Bill Bryson has done it again. His At Home: A Short History of Private Life is an entertaining, informative, stroll through a modern home, while always casting his gaze backwards to see how our domestic comforts came to be.A doctoral candidate could probably turn each chapter of Bryson's book into a historical dissertation all its own, but the fact that Bryson doesn't do that is precisely what makes his book enjoyable. He gives you the general historical overview while picking out the choicest tales and anecdotes with which to pepper his storytelling, and leaving what I presume is a voluminous amount of boring nonsense out altogether.
Obviously if you're looking for a comprehensive volume, you'll want to look elsewhere, but if you're looking to be entertained as you learn about the history of home life, chuckling all the while, this is a great place to start.
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