Bill Bryson

It's the birthday of nonfiction author Bill Bryson (books by this author), born in Des Moines, Iowa, on this day in 1951. He's written books about travel, language, Shakespeare, history, and science; he travels so much that his wife made him promise to write at least one book from home. That book came out in 2010; it was At Home: A Short History of Private Life. The book's topics are divided up by room, just like a house.

Bryson published another book in 2010. Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery, and the Genius of the Royal Society. Bryson edited and introduced the book, which is a collection of articles and essays celebrating the Royal Society's 350th anniversary. Bryson has described himself as a "cheerleader for science," and told The New Statesman: "Science has been quite embattled. It's the most important thing there is. An arts graduate is not going to fix global warming. They may do other valuable things, but they are not going to fix the planet, or cure cancer, or get rid of malaria."