A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes |
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Author:
Stephen Hawking
By Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
Average Customer Rating: 
List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £3.19
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Product Description
Was there a beginning of time?, Could time run backwards? and Is the universe infinite are just some of the questions considered in this book for the non-scientific layman. The author begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein and then delves into the secrets which lie at the heart of space and time.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic A Brief History of Time to help non-scientists understand fundamental questions of physics and our existence: where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end, and if so, how? Hawking attempts to deal with these questions (and where we might look for answers) using a minimum of technical jargon. Among the topics gracefully covered are gravity, black holes, the Big Bang, the nature of time and physicists' search for a grand unifying theory. This is deep science; the concepts are so vast (or so tiny) that they cause mental vertigo while reading, and one can't help but marvel at Hawking's ability to synthesize this difficult subject for people not used to thinking about things like alternate dimensions. The journey is certainly worth taking for as Hawking says, the reward of understanding the universe may be a glimpse of "the mind of God". --Therese Littleton, Amazon.com
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 If it wasn't for Hawking, I wouldn't bother, 2010-07-05
After reading Hawking's brief history, I admit I was a little let down. Even though he is the smartest man alive (it is rare that I can say that without any sarcasm), I think there are a number of astronomy and physics textbooks that do a better job explaining the universe. Then again, the book is titled a "brief" history, making it difficult to fully develop some core principals of physics. This book does offer the unique perspective in that it was written by Stephen Hawking. Any other book on these topics may mention that Stephen proved item A. However, in this book Hawking actually can say, "So I was going to the bathroom when I realized item A." The personal stories add so much. Actually, his personal stories would be the only reason I'd recommend this book, especially his story about betting some Penthouse magazines over the existence of black holes. I don't know about you, but I can't help but laugh when I think of Stephen Hawking going to a convenience store (or smut shop) to buy some porn.
 Enjoyable read, 2010-02-25
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its very well written and Stephen Hawking does his best to explain things to the layman. I think its suitable for anyone who has an interest in the subject. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Black Holes. I did find the last two chapters a bit difficult, so perhaps the general reader ought to buy his "Briefer History of Time" which I understand is an updated and easier to follow version. There are some very good illustrations in the later book too.
An interesting read - but not the best on the subject, 2010-02-26
I'm reading this book 20+ years after its initial publication. I suspect that had I read it 20 years ago my reaction would have been Wow! that's incredibly interesting stuff and given it 5 stars. 20 years is a long time in quantum physics and so a lot of the material was familiar to me, and I think, Simon Singh, in the Big Bang: The Most Important Scientific Discovery of All Time and Why You Need to Know About it covers the same territory in a much more readable and enjoyable form. Still I learned some new stuff. I found out what quarks and gluons are. I'd heard of them but had no idea what they did. I even found out they (quarks) have up and down versions and come in different colours. I also found out why strings came and went and where all those other dimensions are hiding.
I think Stephen Hawking made an admirable attempt to reach down from his lofty mental perch, he even injects a little humour from time to time. I felt that there seemed to be an undercurrent throughout the book that hinted at a possibility (or maybe probability would be a better word given the subject matter) of an uncertainty in the author's mind about the existence of God and his use of science to prove it one way or another. (God is the very last word of the final chapter)
This book is very Hawking-centric. It touches on being autobiographical. It is very much about Hawking's views, ideas, opinions, research, mistakes, and changes of mind. So although it covers the historical information about people like Newton, Einstein, and many others, it seems that that information is provided only to put Hawking's own conclusions into context. In this respect I much prefer Big Bang because Singh's position is one of observer rather than participant. Though it is quite nice to have the 'horse's mouth' version in Brief History.
If you are interested in Hawking's contribution to theoretical physics then I would encourage you to read this. If you simply want to know how quantum theory fits into the creation, existence, and evolution of the known universe - then are better books.
An interesting and easy to understand introduction to complex science, 2010-07-15
I found this book very enjoyable and easy to read. Hawking is able to explain topics in an easy to understand way without everything being dumbed down. Having only learned basic physics I was happily surprised to be able to understand some of the more complicated theories within physics. In this book Hawkins goes through the history of science and how it has changed and evolved to give us the science that we uae today. I also enjoyed the small section at the end of the book that gave some insight into some great scientists such as Einstein and Newton. It was interesting to hear what kind of personalties these scientists had and how they got on with (or argued with) other scientists.
Definately a great book to read to introduce you to the most important theories that have changed physics in the past century.
Guide to Cosmology;Advanced beginners - Intermediate level, 2010-07-16
I initially purchased this over 10 years ago to give myself an introduction to the subject but floundered after 50 pages.Since then I've read half a dozen books on astrophysics/quantum theory and on picking it up again finished it in a couple of sittings.This leads me to believe that the layman its aimed at should have at least some previous knowledge or exceptional IQ to completely understand it first off.Its not a book I'd recommend to start you off on this topic but it did clarify for me things that other authors could not communicate as succinctly.On that point the writing style and similes used are excellent and it all flows well and keeps you interested.
I'm not qualified enough to know the books technical validity, as it was written 20 years ago,but I wouldn't think it would be still in print if it was too outdated.Neither would the author have committed to print theories that where not substantial enough to stand the test of time or at least be the foundation or integral part of further theories.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 530
EAN: 9780553175219
ISBN: 0553175211
Label: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
Manufacturer: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: 1995-04-06
Publisher: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
Studio: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group) |
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