Absolutely Everything by Christopher Lloyd - ADVISABLE

Absolutely Everything by Christopher Lloyd, 352 pages. NON-FICTION. What On Earth Publishing, 2018. $22.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

What happened to the dinosaurs? Why is rice more common in Asia than in America? Who invented paper? How was the earth formed? All these answers and more are contained in this book as Lloyd takes readers through history -- from before the earth began until today when you are reading this summary.

Reading this book feels more like a conversation with someone who rambles about a bunch of interesting things rather than a textbook trying to teach you facts. Lloyd goes on relevant tangents as he tells the history of the world as we know it and answers more “why” questions than I would have thought possible in one book, though, unfortunately, he really can’t get to absolutely everything. I am disappointed that Lloyd focuses on the Western world, leaving out the answers for all my questions about the Eastern world, but I enjoyed what he was able to include. Note: I listened to the audiobook, and Lloyd’s British accent definitely makes the book more fun, though it means I missed out on looking at all the illustrations that add more context for readers.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen