by:?Stephen Hawking
A Brief History of Time: The Updated and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition
By Stephen Hawking
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Publisher:?? Bantam
Number Of Pages:?? 224
Publication Date:?? 1998-09-01
ISBN-10 / ASIN:?? 0553380168
ISBN-13 / EAN:?? 9780553380163
Product Description:
A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, was a landmark volume in science writing and in world-wide acclaim and popularity, with more than 9 million copies in print globally. The original edition was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the origins and nature of the universe. But the ensuing years have seen extraordinary advances in the technology of observing both the micro- and the macrocosmic world--observations that have confirmed many of Hawking's theoretical predictions in the first edition of his book.
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Now a decade later, this edition updates the chapters throughout to document those advances, and also includes an entirely new chapter on Wormholes and Time Travel and a new introduction. It make vividly clear why A Brief History of Time has transformed our view of the universe.
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Amazon.com Review:
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 copyright by www.booko.org
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Summary: Absolutely wonderful book, read it!
Rating: 5
Overview:
As the title says this book is a brief overview of the current state of theoretical physics circa 1988 as written by one of the field's brightest minds, Stephen Hawking. It is not so intimidating as it may at first sound as it does not utilize any equations but simply expresses complex ideas in the simplest terms available to the author.
Points of Interest:
Where to begin!? This is a book that should be required reading in my mind as it presents ideas that define the universe we live in as developed by the brightest minds the human species has produced. But before I get ahead of myself let me add this caveat: the book does present very complex ideas and if you are a layperson coming to the subjects of cosmology and theoretical physics then this may be a bit overwhelming. I have a very large interest in the subject and have managed to familiarize myself with many of the topics presented. If you would like to educate yourself a bit about these things (and you should, as they are fascinating!) then I would suggest checking out some TV specials (yes I am breaking a cardinal rule and suggesting that you watch TV) on the subjects of cosmology, quantum physics, and relativity. Do not be intimidated by these subjects! With a little effort you can open doors for your mind that will expand your perspectives on life. www.booko.org
Now, this book in particular does a brilliant job of exploring the big topics of theoretical physics: where did we come from, where are we going and why are we here? Sound familiar? They should, because those are the big questions that every religious and many philosophical systems have attempted to answer since man began painting on cave walls.
The primary difference between most religions' approach to these questions and science is simply that religions propose to have the answers without verifiable proof, where science presents a theory with available evidence and says, prove me wrong. This fundamental difference is what fascinates me with the topic. Religions are static and unchanging (or at least claim to be) whereas science is dynamic and ever changing, adapting to new information.
Hawking begins by describing some of the models human beings have had of the universe. The model used previously was that of the Earth at the center, with everything else rotating around it. Hawking discusses the idea that the earth had also been thought to be flat, or supported on the back of a giant tortoise as believed by some indigenous peoples.