I loved Bill's "A Walk In The Woods" and he continues his easy read and witty humor on into this work of science/history storytelling. It can be hard for me to read non fiction but Bryson as well as a few others recently, have turned it into a form of storytelling that crosses into the realm of those books I can dive into and devour.
Just like The World Without Us, you'll find yourself thinking more about life itself, but Bryson still keeps it a little more upbeat. LOL