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At Home : : a Short History of Private Life

Bryson, Bill. Book - 2010 643.1 Br, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Literary / Bryson, Bill 2 On Shelf 1 request on 4 copies Community Rating: 4.7 out of 5

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Call Number: 643.1 Br, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Literary / Bryson, Bill
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

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Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Literary / Bryson, Bill 4-week checkout Due 03-27-2024
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Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Literary / Bryson, Bill 4-week checkout Due 03-30-2024

Floor plans on end papers.
The year -- The setting -- The hall -- The kitchen -- The scullery and the larder -- The fusebox -- The drawing room -- The dining room -- The cellar -- The passage -- The study -- The garden -- The plum room -- The stairs -- The bedroom -- The bathroom -- The dressing room -- The nursery -- The attic.
Bryson (A Short History of Nearly Everything) takes readers on a tour of his house, a rural English parsonage, showing how each room has figured in the evolution of private life.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Brilliant book! submitted by emcwain on June 28, 2013, 3:02pm Bryson's "At Home" leaves the reader mesmerized by sheer amount of fun facts the author has fluidly tucked into this tome. More than about the evolution of the "house" as we know it today, this book weaves tales of subtle cultural shifts and twists that have lead to big impacts on modern domestic life. "At Home" is a book you can read again and again, hoping to commit some of anecdotes to memory and charmingly unveil at a future dinner party.

This is good. submitted by tbbrown76 on July 2, 2014, 8:00pm Not "Walk in the Woods" good. But still very nice. Talks about each room in the home and its history.

Fun and Informative submitted by Meginator on August 17, 2017, 10:44am This book may not be as funny as Bill Bryson's other books, even those that are more on the serious side, but it's still got his excellent sense of humor as he describes the history of many objects and concepts related to home life. The book is utterly fascinating and accessible as Bryson tackles everything from the impact of electric light to the history of servants in English culture. This is a great book to learn something from while being entertained, and many of the anecdotes and facts will stick with you.

Such an enjoyable read submitted by majean on August 5, 2018, 2:37pm Bill Bryson has such a unique voice and flavor of writing. I enjoy all of this books, though they are often very different from one another. I could read his history books endlessly.

New to Bryson submitted by lfmarcus on August 25, 2019, 12:05pm I haven't read Bryson before but I've heard of his work. This one was recommended on the Judge John Hodgman podcast and I'm so glad I dipped into it, it's just fascinating!

Thorough and Entertaining submitted by reaganmalcolm on June 24, 2020, 11:17pm This book had me laughing and reading portions aloud to my family members at times. Bill Bryson's dry humor is found throughout the book, and gives life to even the most mundane parts of daily life indoors. A good book to skip around in - if you aren't interested in a certain room, simply flip to a more captivating section.

Home submitted by smr on July 3, 2020, 5:22pm Like a home

Bill Bryson does it again submitted by rhalsey on June 11, 2023, 12:03pm Very entertaining read. Slow start, but eventually moves room to room in a traditional house, detailing the minutiae you've never thought about. What's the history of the Kitchen? The evolution of a bed, toilets, household pests etc... I've read and listened to the audio book. Highly recommend the audiobook if available, as he has an excellent voice.

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PUBLISHED
New York : Doubleday, c2010.
Year Published: 2010
Description: 497 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Language: English
Format: Book

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9780767919395
9780767919388
0767919386

SUBJECTS
Dwellings -- Psychological aspects.
Dwellings -- Environmental aspects.
Rooms -- Psychological aspects.
Rooms -- Environmental aspects.