Rating: Summary: SUPERB! Review: I read this book and marked it with a 5 star. Superb! I'm not going to add anything else to the other reviewers' comments since I think it's all said. What I do want is to put forward my opinion as to certain biblical-related topics quoted in Stephen Hawkings' work. There is the question of what there was before the Big Bang. In fact, there was nothing, physically speaking. But there was already the Spiritual Universe (read GENESIS 1,1), where God has been reigning forever, for His kingdom is eternal. There was the Spiritual Universe, the real one (incredibly, but this is so) and from there God created all what we see, the Physical Universe, with space and time, since it was His wish just for the Physical life to be born, evolve an eventually die out, as if it were a work of art in motion. It's like a play in a theatre, its director being God, the scenery being the galaxies, stars, planets, etc., the rules -by which the plot is carried out- the laws of physic and the forms of live, wherever they are, being the actors. This is clearly expressed throughout the Bible. Of course, in the Spiritual Universe, the physical laws that govern our Universe don't exert any effect in the least, so there is neither space nor time. Saint Peter talked about this: "But, beloved, be no ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (1 PETER 3,8). Of course he must have repeated Jesus' words, and Jesus did prove to have strong powers over the laws of Physic and know a lot about the Spiritual world. Eventually, I can add there is strong scientific evidence of the existence of spiritual life, mainly through the so-called Science of Sofrology (Please read Favio Zerpa's work on this issue: "Morir es volver a casa" -"To die is to come back home"-, Colección nuevo saber, Argentina, 1993). As to the end of the Universe, there is still the doubt whether it will expand forever or finally collapse in a Big Crunch. Saint Paul seemed to have the answer to this dilemma. Inspired by the Holy Ghost, he said: "And thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation of the Earth, and the Heavens are the work of Thy hands: they shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shall Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail" (HEBREW 1, 10-12). Fascinating! I've looked through the chapters of " the Illustrated a Brief History of Time" time and time again, and the more I read them and get scientific knowledge, the more I believe in God, in His greatness and wisdom and the more I learn how small we human beings are! My E-mail: saccl@mcg.org.ar
Rating: Summary: A Must Read! Review: A Brief History of Time effectively summarises the probable past of the universe, the probable future of the universe by giving due respect to the many suggested theories of the scientific world of today. Hawking can bring across complex ideas of space and time and the theory of general relativity by relating them to every-day occurences. Not only that, his book is sprinkled with bits of humour every now and then in the book. This is a book for those who are intrested in the hoo haa that the scientific world is making, has been making and will make for a long time to come. Do give it a read and it will definitely broaden your perspectives in life and in cosmology.
Rating: Summary: Awesome! Easy to understand! Review: Stephen Hawking's, who is considered by many to be the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Albert Eistein, presents the material from his bestselling work "A Brief History of Time" in a format that non-brilliant people can easily comprehend. Hawking's says that just flipping through the book and looking at the pictures will help anyone to grasp many of the fundamental concepts of physics. This is a testament to the wonderful illustrations and diagrams throughout the book that truly help the reader understand the principles outlined. But I would strongly recommend that everyone read this book in its entirety, as it is an important work that will most likely influence one's thinking about the universe. The beginning of the book is spent outlining the ideas and people that have brought the science theories to where they are today. Material includes information on the theories of gravity, mechanics, relativity. Next, Hawking spends time discussing black holes and the big bang theory. I found both of these chapters fascinating and very easy to understand. The chapter about the big bang, entitled "The Origin and Fate of the Universe," really supported my belief that God created the universe, i.e. "In the beginning..." From the start, Hawking explains that all of science is merely theory and cannot be proven. This has as of late been my problem with science; how do we actually know anything that happened in the past when we can't and never will be able to observe it? Towards the end of the book I found Hawking's "theories" farfetched and unbelievable, although they were interesting. The information on wormholes and time travel seemed absurd to me -- how can time travel be possible when it is impossible to travel at speeds faster than light? Wormholes are not a reasonable explanation. Hawking's suggestion of a ten-dimensional world also went a little beyond science. In any event, these chapters did not take away from the book. An interesting added feature of the book outlines the personal lives of three great scientists -- Einstein, Galileo, and Newton. I found this short section very insightful. Throughout, Hawking weaves the concept of the quest for the "unification of physics," or combining the theory of relativity with the theory of quantum mechanics. Hawking's closing words in my opinion imply how futile our attempts to fully understand the world we live in are. "If we find the answer to [the unification of physics,] it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we would know the mind of God." Perhaps this is the strongest message Hawking delivers, and ironically it has nothing to do with science, rather the vast greatness of God.
Rating: Summary: Good, but not great Review: Glamour of Hawking's bestselling presentation of cosmology and astrophysics (superstrings and elements of "older" quantum physics added) rests, in my opinion, on two pillars: mystique of the author's personality (or his mind-over-matter fate and stature) and very readable and accessible exposition of his subject. Nicely illustrated and comprehensive (one gets the entire story, from the dawn of mechanics via general relativity to the superstrings and black holes thermodynamics), Hawking's "History" has one excellent quality: an interested reader can, with a minimum of energy, easily swallow (in a gulp, so to speak) all the "buzz" concepts of contemporary cosmology. In short: if you read this book, you'll know (on a graphical/imaginal level) how the modern cosmological narrative looks like. On the other hand: this story is anything but "deep". Its philosophical pretensions (the nature of Time, the Mind of God (what's that ?), (in)determinism and free will, great "whys") are simply ludicrous. Some of his "innovations" (especially imaginary time, which has been virtually smashed as a concept in, for instance, William Craig's article in Brit. J. Phil. Sci., issue 41. p. 473-491, (1990)) are not happy at all. Even more- Hawking equates time as a physical concept with Augustianian-like philosophical Time about which neither he nor Einstein have nothing to say (Einstein was at least lucid enough not to stray beyond physics self-imposed limits). "Mind of God" is another, completely redundant & meaningless phrase when used in this context. Tampering with metaphysics has long since been a fatal/"tragic" flaw of ill-equipped scientists. Hawking is just another prey in this, as it seems, irresistible intellectual trap. In sum: I would recommend this book as a nice intro in cosmology and some physics history, amply illustrated and accessible to all interested in expanding their sci conceptual framework (although, Greene's "Ellegant Universe" is a better book for laymen). For anything "deeper"- forget it.
Rating: Summary: Very Brief, but Very Good Review: If you're new to physics and cosmology, you will not find a better intro to the field than in this book. Hawking has a knack at making the most abstract things sound remarkably simple and interesting. Since this is only an intro, you'll do yourself a favor by following up on this reeding with Greene's "Elegant Universe" -- a much more in-depth look at essentially the same concepts & more.
Rating: Summary: Required Reading for the Human Race Review: Stephen Hawking's Brief History of time is one of the greatest books to come out of the 20th century. The nature of the universe in all its complexity is plotted out in terms for both laymen and scientist to easily grasp and understand. There will be moments in reading this that you will simply be dumfounded and reflect deeply on what you've just taken in. Truly magnificent - you will never view existence the same way again.
Rating: Summary: Tremendous Review: First released in 1988 this fantastic cassette settles all arguments about the musical antecedents of the All Your Bases rave phenomenon. This remastered and re-engineered classic benefits enormously from Talvin Singh's deft touch in the studio and Professor Roger Penrose's innovative remixing of several of Stephen Hawking's central equations. Old favourites such as "Big Bang to Big Crunch - Singularity to Singularity" are still here, but revised thinking on non-baryonic particles is reflected, in the case of the above track, with a fresh UK Garage rub surely not foreseen by the astrophysicist when he first started experimenting with Newtonian general relativity and quantum mechanics back in the day. Hawking's freestyling with Roots Manuva on provides a competent (if inevitable) concession to hip-hop - think "Dusted" jacked up with an almost ironic take on string theory. But the Cambridge Lucasian Professor of Mathematics is at his best when he lays down his trademark dub-saturated beats as in "The Role of Weakly Interacting Cold Particles" with Sons of Silence and Professor Alexander Valenkin and the Tufts University Particle Fizzix Boyz taking the 'nuff respects on the sleeve notes.
Rating: Summary: Bravo! Review: For those of you who can't unlock the power of physics, this book is the key. This is perhaps one of the most insightful books on physics ever published. It is simple to understand, and it will make you re-consider everything you once thought you understood. Simply put: "Wow!"
Rating: Summary: The Greatest Book Ever Written! Review: This book is so powerful! Stephen Hawking brilliantly covers both quantum mechanics and general relativity along with brand-new ideas about space and time. This book is so easy to understand, and its countless photos really help the reader visualize the information. I treasure this book, and hope his magnificent work will endure for generations to come. Hawking can be compared to some of the greatest physicists who ever lived. He is so brilliant despite his ALS. If you only read one book in your entire life, or just one book on physics, READ THIS BOOK!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!! It will change your entire outlook on the Universe and help you to ponder its possibilites like the best philisophical thinkers of today and yesterday. If I could, I would rate this as six stars, or seven! Please read this amazing book!!!
Rating: Summary: Best Book ever on Cosmology and Astronomy Review: Stephen Hawking is an utter genius! No other words could describe him. My first reading of this book was in 1991 when I was 15 years old. I had little understanding of the cosmos and astronomy until i read this book for a class. He is funny and fascinating on every page. It is amazing that the deteriorating body of Dr. Hawking is nothing to the brillance and ever growing nature of his mind. What lies behind his eyes (the real spark you can see of his thoughts) is truly a miracle that all should read and share. His explanations of how the earth came to be and keeps expanding is nothing less than the greatest scientific work of the 20th century. His work will last forever. Read this book to understand why you are here and what will happen after you.
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