, will grip your imagination and hold onto it untill you have read the entire book!

Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, has a past that will change his future.
When Harry was one year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort killed his parents. But he couldn't kill Harry. Instead Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar for the rest of his life.

Harry is shocked when he is told that he is a wizard. This means a new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), making new friends and learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle!

I think this book is very imaginative. I mean who would have thought that you could fit a massive castle in the middle of London and teach magic?

If you read this book you will experience J.K. Rowling's exquisite imagination!(Katherine, 11)

A delight!, 28 Nov 2007
Roald Dahl's voice is a delight. A refreshing change from the modern obsession for sound effects and other over-the-top techniques that, apparently, are added to capture a child's attention.

My two children listen to Dahl's audio CDs and read his books constantly. They enjoy many other styles of reading and story telling but I do believe Dahl has a special place in their hearts - and mine!

Dull, 27 Feb 2005
Its the pure tone of RD's voice that sends my daughter asleep! I don't think he reads it like it ought to be read to be honest. It is after all aimed at children, and so should be adapted for such an audience. It doesn't make me any less of a RD fan, I adore his work!

Stick to writing Roald!, 02 Jul 2004
Features the author doing a very bland reading job with no background music or whimsical sound effects. Only practical use I have found for it is to use it as an alternative method for making my 6 year old fall asleep.

All 4 stories, 24 Aug 2003
This CD set is fantastic value. If you are reading this you are obviously an RD fan and what makes these CD's so special is that they are read by the author. Not only is Roald Dahl one of the best authors of all time but he has the great ability to tell the story exactly as it was meant to be read. My 2 children [aged 8&6] adore this at bedtime or on a long journey. All the stories appeal to both boys, girls and parents. We all know the tales, but they are a pleasure to listen to. You will not regret this GREAT buy!

I couldn't put it down, 12 Oct 2008
This thing, the deathly hallows, the beginning wasn't the best beginning, but... I could not stop reading it. I don't understand why people think the ending is disappointing. The Nineteen years later could be expanded into a book, maybe, but, if J.K doesn't then that's all we really need to know to end the Harry potter phenomenon. Hopefully she will deliver another H.P book, because I know, I know, it won't end here.

Brill but a let down, 07 Oct 2008
Don't get me wrong this was a brillaint book but it was a let down at the end. Myself and my fiance thought it would of had a better ending to the series that it had I was "eh why is it ended here that's stupid" she could of left us all hanging on and then released a new book saying all that and going into a bit more detailk than she did after all that would of kept everyone on the edge of their seats and she would of been able to rethink the ending because some of the ending could have been forseen much earlier in the series as myself and my fiance had guessed most of it was going to happen.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 17 Sep 2008
Like children, parents and grandparents, all over the world, I am a cult member. Harry Potter's final saga " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" had been set upon the world. I dare say that few would be disappointed. Harry's final adventure is a remarkable journey into the world of fantasy. The wedding of Fleur and Bill as it ends in chaos. The escape of our trio from the death eaters and that is only the beginning. The many subsequent adventures, ending with the final battle at Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldamort by Harry. An adventure froth with danger, fears, laughter, doubts and narrow excapes will have its readers on the edge of their seat. I was!

Not convinced, Sorry, 10 Sep 2008
i have read the first 5 over and over again, i now know them off by heart.
I thought no.6 was ok. it got me through a very boring time.
so when No.7 came out and it was to be the last one i was very excited. Great, i thought, a big ending, lots of unknowns, climaxes... but i did wonder how she would write it all...
So when it was released at midnight down at my local ASDA Store, i was there, in the que, waiting, my mother had to come too as i would not go alone( i am only 16 but my A level english group agree with me on the fact that we only read it to see how it ended) i got home and started it. i stayed up till 4.00 in the morning to finnish it but was rather dissapointed.
it was average all the way through, by the ending chapters you basically knew exactly what she had written and i was (sadley) bored.
it lacked that... spark all the others had. maybe it was too much pressure from the publishers and fans but i realise now, i actually only wanted to read it so that i could find out the ending and who died.
I admit, i was dissapionted. She should have stopped at 5.
I do hope though that she writes other books but it may be difficult for her to top Potter.

Classical Great, 05 Sep 2008
Despite my age (not given ;-)) I have been a Harry Potter fan, why..? Because Rowling gives back your childhood. She puts you back 'there' as if it were yesterday and makes you draw breath at the adventures she creates. It almost makes you envious that you didn't have the opportunity to be at Hogwarts, that your school was naff compared to it. Yes, I suffered the torment of teachers, detentions, lines and being hit across the head with books, which makes her series so real. Harry is a plausable character, we all knew someone like Harry, just no magicians, or so we think! Rowling's imagination deserves the credit it receives, and I for one will continue to read whatever she writes. Fantastic, classic, the children's Austin.

A fascinating and exciting insight into our exsistence., 05 Oct 2008
Well I love a good Bill Bryson book and this is surely the best. As a travel writer he has kept me interested and amused with many an exciting journey but this rates as the best journey he has ever written. A journey that takes the layman on a travel experience spanning billions of years including an insight into all the sciences and ologies one can imagine. If only I had been able to read science at school like this...I might well have found an interest.

Overrated, 23 Sep 2008
I am skeptical of journalists or writers who think they can write a book about anything. Yeah sure they've a great gift for writing but that doesn't mean they have a great gift for understanding! All too often they think they understand something when they simply don't.

I really can't fathom that in a long book which is supposed to be a "all you need to know" about the science, the scientific method itself isn't even explained. This means the mechanism which establishes science as most objective and reliable paradigm we have for establishing objective truth about the universe is omitted. Now, there's a countless amount of facts, dates, figures and 'imagine this' type stuff all there with the assumed intent of making a reader go wow. All very well, some of it will fuse the imagination, but let's not forget that the scientific method is what defines science and differentiates between science and pseudo-science. Without it, we have no way of differentiating the reliability between the big bang theory and crystal healers.

Too many times, instead of explaining principles and concepts, Bryson opts for facts about dates. It really doesn't matter if it was 1915, 1916, or 1917 when Einstein published his theory on general relativity what matters is what it is saying, the concepts that underpin it and why we can be confident it's correct. In this regard, Byrson comes up well short. Someone like Simon Singh, Stephen Hawking, just about anyone with scientific training does a much better job.

He does make reasonable attempts at describing many of the Scientific theories, but there are times when his understanding is just way off.

For example, when he discusses the theory of evolution which is just as sound as the theory of gravity in terms of the scientific method. Both are testifiable, falsifiable, have huge amounts of evidence (one billion+ fossils and infinite amount of DNA evidence), been through the same peer reviewing processes etc. So, in scientific terms doubting evolution is like doubting gravity. It's just asinine. Perhaps Bryson should think about that the next time he gets on a plane.

His poor understanding insinutates that the lack of fossils found in human evolution may cast doubt on the theory. He sounds like a scientifically illiterate ignoramus who has just sifted their way through some intelligent design propaganda.

Why doesn't he point out the probability of fossilation is only about 1 / million and the probability of finding one about the same, which by simple mathematics make every fossil find of our ancestors species a miracle in statistical terms? Why doesn't he go through the simple mathematics in DNA which have confirmed evolution an infinite amount of times and provide even stronger evidence than fossils?

If you want a pop Science book so that you can understand science just skip this book. Science is a very area broad area now. Experts in Physics are not experts in Biology. Experts in Biology are not experts in Physics. A writer with no scientific expertise is certainly not an expert in anything scientific. If you really want to understand science, pick a branch of science and then pick the appropriate expert. Someone like Feymen for Physics, Dawkins for Biology or Hawking for the Universe.

Before you do any of that, make sure you understand the scientific method as described by Karl Popper. This is the framework that underpins all science and what makes science an exceptionally reliable paradigm. It's why planes fly and why we know the origins of all species on our planet.

If you couldn't give a monkeys about understanding and just want lots of scientific trivia; dates and names rather than any real understanding, yes sadly this book could be a runner.


Essential introduction to science!, 23 Sep 2008
This book is not only highy educational, but very entertaining, and Bryson's writting style makes it fun, and it keeps you craving for more.
If would be a good idea to make this read a compulsory High School one, to excite the curiosity and the thirst for knowledge of our students, considering the fact that the more we know, the more we love.
It is a nearly complete and thorough overview on the main principles of science. Wery well informed with plenty of historical anecdotes and curiosities. I have learned and laughed so much!!!
A genius's work.

Not for me, 25 Aug 2008
I started out with enthusiasm with this book but should have read the title a little more carefully. A short 'history'of nearly everything with the emphasis on HISTORY. This book goes into great detail on how and when each new bit of information was discovered with biographies of the scientists involved. This was not really what I wanted to read about as would prefer just to know the latest most up to date information and there are plenty much more interesting books on these topics, I have been browsing the Lonely Planet version on space and science which is illustrated and topical. Dont wish to offend fans of Bill Bryson, it is probably my mistake.

How to learn very little about quite a lot, 24 Aug 2008
Bill Bryson's book is an attempt to discuss the origins of life, the universe and everything contained therein. It's slightly tongue-in-cheek title indicates that this isn't going to be some heavyweight, academic discussion but more of a Now That's What I Call Science! After all, no book can seriously claim to be all-encompassing and completely comprehensive on any one subject, let alone "everything."

A Short History of Nearly Everything is clearly written to be a book that appeals to people who wouldn't normally want to read a whole book about gravity, molecular science, or paleontology; as a result, the book falls betwixt two stools: it skims superficially pretty much every subject it touches upon, so those only mildly interested won't learn much and those who have already read something on their specialised subject probably won't learn anything they didn't already know.

The first half of the book is the most interesting, containing some great anecdotes about the famous names of science (Newton, Darwin and so forth); this section shines and brings to life people whose names have become synonymous with their subject matter. However, as the various disciplines become more professionalised, the well of anecdotal material runs short, and the book loses much of its appeal.

One of the key themes of this work, which is not overtly stated but seems unmissable, is that the narrative of the history of science is quite different from how the mainstream media portrays science itself. Specifically, science is often presented as being the concept of a battle over evidence: how an idea is proposed, evidence is put forth in support, counterevidence is held up against it and ultimately, whichever theory fits most of the facts is deemed to be that which is most probable. This is not the case, according to Bryson's book. What is deemed to be scientifically true is determined just as much by factors of cultural acceptance as objective facts. Theories are put forth, ignored, then ridiculed, then, when the evidence becomes such that it can neither be marginalised nor mocked, the theory is embraced and history effectively rewritten so that science can be presented as being the onward march of progress and enlightenment. A reassuring but historically dubious narrative.

A Short History... is marketed around the "Bill Bryson" brand: his low-key charm, wit and self-effacing humour is meant to enliven the driest of subjects. Therefore, if you enjoy his style, then you will probably enjoy this book and indeed, the book was charmingly well written and certainly easy to consume. However, at best, A Short History of Nearly Everything is a shallow introduction to the key disciplines of the various sciences, animated by some fine anecdotal touches. Bryson's book will probably provide a drop-off point for those wishing to explore in greater breadth subjects of which their curiosity has been piqued.

Entertainment 5, Practicality 0, 04 Oct 2008
There is no doubt that Stephen Fry is entirely the MOST suitable person for the job of reading ANY story for an audio book. His voice is perfectly suited to story telling and he is able to define and animate the characters in his own colourful way. It's a good audio book and this is very much attributed to the talented Mr Fry.

I am disappointed however, that the indexing for the CDs are in such a pickle! Whilst I understand that copying CDs and music is frowned upon, is it not feasible that a person can listen to this audio book on their MP3 player? Attempting to transfer this into a more mobile format is something of a mission. The CDs chapters and files are not labelled properly, so if you want to put this into MP3 format you will find you have a jumbled mess! This audio book was bought to provide some entertainment on a long plane journey. Sorting it into order has taken almost as long as the trip itself! If you want to listen to this on your ipod - GOOD LUCK!

This book is a great book and I would reccomend it to all of you. I have enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too.

The first of a great series!, 03 Aug 2005
What a fabulous read! The first book in the series, the Philosophers Stone, will grip your imagination and hold onto it untill you have read the entire book!

Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, has a past that will change his future.
When Harry was one year old, the Dark Lord Voldemort killed his parents. But he couldn't kill Harry. Instead Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar for the rest of his life.

Harry is shocked when he is told that he is a wizard. This means a new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), making new friends and learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle!

I think this book is very imaginative. I mean who would have thought that you could fit a massive castle in the middle of London and teach magic?

If you read this book you will experience J.K. Rowling's exquisite imagination!(Katherine, 11)

A delight!, 28 Nov 2007
Roald Dahl's voice is a delight. A refreshing change from the modern obsession for sound effects and other over-the-top techniques that, apparently, are added to capture a child's attention.

My two children listen to Dahl's audio CDs and read his books constantly. They enjoy many other styles of reading and story telling but I do believe Dahl has a special place in their hearts - and mine!

Dull, 27 Feb 2005
Its the pure tone of RD's voice that sends my daughter asleep! I don't think he reads it like it ought to be read to be honest. It is after all aimed at children, and so should be adapted for such an audience. It doesn't make me any less of a RD fan, I adore his work!

Stick to writing Roald!, 02 Jul 2004
Features the author doing a very bland reading job with no background music or whimsical sound effects. Only practical use I have found for it is to use it as an alternative method for making my 6 year old fall asleep.

All 4 stories, 24 Aug 2003
This CD set is fantastic value. If you are reading this you are obviously an RD fan and what makes these CD's so special is that they are read by the author. Not only is Roald Dahl one of the best authors of all time but he has the great ability to tell the story exactly as it was meant to be read. My 2 children [aged 8&6] adore this at bedtime or on a long journey. All the stories appeal to both boys, girls and parents. We all know the tales, but they are a pleasure to listen to. You will not regret this GREAT buy!

I couldn't put it down, 12 Oct 2008
This thing, the deathly hallows, the beginning wasn't the best beginning, but... I could not stop reading it. I don't understand why people think the ending is disappointing. The Nineteen years later could be expanded into a book, maybe, but, if J.K doesn't then that's all we really need to know to end the Harry potter phenomenon. Hopefully she will deliver another H.P book, because I know, I know, it won't end here.

Brill but a let down, 07 Oct 2008
Don't get me wrong this was a brillaint book but it was a let down at the end. Myself and my fiance thought it would of had a better ending to the series that it had I was "eh why is it ended here that's stupid" she could of left us all hanging on and then released a new book saying all that and going into a bit more detailk than she did after all that would of kept everyone on the edge of their seats and she would of been able to rethink the ending because some of the ending could have been forseen much earlier in the series as myself and my fiance had guessed most of it was going to happen.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 17 Sep 2008
Like children, parents and grandparents, all over the world, I am a cult member. Harry Potter's final saga " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" had been set upon the world. I dare say that few would be disappointed. Harry's final adventure is a remarkable journey into the world of fantasy. The wedding of Fleur and Bill as it ends in chaos. The escape of our trio from the death eaters and that is only the beginning. The many subsequent adventures, ending with the final battle at Hogwarts and the defeat of Voldamort by Harry. An adventure froth with danger, fears, laughter, doubts and narrow excapes will have its readers on the edge of their seat. I was!

Not convinced, Sorry, 10 Sep 2008
i have read the first 5 over and over again, i now know them off by heart.
I thought no.6 was ok. it got me through a very boring time.
so when No.7 came out and it was to be the last one i was very excited. Great, i thought, a big ending, lots of unknowns, climaxes... but i did wonder how she would write it all...
So when it was released at midnight down at my local ASDA Store, i was there, in the que, waiting, my mother had to come too as i would not go alone( i am only 16 but my A level english group agree with me on the fact that we only read it to see how it ended) i got home and started it. i stayed up till 4.00 in the morning to finnish it but was rather dissapointed.
it was average all the way through, by the ending chapters you basically knew exactly what she had written and i was (sadley) bored.
it lacked that... spark all the others had. maybe it was too much pressure from the publishers and fans but i realise now, i actually only wanted to read it so that i could find out the ending and who died.
I admit, i was dissapionted. She should have stopped at 5.
I do hope though that she writes other books but it may be difficult for her to top Potter.

Classical Great, 05 Sep 2008
Despite my age (not given ;-)) I have been a Harry Potter fan, why..? Because Rowling gives back your childhood. She puts you back 'there' as if it were yesterday and makes you draw breath at the adventures she creates. It almost makes you envious that you didn't have the opportunity to be at Hogwarts, that your school was naff compared to it. Yes, I suffered the torment of teachers, detentions, lines and being hit across the head with books, which makes her series so real. Harry is a plausable character, we all knew someone like Harry, just no magicians, or so we think! Rowling's imagination deserves the credit it receives, and I for one will continue to read whatever she writes. Fantastic, classic, the children's Austin.

A fascinating and exciting insight into our exsistence., 05 Oct 2008
Well I love a good Bill Bryson book and this is surely the best. As a travel writer he has kept me interested and amused with many an exciting journey but this rates as the best journey he has ever written. A journey that takes the layman on a travel experience spanning billions of years including an insight into all the sciences and ologies one can imagine. If only I had been able to read science at school like this...I might well have found an interest.

Overrated, 23 Sep 2008
I am skeptical of journalists or writers who think they can write a book about anything. Yeah sure they've a great gift for writing but that doesn't mean they have a great gift for understanding! All too often they think they understand something when they simply don't.

I really can't fathom that in a long book which is supposed to be a "all you need to know" about the science, the scientific method itself isn't even explained. This means the mechanism which establishes science as most objective and reliable paradigm we have for establishing objective truth about the universe is omitted. Now, there's a countless amount of facts, dates, figures and 'imagine this' type stuff all there with the assumed intent of making a reader go wow. All very well, some of it will fuse the imagination, but let's not forget that the scientific method is what defines science and differentiates between science and pseudo-science. Without it, we have no way of differentiating the reliability between the big bang theory and crystal healers.

Too many times, instead of explaining principles and concepts, Bryson opts for facts about dates. It really doesn't matter if it was 1915, 1916, or 1917 when Einstein published his theory on general relativity what matters is what it is saying, the concepts that underpin it and why we can be confident it's correct. In this regard, Byrson comes up well short. Someone like Simon Singh, Stephen Hawking, just about anyone with scientific training does a much better job.

He does make reasonable attempts at describing many of the Scientific theories, but there are times when his understanding is just way off.

For example, when he discusses the theory of evolution which is just as sound as the theory of gravity in terms of the scientific method. Both are testifiable, falsifiable, have huge amounts of evidence (one billion+ fossils and infinite amount of DNA evidence), been through the same peer reviewing processes etc. So, in scientific terms doubting evolution is like doubting gravity. It's just asinine. Perhaps Bryson should think about that the next time he gets on a plane.

His poor understanding insinutates that the lack of fossils found in human evolution may cast doubt on the theory. He sounds like a scientifically illiterate ignoramus who has just sifted their way through some intelligent design propaganda.

Why doesn't he point out the probability of fossilation is only about 1 / million and the probability of finding one about the same, which by simple mathematics make every fossil find of our ancestors species a miracle in statistical terms? Why doesn't he go through the simple mathematics in DNA which have confirmed evolution an infinite amount of times and provide even stronger evidence than fossils?

If you want a pop Science book so that you can understand science just skip this book. Science is a very area broad area now. Experts in Physics are not experts in Biology. Experts in Biology are not experts in Physics. A writer with no scientific expertise is certainly not an expert in anything scientific. If you really want to understand science, pick a branch of science and then pick the appropriate expert. Someone like Feymen for Physics, Dawkins for Biology or Hawking for the Universe.

Before you do any of that, make sure you understand the scientific method as described by Karl Popper. This is the framework that underpins all science and what makes science an exceptionally reliable paradigm. It's why planes fly and why we know the origins of all species on our planet.

If you couldn't give a monkeys about understanding and just want lots of scientific trivia; dates and names rather than any real understanding, yes sadly this book could be a runner.


Essential introduction to science!, 23 Sep 2008
This book is not only highy educational, but very entertaining, and Bryson's writting style makes it fun, and it keeps you craving for more.
If would be a good idea to make this read a compulsory High School one, to excite the curiosity and the thirst for knowledge of our students, considering the fact that the more we know, the more we love.
It is a nearly complete and thorough overview on the main principles of science. Wery well informed with plenty of historical anecdotes and curiosities. I have learned and laughed so much!!!
A genius's work.

Not for me, 25 Aug 2008
I started out with enthusiasm with this book but should have read the title a little more carefully. A short 'history'of nearly everything with the emphasis on HISTORY. This book goes into great detail on how and when each new bit of information was discovered with biographies of the scientists involved. This was not really what I wanted to read about as would prefer just to know the latest most up to date information and there are plenty much more interesting books on these topics, I have been browsing the Lonely Planet version on space and science which is illustrated and topical. Dont wish to offend fans of Bill Bryson, it is probably my mistake.

How to learn very little about quite a lot, 24 Aug 2008
Bill Bryson's book is an attempt to discuss the origins of life, the universe and everything contained therein. It's slightly tongue-in-cheek title indicates that this isn't going to be some heavyweight, academic discussion but more of a Now That's What I Call Science! After all, no book can seriously claim to be all-encompassing and completely comprehensive on any one subject, let alone "everything."

A Short History of Nearly Everything is clearly written to be a book that appeals to people who wouldn't normally want to read a whole book about gravity, molecular science, or paleontology; as a result, the book falls betwixt two stools: it skims superficially pretty much every subject it touches upon, so those only mildly interested won't learn much and those who have already read something on their specialised subject probably won't learn anything they didn't already know.

The first half of the book is the most interesting, containing some great anecdotes about the famous names of science (Newton, Darwin and so forth); this section shines and brings to life people whose names have become synonymous with their subject matter. However, as the various disciplines become more professionalised, the well of anecdotal material runs short, and the book loses much of its appeal.

One of the key themes of this work, which is not overtly stated but seems unmissable, is that the narrative of the history of science is quite different from how the mainstream media portrays science itself. Specifically, science is often presented as being the concept of a battle over evidence: how an idea is proposed, evidence is put forth in support, counterevidence is held up against it and ultimately, whichever theory fits most of the facts is deemed to be that which is most probable. This is not the case, according to Bryson's book. What is deemed to be scientifically true is determined just as much by factors of cultural acceptance as objective facts. Theories are put forth, ignored, then ridiculed, then, when the evidence becomes such that it can neither be marginalised nor mocked, the theory is embraced and history effectively rewritten so that science can be presented as being the onward march of progress and enlightenment. A reassuring but historically dubious narrative.

A Short History... is marketed around the "Bill Bryson" brand: his low-key charm, wit and self-effacing humour is meant to enliven the driest of subjects. Therefore, if you enjoy his style, then you will probably enjoy this book and indeed, the book was charmingly well written and certainly easy to consume. However, at best, A Short History of Nearly Everything is a shallow introduction to the key disciplines of the various sciences, animated by some fine anecdotal touches. Bryson's book will probably provide a drop-off point for those wishing to explore in greater breadth subjects of which their curiosity has been piqued.

Entertainment 5, Practicality 0, 04 Oct 2008
There is no doubt that Stephen Fry is entirely the MOST suitable person for the job of reading ANY story for an audio book. His voice is perfectly suited to story telling and he is able to define and animate the characters in his own colourful way. It's a good audio book and this is very much attributed to the talented Mr Fry.

I am disappointed however, that the indexing for the CDs are in such a pickle! Whilst I understand that copying CDs and music is frowned upon, is it not feasible that a person can listen to this audio book on their MP3 player? Attempting to transfer this into a more mobile format is something of a mission. The CDs chapters and files are not labelled properly, so if you want to put this into MP3 format you will find you have a jumbled mess! This audio book was bought to provide some entertainment on a long plane journey. Sorting it into order has taken almost as long as the trip itself! If you want to listen to this on your ipod - GOOD LUCK!

Almost, but not quite, the original version, 29 May 2007
As with previous releases on vinyl etc, this is NOT the original radio show. Episodes 1-4 sound like they have been re-recorded, from the voices and the technical sound I'm guessing this was done at the time of the third series. The script, the sound effects and music all contain differences - I've compared it to my original (very old) cassette recordings off the radio and the CD version is definitely different - cleaner maybe but somehow rather "flat".

Maybe the BBC lost the original recordings as they did with so many other radio and TV shows? Maybe the quality was thought to not be good enough? Maybe they thought they could improve the original sound effects with newer technology? Whatever the reason, claiming this as the original is not quite true. BBC, if you have the originals you should include them as an "extra", or release them seperately.

From episode 5 on this sounds like it is the original in every respect.


Essential Douglas Adams Stuff!, 22 Apr 2007
First off, as anyone could say, miles better than the film! Secondly, how is it to the book? Tough call, while I love the Radio series, I do find the book amazing to read, quite honestly it depends on your mood. If you know you can plough your way through the book (worth it, but time consuming) then go for that, and get the radio series a bit later. On the whole, I think I must enjoy the Radio Series more anyway, but the book is very well written!

Although it wasn't easy to get the hang of distinguishing between Ford, Arthur & Zaphod for at least the first half of Primary. It was great fun. The guide, not as great, everything else, much better! There were sometimes when it was clinging to a part of the book, but as a consequence made it sound a bit rubbish. Although the