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A Brief History of Time (Paperback)

by Stephen Hawking (Author) "A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy..." (more)
Key Phrases: grand unification energy, complete unified theory, thermodynamic arrow, Nobel Prize, Alpha Centauri, Solar System (more...)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (352 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

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Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic A Brief History of Time to help nonscientists understand the questions being asked by scientists today: 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 reveal these questions (and where we're looking 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; these concepts are so vast (or so tiny) as to cause 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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
A new edition?with pictures?for those who couldn't fathom the original.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam; 10 Anv edition (September 1, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0553380168
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553380163
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (352 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #1 in  Books > Science > Physics > Cosmology
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
grand unification energy, complete unified theory, thermodynamic arrow, psychological arrow, primordial black holes, more quarks, big bang singularity, boundary proposal, hot big bang model, contracting phase, sum over histories, weak anthropic principle, expanding phase, inflationary model, imaginary time, strong anthropic principle, singularity theorems, early universe, partial theories
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Nobel Prize, Alpha Centauri, Solar System, Roger Penrose, North Pole, Royal Society, Edwin Hubble, United States, First World War, Milky Way, Richard Feynman
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Customer Reviews

352 Reviews
5 star: 65%  (229)
4 star: 17%  (63)
3 star: 8%  (31)
2 star: 3%  (11)
1 star: 5%  (18)
 
 
 
 
 
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148 of 170 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It Will Change the Way You Look at the Universe!, June 21, 2002
By A. Boltz (Saxonburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Illustrated Brief History of Time, Updated and Expanded Edition (Hardcover)
Stephen Hawking is an established scientific genius, but this book establishes him as a brilliant writer - an extremely rare, yet valuable combination. A point he brings to attention is that it had been possible for the philosophers of ancient times to master practically all the knowledge of academia. Today, however, only a handful of extremely specialized scientists understand the latest ideas in their fields. While men of ancient times could easily understand the latest scientific ideas, people today are lost. Enter "A Brief History of Time." This book helps fill in that gap between an average person's understanding and the highly specialized scientists' knowledge.

This book covers ideas that are profound and affect everyone. It explains theories that concern the creation of the universe, time travel, light-speed travel, and many more topics. Imagine actually having some grasp of Einstein's general relativity. Ever heard of string theory? How might time travel actually be possible? What are these black holes of which I've heard? This book packs an incredible amount of information into its 248 pages, yet somehow is still easily read - this is the true marvel of this book.

The illustrated version is worth the extra money. It contains many updates and additions throughout the book by Hawking (including the time travel chapter!). Every (and I mean every) concept throughout the book is accompanied by at least one illustration - think about it: 240 color illustrations with only 248 pages!

Towards the middle of the book, some of the concepts get more complex (when he really gets into the details of sub-atomic particles). However, as a recent high school graduate, I can say with some level of certainty that the average person can understand 90% of this book - and those parts are the most interesting! It will change the way you look at the universe.

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133 of 184 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars No master of the written word, December 6, 1999
By David Blake (Basingstoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Hawking is no master of the written word. Early on, he warns us not to consult his earlier books for more detail - because they are "quite unreadable". He also admits that, during the production of this book, his editor bombarded him with comments and questions. The impact of this editorial input is plain. The book wallows from unnecessarily long complex sentences written in the passive sense to snappy anecdotes from Hawking's life.

I found the early chapters very useful as overviews of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. The middle chapters - on black holes and the origin of the Universe - were clearly written with enthusiasm.

However, that enthusiasm seemed to fade towards the end of the book. The chapter on the arrows of time seems to have been lifted from an old speech. Here's what I'm about to tell you: this is what I'm saying: this is what I've just told you.

Also, the explanation of the cosmological arrow of time left a lot of questions hanging. Question: What will happen when the Universe starts to contract - will people start to experience time running backwards? Answer: Intelligent life could not exist because, by then, all the stars will have burned out. Well, OK - but does that answer whether time is in reverse or not?

Chapter 10 introduces string theory. Clearly this is an incredibly complicated subject and not capable of being explained in a book entitled "Brief History". However, the way the subject is introduced and then dropped is tantalising. Apparently, string theories are only consistent if space-time has either ten or twenty-six dimensions. All these extra dimensions are curled up into space of a very small size. I, for one, would have liked more explanation of what that means.

In summary, a useful but frustrating book that varies in tone as the pages turn. I feel a better populist book would have resulted if Hawking had used a ghost writer to interpret his ideas, rather than simply submitting his own words to the scrutiny of an editor.

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17 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The choice is yours, July 2, 2002
By Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
There's no reason to fear to seek understanding of the cosmos. Galileo had the urge to search, as did Isaac Newton after him, and then Albert Einstein...now Steven Hawking.

Hawking presents the present scientific thinking in language which he hopes is clear to a seeking reader. Some will find the concepts difficult to grasp while others will think he's "talking down" to the reader.

The author tackles a number of questions, and doesn't give us cut and dried answers. Rather, he presents us with the results of current scientific thinking and theory. He doesn't insist that we accept all that is presented. The value here is in our contemplating the vastness of space and time.

There's some heavy scientific (for many of us) theory here, but even partial understanding and opening our minds to consideration of the cosmos should fill one with a sense of awe, of wonder. Agreement with Hawking isn't necessary; Just the act of thinking of these matters of space and time is rewarding.

What you will find in this book is theory which is backed up by scientific observation. Reading and seeking for understanding of the theories here expand our minds whether we accept or disagree with the theories.

One who reads this book seriously will emerge with a feeling of awe of the cosmos, awe of space and time. Some will find it hard to understand, and with patience, will be able to grasp it with one or two additional readings. Others will understand it right off.

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 		 Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Transport yourself into possibility.
This book absolutely recreates the wonder I felt looking at the stars as a child. Stephen Hawking has a knack like no other I have read in the science world of transporting the... Read more
Published 5 days ago by Christopher R. Baldock

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended to everybody interested in Astronomy and Nuclear Physics
Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest contemporary physicists explores in a very interesting and informative way the unresolved riddles about the universe and the structure of... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Rasih Bensan

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit too brief
I felt like there wasn't enough information in Hawking's explanations to really understand the concepts. Read more
Published 24 days ago by Adam D. Shomsky

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but hard
Well, it's very nice for those who want to understand the universe better, but it's VERY hard at the first time you read it. Read more
Published 27 days ago by F. Andrekowisk Filho

1.0 out of 5 stars unintelligible
History will look back at this best selling book and here is what it should say: This book is very lucid to those who have not read it, but it is quite unintelligible to those... Read more
Published 1 month ago by JP

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, fascinating, highly readable
A fascinating, non-technical explanation of the modern concepts of theoretical physics. Full of wonder and surprise... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Farhan

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
One review stated " It Will Change the Way You Look at the Universe!" I have found this to be true and at a young age, it definitely sparked my interest in conceptual physics. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kerry

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice, conceptual overview of the thought behind theoretical physics
Reading this 10 years after the 10th edition was published, I find the science has advanced well beyond what is within the book, but at the same time the scope of the book remains... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Loscheider

4.0 out of 5 stars BUT TO KNOW - THE MIND OF GOD
Stephen W. Hawking is a theoretical physicist who has held the post at Cambridge University once held by Isaac Newton. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard Baldwin Cook

4.0 out of 5 stars BUT TO KNOW THE MIND OF GOD
Stephen W. Hawking is a theoretical physicist who has held the post at Cambridge University once held by Isaac Newton. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard Baldwin Cook

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A Brief History of Time

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Contents Acknowledgements Introduction by Carl Sagan   Our picture of the universe Space and time The expanding universe The uncertainty principle Elementary particles and the forces of nature Black holes Black holes aint so black The ...

PublicationDate: 1988;  Authors: Stephen Hawking; ...

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