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Everything All at Once: How to Unleash Your Inner Nerd, Tap Into Radical Curiosity, and Solve Any Problem
Bill Nye has been the public face of science for more than 20 years. In Everything All At Once, the New York Times bestselling author issues a call to arms meant to rouse everyone to become the change they want to see in the world. Whether addressing global warming, social change, or personal success, there are certain strategies that always get results: looking at the world with radical curiosity, being driven by a desire for a better future, and being willing to take the actions needed to make change a reality.
With his signature humor and storytelling, Bill shares how he has developed specific techniques for what he calls the "everything all at once" lifestyle, from his childhood scouting adventures and his career at aerospace companies to the development of his famous Science Guy television show. This approach requires the nerd mindset: a way of thinking that leaves no stone unturned. It's about learning to solve problems through exploration, trial and error, and sheer creativity. Problem solving is a skill that anyone can harness to create change, and Bill Nye is here to show us how to sort out problems, recognize solutions, and join him in changing the world.
With his signature humor and storytelling, Bill shares how he has developed specific techniques for what he calls the "everything all at once" lifestyle, from his childhood scouting adventures and his career at aerospace companies to the development of his famous Science Guy television show. This approach requires the nerd mindset: a way of thinking that leaves no stone unturned. It's about learning to solve problems through exploration, trial and error, and sheer creativity. Problem solving is a skill that anyone can harness to create change, and Bill Nye is here to show us how to sort out problems, recognize solutions, and join him in changing the world.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2017
472 people are currently reading
6243 people want to read
About the author
Bill Nye
99 books1,177 followersNot to be confused with 19th century American humorist Bill Nye
William Sanford "Bill" Nye, popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, comedian, television presenter, actor, writer, scientist, and former mechanical engineer, best known in popular media as a science educator.
William Sanford "Bill" Nye, popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, comedian, television presenter, actor, writer, scientist, and former mechanical engineer, best known in popular media as a science educator.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
December 15, 2017
DNF,
I love Bill Nye and I support his efforts to educate people about global warming and evolution, but this book was so scatterbrained and so unfocused with so many random stories devoid of all point and purpose that I just couldn’t finish it. I feel bad because of my love for the author, but it just was nothing like his previous two works I’ve read. Maybe I will give it another shot in the future. But for now, this book was NOT for me...
I love Bill Nye and I support his efforts to educate people about global warming and evolution, but this book was so scatterbrained and so unfocused with so many random stories devoid of all point and purpose that I just couldn’t finish it. I feel bad because of my love for the author, but it just was nothing like his previous two works I’ve read. Maybe I will give it another shot in the future. But for now, this book was NOT for me...
January 6, 2018
When I taught in England, I wore a bow-tie every day to work, because I was not down with neckties. They are too long and floppy. While I was, in part, emulating the Eleventh Doctor, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give some credit for this sartorial preference to a much older role model: Bill Nye the Science Guy.
My favourite line of Everything All at Once comes in the very first chapter: “Thinking like a nerd is a lifelong journey, and I am inviting you here to take it with me.” This is so true. More to the point, we must remember that different people nerd out over different things. Pop culture occasionally creates a myopic vision of nerdery as something restricted to technology, video games, science fiction and fantasy settings, etc. But you can be a nerd about basically anything. When I go back to work after the holidays, the question I’m going to pose to my new classes on day one will be: “What do you nerd out about?” Because everyone is probably a nerd about something.
Bill Nye’s memoir is very different from his previous book that I read, Undeniable . Whereas that was focused on laying out the arguments for evolution and, more largely, rational considered use of the scientific method to make policy, Everything All at Once is more philosophical and personal. It’s part memoir, part autobiography, part self-help/motivational text—it’s Nye using his own personal experiences to explain how he thinks humanity could be better, if only we looked at the world slightly differently and acted slightly differently. It never sugarcoats the challenges that we face as a species, but it is also brimming with Nye’s trademark positive and optimistic outlook.
It’s hard not to love Nye for his enthusiasm and passionate views of how science and engineering can improve our lives when implemented humanely and with foresight. This is where this book excels: Nye always links the technological improvements in our society with social improvements, not suggesting that the former lead to the latter, but that the two must go hand-in-hand. In some ways, Nye’s tone and ferocity have much in common with a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher at the pulpit—but instead of holding eternal damnation over our heads, Nye is simply exhorting us to be better—and that’s a moral I can go along with.
I really enjoyed hearing the personal anecdotes about Nye’s own life. I knew, of course, that he had a career as an engineer before turning to edutainment. But it’s something else to hear about it from him, personally. I love hearing about how engineers and scientists had to unravel problems prior to the widespread availability of personal computers and the Internet, and Nye’s stories certainly hit that spot. Similarly, hearing how he slid from engineering into television by taking a huge chance on his comedy career was inspiring. Just think how close our world came to never having Bill Nye the Science Guy on our TV screens….
Along with the anecdotes come reminders about humility. In some cases, it’s Nye describing times he made some interesting mistakes. In other cases, he describes learning from other people—whether they are fellow engineers, scientists he admires or works with, or people in entirely different fields. Nye reminds us that everyone can have something to teach us—everyone, as he quotes one of his mentors, knows something you don’t know. We are all nerds about different things, and sometimes it is worthwhile stopping and listening to people nerd out.
The chapters in this book are short, which makes it easy to read this a little bit at a time. However, the overall impression I got as a result was a little bit scattered. Nye addresses so many topics—and occasionally goes off on so many tangents—that at times the book feels like it’s lacking a single, unified message. I suppose this is to be expected from the title (though Nye himself admits that multitasking isn’t what he means by “everything all at once”).
The tone in parts of this book also rubbed me the wrong way. By and large I didn’t have any problems, but on occasion, it felt like Nye was yelling at the sky. I had the same problem with Bill Nye Saves the World and did not, in fact, finish watching that series—there were too many moments when I felt like Nye was just haranguing the audience; it was no longer, “wow, isn’t this so cool, don’t you want to learn more about how this works?” but instead “c’mon people, it’s really this simple, we just need to act, don’t you see?” I guess what I’m saying is that the kid in me with nostalgia for The Science Guy wants lab-coat-wearing-smiley-Bill and not older, wearier, let’s-just-save-the-planet-Bill.
Still, Everything All at Once is pretty inspirational. I’m glad I read it. It’s not a stunning memoir, by any means, but it’s a solid work that underlines Nye’s ongoing legacy of outreach, education, and pushing for change through action in addition to words. It contains practical ideas about what we can do, how we can think and act, as well as plenty of stories about how Nye became who he is today—Science Guy, bow-tie–wearer, CEO of the Planetary Society, and generally cool dude.
My favourite line of Everything All at Once comes in the very first chapter: “Thinking like a nerd is a lifelong journey, and I am inviting you here to take it with me.” This is so true. More to the point, we must remember that different people nerd out over different things. Pop culture occasionally creates a myopic vision of nerdery as something restricted to technology, video games, science fiction and fantasy settings, etc. But you can be a nerd about basically anything. When I go back to work after the holidays, the question I’m going to pose to my new classes on day one will be: “What do you nerd out about?” Because everyone is probably a nerd about something.
Bill Nye’s memoir is very different from his previous book that I read, Undeniable . Whereas that was focused on laying out the arguments for evolution and, more largely, rational considered use of the scientific method to make policy, Everything All at Once is more philosophical and personal. It’s part memoir, part autobiography, part self-help/motivational text—it’s Nye using his own personal experiences to explain how he thinks humanity could be better, if only we looked at the world slightly differently and acted slightly differently. It never sugarcoats the challenges that we face as a species, but it is also brimming with Nye’s trademark positive and optimistic outlook.
It’s hard not to love Nye for his enthusiasm and passionate views of how science and engineering can improve our lives when implemented humanely and with foresight. This is where this book excels: Nye always links the technological improvements in our society with social improvements, not suggesting that the former lead to the latter, but that the two must go hand-in-hand. In some ways, Nye’s tone and ferocity have much in common with a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher at the pulpit—but instead of holding eternal damnation over our heads, Nye is simply exhorting us to be better—and that’s a moral I can go along with.
I really enjoyed hearing the personal anecdotes about Nye’s own life. I knew, of course, that he had a career as an engineer before turning to edutainment. But it’s something else to hear about it from him, personally. I love hearing about how engineers and scientists had to unravel problems prior to the widespread availability of personal computers and the Internet, and Nye’s stories certainly hit that spot. Similarly, hearing how he slid from engineering into television by taking a huge chance on his comedy career was inspiring. Just think how close our world came to never having Bill Nye the Science Guy on our TV screens….
Along with the anecdotes come reminders about humility. In some cases, it’s Nye describing times he made some interesting mistakes. In other cases, he describes learning from other people—whether they are fellow engineers, scientists he admires or works with, or people in entirely different fields. Nye reminds us that everyone can have something to teach us—everyone, as he quotes one of his mentors, knows something you don’t know. We are all nerds about different things, and sometimes it is worthwhile stopping and listening to people nerd out.
The chapters in this book are short, which makes it easy to read this a little bit at a time. However, the overall impression I got as a result was a little bit scattered. Nye addresses so many topics—and occasionally goes off on so many tangents—that at times the book feels like it’s lacking a single, unified message. I suppose this is to be expected from the title (though Nye himself admits that multitasking isn’t what he means by “everything all at once”).
The tone in parts of this book also rubbed me the wrong way. By and large I didn’t have any problems, but on occasion, it felt like Nye was yelling at the sky. I had the same problem with Bill Nye Saves the World and did not, in fact, finish watching that series—there were too many moments when I felt like Nye was just haranguing the audience; it was no longer, “wow, isn’t this so cool, don’t you want to learn more about how this works?” but instead “c’mon people, it’s really this simple, we just need to act, don’t you see?” I guess what I’m saying is that the kid in me with nostalgia for The Science Guy wants lab-coat-wearing-smiley-Bill and not older, wearier, let’s-just-save-the-planet-Bill.
Still, Everything All at Once is pretty inspirational. I’m glad I read it. It’s not a stunning memoir, by any means, but it’s a solid work that underlines Nye’s ongoing legacy of outreach, education, and pushing for change through action in addition to words. It contains practical ideas about what we can do, how we can think and act, as well as plenty of stories about how Nye became who he is today—Science Guy, bow-tie–wearer, CEO of the Planetary Society, and generally cool dude.
February 1, 2022
I'm a fan of the author. He's goofy & fun while teaching some great lessons. My boys were of the right age to enjoy his show, so I caught bits of that. I live in Kentucky, so I loved it when he took on Ken Hamm over his ridiculous Ark Park & Creationist Museum both in a live debate & Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation. I really liked Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World, but this book was less focused. It was part autobiography & part nerd pep rally. I found the former interesting, but had issues with the cheer leading.
In some ways, Nye reminds me of another hero of mine, Mike Rowe. Both are from middle class roots that evolved into self-made stars promoting ideologies that I subscribe to. I liked the overall message Nye pushes here: Science & its methods gave us a better world with unintended consequences. We need to keep learning all we can & use it to make better decisions. We can & have changed the world. It's similar to Isaac Asimov's quotes “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” & “If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.”
Since I liked one major thread & agree wholeheartedly with the other, why didn't I like this book more? It was too long & repetitive. Not terribly so & it may not be a problem for those who don't fully agree with him. In my case, he was preaching to the choir. I did find some new facts & ways of persuading doubters, just not enough to really light my fire.
I was disappointed that he never delved into why he thinks electric & self-driving cars are so much better for the environment. I'm not convinced since I've yet to find a study that looks at the cost in rare earths & other materials needed. While we all know how bad drilling for & burning oil is, a lot of really horrendous mining & manufacturing practices are used for the batteries & electronics. I wonder what the carbon footprint is of all the fancy & unnecessary electronics on current cars, especially when repairs are taken into account. For instance, we had to replace the entire hub assemblies on my wife's pickup because the ABS sensors died even though we pulled the fuse on that system. It was a ridiculous waste of resources.
Nye's arguments were completely city-centric. It's as if he doesn't even realize that most of the US is & a large portion of the population lives in rural areas. More automation in cars makes them less usable in those areas. My son typically rents a new car when he visits & he always has problems, more each year. This last time, he couldn't even turn off the traction control so had to park at his sister's house rather than ours since he couldn't get in our lane during a snow storm while our older cars had no problem.
I'm all for renewable, distributed energy generation, but he never delved into any of the issues I & people like me have faced when evaluating it. KY has a lot of coal & problems due to it. We have a terrible economy & some of the cheapest electric, but some of the poorest renewable resources according to NOAA. Still, we have a lot of rural area with barn roof tops that might be great solar & wind collectors. They might not, though. There are very few resources to help us decide whether it's worthwhile to invest in either. I've spent a fair amount of time, but with no help from the government, an impartial expert, or local data, I've decided it's too expensive. I may well be wrong, but I can't afford to bet $10k or more. I'm not rich, but I'd invest the money if there was a good chance I'd break even. Instead, Nye talks about cluttering the landscape with huge standalone wind towers. Not only are they ugly, but there are a lot of conflicting reports on just how bad they are for birds. I'm sure storage & transmission issues will be solved eventually, but he never mentions them.
Yes, we can change the world & we should. His rallying cry was well narrated, but a little too long, strident, & far too superficial to really blow any wind up my skirt.
In some ways, Nye reminds me of another hero of mine, Mike Rowe. Both are from middle class roots that evolved into self-made stars promoting ideologies that I subscribe to. I liked the overall message Nye pushes here: Science & its methods gave us a better world with unintended consequences. We need to keep learning all we can & use it to make better decisions. We can & have changed the world. It's similar to Isaac Asimov's quotes “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” & “If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.”
Since I liked one major thread & agree wholeheartedly with the other, why didn't I like this book more? It was too long & repetitive. Not terribly so & it may not be a problem for those who don't fully agree with him. In my case, he was preaching to the choir. I did find some new facts & ways of persuading doubters, just not enough to really light my fire.
I was disappointed that he never delved into why he thinks electric & self-driving cars are so much better for the environment. I'm not convinced since I've yet to find a study that looks at the cost in rare earths & other materials needed. While we all know how bad drilling for & burning oil is, a lot of really horrendous mining & manufacturing practices are used for the batteries & electronics. I wonder what the carbon footprint is of all the fancy & unnecessary electronics on current cars, especially when repairs are taken into account. For instance, we had to replace the entire hub assemblies on my wife's pickup because the ABS sensors died even though we pulled the fuse on that system. It was a ridiculous waste of resources.
Nye's arguments were completely city-centric. It's as if he doesn't even realize that most of the US is & a large portion of the population lives in rural areas. More automation in cars makes them less usable in those areas. My son typically rents a new car when he visits & he always has problems, more each year. This last time, he couldn't even turn off the traction control so had to park at his sister's house rather than ours since he couldn't get in our lane during a snow storm while our older cars had no problem.
I'm all for renewable, distributed energy generation, but he never delved into any of the issues I & people like me have faced when evaluating it. KY has a lot of coal & problems due to it. We have a terrible economy & some of the cheapest electric, but some of the poorest renewable resources according to NOAA. Still, we have a lot of rural area with barn roof tops that might be great solar & wind collectors. They might not, though. There are very few resources to help us decide whether it's worthwhile to invest in either. I've spent a fair amount of time, but with no help from the government, an impartial expert, or local data, I've decided it's too expensive. I may well be wrong, but I can't afford to bet $10k or more. I'm not rich, but I'd invest the money if there was a good chance I'd break even. Instead, Nye talks about cluttering the landscape with huge standalone wind towers. Not only are they ugly, but there are a lot of conflicting reports on just how bad they are for birds. I'm sure storage & transmission issues will be solved eventually, but he never mentions them.
Yes, we can change the world & we should. His rallying cry was well narrated, but a little too long, strident, & far too superficial to really blow any wind up my skirt.
November 16, 2017
This book is tough to rate. I enjoyed listening to Bill Nye speak passionately about nerds rising up and doing great things, but at the same time I didn't feel like I was part of the audience he meant to inspire. He had almost an elitist attitude about science nerds. Newsflash, many of the people reading/listening to this book are not science nerds. I guess it's just so easy to compare myself to Bill + all that he's achieved that it feels like any contribution I'd make would be close to nil.
On the positive side, I enjoyed hearing about his childhood, his engineering career, and his foray into stand-up. *shrug* To be frank, I really just wanted to listen to Lauren Graham's biography instead.
On the positive side, I enjoyed hearing about his childhood, his engineering career, and his foray into stand-up. *shrug* To be frank, I really just wanted to listen to Lauren Graham's biography instead.
August 7, 2017
Almost as good as Undeniable, which I hold in very high esteem. The jokes were grown-worthy but in that magical, lovable Bill Nye way, and the Reasoner's Manifesto is my new favorite thing. I also loved hearing about Bill's parents. They seemed like amazing folks. A really enjoyable (if slightly enraging) read.
November 13, 2019
Less impactful derivative of the great Carl Sagan. The jumble of collected stories are mismatched puzzle pieces to a whole which felt preachy and entitled in many moments. We get it, you're the CEO of The Planetary Society...you don't need to mention it 40 times in your book.
September 29, 2017
I listened to Bill read his own book with passion! Wow. Is it true that he might run for president? He would get my vote! He brings a lot of things together in this book which matches the title "Everything All At Once." He is part comedian so the puns and emphases he utilizes are funny. And he will be moving along and suddenly say that something "sucks". It is a crack up! I appreciated his explanations of climate change and how we/humans must change to save the planet. I liked how he calls for respect for everyone especially the nerds. I liked learning about good design, having a brush up on the scientific method, and thinking about asking people to "prove it" whatever "it" may be. I enjoyed thinking about our place in history and our place in the universe. He talked about Roosevelt's four freedoms:
Freedom of speech
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
And also three rights for all world citizens: electricity, water, and Internet access.
He talked about the number 30,000 for 30,000 days. That is the amount of time on the planet if you make it until age 82. What are you/we doing with our 30,000 days to make the world a better place?
This book is highly thought provoking and inspiring!
Freedom of speech
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
And also three rights for all world citizens: electricity, water, and Internet access.
He talked about the number 30,000 for 30,000 days. That is the amount of time on the planet if you make it until age 82. What are you/we doing with our 30,000 days to make the world a better place?
This book is highly thought provoking and inspiring!
July 31, 2017
Full disclosure: I read slightly more than half of the book, not because it wasn't good, but because I wasn't in the mood for non-fiction. I will probably go back and finish it soon.
My only quibble here is that Bill seems to want to reserve the term "nerd" for science nerds, which is just wrong.
One of the things I appreciate most about Bill's writing (along with the puns) is his precise use of language. It's almost impossible to pick nits from his prose, and I'm a nit-picker from way back.
August 23, 2018
(Audio version)
I started out wondering what makes someone a nerd, then quickly realized that I'm a nerd. Bill Nye makes that cool.
I especially enjoyed his assertion that everyone you meet knows something you don't. We should pay attention.
I started out wondering what makes someone a nerd, then quickly realized that I'm a nerd. Bill Nye makes that cool.
I especially enjoyed his assertion that everyone you meet knows something you don't. We should pay attention.
June 27, 2019
3.5/5
November 24, 2023
this book took me a really long time time to read but was worth it. it is well written and regards a lot of topics i want to learn more about, overall i would recommend!
April 13, 2019
This book presents a selection of stories from the life of Bill Nye the Science Guy. Each story is tied into the idea of promoting critical thinking and the scientific method. The messages that are advocated in this book are ones that need to be heard. However, the writing itself is a bit dull at times.
February 28, 2018
This is really 3 1/2 stars
So, I really wanted this book to be more a ‘science primer’ and less a memoir and political conversation. But I did not get that at all.
Bill Nye has been the Science Guy my entire life. I grew up with him in science class and so when I heard about this book I wanted it. But in true me fashion, I did not properly read the description and just barreled in. Hence, me not getting what I wanted.
This book is filled with great childhood adventure tales as well as his ideologies and beliefs.
But honestly, I hear a book called ‘every thing all at once’ and it’s by Bill Nye the Science Guy, what I expect is to get chapter upon chapter of the TV show I grew up on. I don’t really remember a lot of the science I learned and I wanted it explained to me by Bill in a way that made sense and was entertaining.
His book was for sure entertaining, but I got much more memoir and less concrete science.
A saving grace for this is that he narrated the audiobook and his humor translates very well.
So, I really wanted this book to be more a ‘science primer’ and less a memoir and political conversation. But I did not get that at all.
Bill Nye has been the Science Guy my entire life. I grew up with him in science class and so when I heard about this book I wanted it. But in true me fashion, I did not properly read the description and just barreled in. Hence, me not getting what I wanted.
This book is filled with great childhood adventure tales as well as his ideologies and beliefs.
But honestly, I hear a book called ‘every thing all at once’ and it’s by Bill Nye the Science Guy, what I expect is to get chapter upon chapter of the TV show I grew up on. I don’t really remember a lot of the science I learned and I wanted it explained to me by Bill in a way that made sense and was entertaining.
His book was for sure entertaining, but I got much more memoir and less concrete science.
A saving grace for this is that he narrated the audiobook and his humor translates very well.
September 4, 2017
I loved this book. It is written in Bill Nye's voice, there is no doubt he sat and wrote it himself. His overall message, that we all can, dare I say it, change the world, is poignant and well timed. Drawing on his life experiences and memories, Bill clearly illustrates all the components of everything all at once thinking. It sounds like a lot, but is very manageable.
He does talk about a slew of issues facing today's world, and he is blunt. But in every instance he offers a guideline for how to approach the issues, and ways that individuals can make a difference.
I, in particular, enjoyed the last section of the book where he touches more on individual impact, and doubt. There's a whole chapter about imposter syndrome.
I highly recommend this book to nerds, non-nerds, and everyone else who wants to take a more scientific approach to their thinking, problems, and enjoys groaning at some bad, and not so bad, jokes.
He does talk about a slew of issues facing today's world, and he is blunt. But in every instance he offers a guideline for how to approach the issues, and ways that individuals can make a difference.
I, in particular, enjoyed the last section of the book where he touches more on individual impact, and doubt. There's a whole chapter about imposter syndrome.
I highly recommend this book to nerds, non-nerds, and everyone else who wants to take a more scientific approach to their thinking, problems, and enjoys groaning at some bad, and not so bad, jokes.
December 9, 2017
Very interesting. He has a lot of good ideas.
February 14, 2018
I read the first 4 Chapters and decided it did not capture me. It was a little slow and, for me, had no appeaal.
May 6, 2021
A book of scattered thoughts from knot tying to patriotism. Tried to finish this, but just couldn't. Maybe I will try at a later date because I do think that the writing has a clarity that I like, but what I couldn't get past was an underlying ego. On the chapter where he creates a thank-you sign for his dad's car, I was thinking that since you state your dad isn't the most attentive driver, the sign might have had a more appropriate message - the word "Sorry". Nope - no self-reflecting here. The thank you sign is the message you get from the Nye family after a near miss accident with this vehicle. Now I know that is judgmental and petty thinking on my part, but I felt like each chapter I read had this air of "look at what wonderful things I did because I am a nerd". The chapters were a bunch of secular homilies. I think the book is missing skepticism and self-reflection, but I guess you get to write your story however you want. I made it to about Chapter 20. The advice to young people about the upside down pyramid was good, but where was the mention of pressure he felt to finish the design or the perverse incentives that would crop up in a design cycle? He talks about constraints only in a positive sense. It looked like platitudes with no real life experience provided. He states that one company he worked for took their products that didn't work and moved them to the salable shelf and his description was tax cheating. Looked like the company was willing to sell defective products to me. Bill Nye makes it sound like a petty bookkeeping error. I think he must be catering to a young generation with this book, so I am probably not the right audience.
June 25, 2024
I haven’t read a book in ~5 years. The one prior to this was required for my English class and I’ve never willingly read, so this is a (proud) first step for me. I grew up watching and learning from Bill Nye on TV in various forms, and I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into for this book. The book teaches you how to approach problems rationally and solve them thoroughly. Most chapters emphasize some aspect of science, and as someone who is not directly working (or has substantial professional knowledge) of science, I’ve had numerous moments of “what do I really fight for day to day? What’s TRULY important?”. I think my mindset has shifted a lot to embrace the much emphasized ‘nerd mindset’, which has enabled me to embrace curiosity and act to find answers. I enjoyed learning about common science deniers arguments and how to combat them, as I think I struggle a lot with having too much trust in what I’m hearing. As written about in the book, use a “prove it” mindset, embrace curiosity, and take action, and together we can… dare I say it… change the world.
April 8, 2023
Bill Nye is one of my favorite science proponents. He is very passionate about changing the world to make it better through science, and this book is the culmination of that passion in print form. This book has 30 chapters united through the common thread of using science and unleashing your inner-nerd to change the world, but can almost be read independently. His writing is clear, succinct, and reflects his passion of scientific thinking and the joy of science in general. I found most of the ideas rather familiar, and a bit elementary for my taste, but I’m probably not the target audience as a scientist myself. I hope this book, and Bill’s vision, passion, and worldviews in general influence even more people who haven’t watched him on TV! Our future depends on it!
November 28, 2017
Really enjoyed listening to the audiobook narrated by the author. Took a while because I really wanted to absorb what was being said. I found this book very inspiring about the future and that I could have a personal role in it. At various times it made me want to quit my job and go be an engineer, which isn't something I should be considering at this point in my life. But I just wanted to DO something. I want to reread this next year.
May 28, 2021
Not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. While I found Nye to be eloquent, I went into thinking, hey he’s a smart guy, maybe he’ll offer insight into science or the world that I haven’t heard before. Well, I did indeed find his thoughts and meanderings interesting, I would’ve preferred to sit down and watch a single episode of his show. His principle of thinking of “everything all at once” wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, in my opinion.
July 3, 2022
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Nye is an unapologetic goofy nerd. Yes, there are eye-rolling puns and supposed jokes, BUT he also provides great information on how to look at problems from more than one angle (top down v. bottom up), hence the name of the book--Everything all at once. His chapter on changing your mind is something that should be required reading for everyone. We don't have to stick to our evaluation of an issue for the rest of our lives. We can humbly reevaluate and own that we have been wr-wr-wrong. I also enjoyed the memoir aspects of the book--stories about Nye's Boy Scout days, his involvement in Earth Day from the beginning, his early days in TV and most of all his stories about his parents were fun. Many reviewers point to "Undeniable" as Bill Nye's best work. I'm putting that one on my list!
October 30, 2017
I have definitely a huge fan of Bill Nye (like many, my adoration of him started with Bill Nye the Science Guy). This is the third book of Nye's I have read, and I found it entertaining, but not quite as good as Undeniable and Unstoppable.
Check out my full review on my blog For the Love of Words.
Check out my full review on my blog For the Love of Words.
January 4, 2018
Great read. I have always been a fan of Bill Nye The Science Guy, and this book did not disappoint. His writing style is charming, and his first hand experiences keep you interested as you read through each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested, even if you are not a fan of Bill Nye.
May 25, 2019
Nye uses nerd humor and autobiographical anecdotes to encourage critical and scientific thinking, and to convey an optimistic attitude about humanity's ability to solve problems if we work together. An enjoyable read.
January 11, 2020
This book wasn’t what I expected it to be (I don’t really know at this point what I expected). There were parts that moved slow, there were parts that were inspiring. I love Bill! So, despite it not being 5 stars all the way, I still ended up enjoying this book and would recommend it to a variety of people, not just fans of Bill or science.
July 9, 2020
I love Bill Nye, I religiously listen to his podcast "Science Rules" and I thought "Unstoppable" was awesome, but this book... I don't know. I enjoyed his childhood stories, but he lost me after a whole chapter on bow ties (...) and the following, super patriotic chapter about the founding fathers, which was the nerd version of chanting "USA, USA". I mean, seriously?
September 26, 2022
Always love a book narrated by the author, especially when they're a professional entertainer. This mostly holds up, and he's got a good perspective. A little too optimistic about Elon Musk and Monsanto, as it turns out.
August 9, 2017
At times it was a little bit ramble-y, but it was funny and entertaining. I also think he did a really great job communicating the dangers of climate change
January 31, 2018
Enjoyed listening to Bill Nye, hearing his stories about his life and his call to action. which I whole heartily agree. WE must work together NOW to protect not our earth.
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