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Summary: Insightful and thought provoking.
Review: I am an afternoon kindergarten student who has found renewed faith in ontology, astrophyics and science in general. Mr. Hawking has limpidly extracted the fundamental elements from physics from its often and seemingly impenetrable opalescence, all while gingerly conveying the pertinent, worthwhile information. Kudos, Stephen; kudos to the individual who reads this book.
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Summary: A good read but still a bit hard on the mind
Review: I agree with Amazon that this is an extreemly intresting book depicting how the universe began and predicting possibilities of how it will end. An intresting and somewhat disturbing subject. However, At the present time I am studying Physics at 'A' level, which, although it helped me to understand a lot of what was going on in the book it was nontheless a bit confusing in places, especially, I found, in the last three chapters. Although Steven Hawking has indeed cut out an incrediable ammount of the jargon in this book it is still an advantage to know at least the basics of Physics and of physics related subjects, if you don't you will find this book a bit of a hard read. However, this is a very intresting book and I definatly recomend it to anyone studying physics at any level (It has certainly helped me in my studies) This book is generally good reading for all but is a bit tough in places. Especially useful to anyone studying physics.
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Summary: Awesome book! IF you are interested in astrophysics
Review: There's no question about it. Stephen Hawkings genius is well known, so you can imagine that even when he tries to talk and explain theories in "lay man's terms" the reader still has to be a pretty smart person to understand him. However, if you are interested in astrophysics, quantum mechanics and such things, go right ahead and get this book, it will be more than satisfactory. I personally loved it, although I had a hard time understanding certain theories he talked about, but that's what learning is all about isn't it? I learned a lot from this book. Definitely worth buying.
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Summary: Easy to understand and very enlightening.
Review: This is a very good book, written well, covering many interesting aspects of astrophysics. I think even people who are not into astrophysics would find the material of this book extremely interesting. Probably the best non-fiction book I have read.
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Summary: Cosmology for dummies.
Review: A very good book, explains the basics of quantum mechanics, time, the big bang and more.
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Summary: The pictures explain it all
Review: A wonderfull book much better than his origanal A breif history... The pictures help you explain it
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Summary: One of the greatest science books ever written.
Review: After reading this book one feels 100% smarter. Hawking has the gift to write in a way that truly everyone can understand. Along with "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" this is tied for my favorite book ever. Definately worth reading, even if you're not into science.
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Summary: Provides more questions than answers but THAT'S the POINT!
Review: Albeit a fine effort, I found the book leaving me with more questions than answers. I think when pondering the universe and what makes it work - this is a good thing. The first two chapters are fascinating and a must read for anyone interested in the who's who of physics and cosmology. By the author's own admission the book attempts to avoid the use of mathematics and equations in fear of losing a general audience. The truth however is there are times when a little more detailed background information would have helped illustrate the point. The book is not suitable for midnight reading as it requires some intense and critical thought regardless of its attempt to appeal to the non-PHD type. I recommend the book over the tapes in that the book allows easy access between pages and chapters. Re-reading here is a necessity, not an option. Trying to 'get it' while fighting traffic will leave you exhausted ... hardly the way to start work! Enjoy. WCC.
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Summary: Lots of pretty pictures garnish History
Review: Stephen Hawking is perhaps the pre-eminent physicist of the last half of the 20th century. No, strike the "perhaps"; there should be no doubt. His contributions to cosmology and stellar evolution alone are enough to guarantee him an honored space in the scientific pantheon. There aren't many who could have written this book, and that Hawking has done it in the grips of a stable but still cruel malady, Lou Gehrig's disease, is a testament to his will and mounting intellect. He almost manages to carry it off. Probably this is no fault of his own. The subject matter is, in the hands of ordinary physicists, incredibly abstruse stuff. Scientific prose is fragile; one has to handle it carefully and reread it numerous times even to begin to understand it--and that only if one is an expert in the field. To try to translate that into ordinary English, so that we mortals might understand--that is when scientific writing becomes the calling of saints. Add onto this task the incredible popularity of this book (it, or Cosmos, I forget which, is the best-selling non-religious book of all time) the first time it was published, and you can get a feeling for what Hawking was up against. He isn't just writing for the Scientific American crowd, but for the Parade crowd and the People crowd. This is populist science. The *Illustrated History* improves on its predecessor in a number of respects. It expands on a number of explanations that were incomplete in the first edition. It adds a new section on developments that have occurred in the meantime. And of course there are those full-color pictures, where there was previously only black and white. (Don't pooh-pooh the pictures. Never underestimate the lasting impression of a picture that the reader *understands*.) But there are flaws. Small flaws, but flaws nonetheless. Hawking is an engaging writer (and even, despite the voice synthesizer he uses after an operation on his larynx, a passable speaker), but he does not quite have the flair for explanation of a Sagan or a Feynman. The analogies he uses are hardly original, but long-standing ones that have withstood the test of time, and they serve him well. When he has to stand on his own, though, as he must when he explains his own concept of imaginary time, he seems less sure of his footing. It all seems quite simple upon first inspection, and yet, when you examine it closer, it doesn't totally make sense. But this is a minor quibble. The book is an excellent introduction to cutting edge research in cosmology, and if Hawking is not a Carl Sagan or a Richard Feynman, that is hardly a knock on him. His work, in the end, will speak for itself.
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Summary: Brian Wayne Wells, Esquire, reviews "Brief History of Time"
Review: After reading Stephen Hawking's book, this reviewer found he was drawn back to the book periodically to re-read portions in an attempt to better understand difficult portions of an extremely difficult subject matter. Discovery of the fact that the entire book had been put on audio tape in an unabridged format, was a godsend. In a couple of long business trips, this reviewer listened to Hawking's beautiful explanation of the entire universe from the very small--quantum mechanics--to the very large--the stars and galaxies of the heavens and was enthralled. The tape had to be turned off so that car and driver could follow the proper road signs around Columbus, Ohio and once again get out on the open road for Indiana. The trips passed in no time at all because of the wonderful pictures which arose in the mind just listening to the tapes.
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