Imagine a tiny atom, made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. Boring, right? I know we can't stand our science lessons. It's in the way that the textbook is written and that everything is defined. It's almost as if it's designed; made to be relentlessly, painfully dull down to every word. It's never ever told you how, where, what and why things happened for someone to reach a scientific conclusion?

This is Bill Bryson's reasoning that we all know we have thought to ourselves but never dared ask; often more than once. The book he has written justifies his view, and makes the word of science seem like an interesting, bright and often mind-blowing world of its own, that we can understand.
The book follows a premise, more like an informal journal or almanac of a kind. It depicts the birth of the universe and the history of evolution of the species. It is a representation of development in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. It also contemplates the future of the human race and where we could go throughout the course of time. The presentation of this book is such that its case studies or references to experiments and discoveries shows not only what our history from "t=0" or from the big bang was; but how it was all discovered. The book defines science in a way that is simple for the reader to understand and brings the realization of how big the universe and its history really is. Pangs of understanding will hit you every two to three pages as you read this masterpiece and you will feel something I believe resembles enlightenment.

Yes, the book is a decade old but all the facts stated are yet accurate and up to date. It shows the years of research that was put into it by the veteran travel writer as he genuinely peered through the looking glass with his work. It is a testament of his; or rather our curiosity as a race to know how the world works and why we are so unique, living alone on this planet that is surrounded by millions of light-years of a cold, dark, mysterious, dangerous and beautiful space. I recommend it as a read for any age group really. It is a chance to learn about existence and to be better than your science teacher, after all.

• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.

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