Title: The Illustrated A Brief History of Time/The Universe in a Nutshell
Author: Stephen Hawking
Date Added: June 25, 2016
Date Started: January 2, 2017
Date Finished: April 9, 2017
Reading Duration: 97 days
Genre: Science, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Quantum Mechanics, Theoretical Physics
Pages: 464
Publication Date: June 7, 2007
Publisher: Bantam Dell Publishing Group
Media: Paperback
One of the most influential thinkers of our time, Stephen Hawking is an intellectual icon, known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of theoretical physics, where truth is often stranger than fiction, to explain in laymen’s terms the principles that control our universe. Like many in the community of theoretical physicists, Professor Hawking is seeking to uncover the grail of science – the elusive Theory of Everything that lies at the heart of the cosmos. In his accessible and often playful style, he guides us on his search to uncover the secrets of the universe – from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality. He takes us to the wild frontiers of science, where superstring theory and p-branes may hold the final clue to the puzzle. And he lets us behind the scenes of one of his most exciting intellectual adventures as he seeks “to combine Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and Richard Feynman’s idea of multiple histories into one complete unified theory that will describe everything that happens in the universe.” With characteristic exuberance, Professor Hawking invites us to be fellow travelers on this extraordinary voyage through space-time. Copious four-color illustrations help clarify this journey into a surreal wonderland where particles, sheets, and strings move in eleven dimensions; where black holes evaporate and disappear, taking their secret with them; and where the original cosmic seed from which our own universe sprang was a tiny nut. The Universe in a Nutshell is essential reading for all of us who want to understand the universe in which we live. Like its companion volume, A Brief History of Time, it conveys the excitement felt within the scientific community as the secrets of the cosmos reveal themselves.
Professor Hawking has managed to take something supremely difficult to understand, the nature of the universe and in fact our very being, and explained it in the simplest terms possible. Sadly, the simplest terms possible are still wildly complicated, and I spent a good portion of this book rereading and rereading again in attempt to wrap my head around the concepts. I can say that I understood 70% on a good day and 30% on a bad. I am still woefully clueless on string theory and can probably only consider 20% of that to my credit, but the internet exists for a reason, and I’m certain I’ll find myself looking it up again one day.
This is not a volume that can be read casually. It is not a book that’s picked up before repose as a bedtime browser. Brief History should be treated more like a textbook, and this is not a slight on its part. Professor Hawking is attempting to teach laypeople/non-scientists about highly complex scientific concepts, many of which even those in that community do not fully understand.
It is possible that some of the more complex ideas could’ve been explained a little more clearly. Because Mr. Hawking was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University and because he’s taught physics for many, many years, I believe his writing reflects the attitude that readers will have more than rudimentary knowledge of what he’s trying to explain. Instead of being Physics 101, A Brief History of Time may be more in the neighborhood of Physics 102. This could also just be my own personal failing to adequately grasp it, and other readers unfamiliar with theoretical physics may have no problem at all.
The book did serve to dissuade me from pursuing serious studies of astrophysics, as I was considering that at some point, I do not say this with remorse or in an attempt to seek sympathy. I’m actually happy I was able to come to this conclusion, as I can spend my time in more fruitful endeavors. I’ve been thinking about studying law, which is a far more mundane matter in comparison to the universe. Briefly, I chosen micro concerns (which are no less important) as opposed to macro. I will most definitely continue to read about/study astrophysics on a more casual level, since postulating where the universe comes from and how it operates is paramount to understanding ourselves.
4 stars.
The Shameful Narcissist Speaks 
One day I might put my big girl panties on and give this a go.
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Bring your notebook and your calculator. It was seriously like reading a text book o.O
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Panties, notebook, calculator, that’s a lot of prep for one book lol.
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This book requires silk lacy panties. It’s THAT serious.
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Phew, this sounds like a challenge, and I even tend to enjoy books that read like text books. lol
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You definitely need to put on your thinking cap! I usually like textbook like volumes, too, but Professor Hawking really challenges you. I think he’s so intelligent, this was as “simple” as he could get. That’s why I only technically read “half” of the book since I have both History of Time and Universe in a Nutshell together in one volume, but I only read the first half. I need a break in between lol.
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Great review! I know this would be way over my head. Trying to comprehend the infinite universe, and questioning why the hell we are even alive in the first place, often sends my overactive brain down interesting paths though, haha. I wan’t a fan of physics in high school, but I liked the electronics part of the course. Grade 12 Physics was a prerequisite for the Electronics program I took in college, and that’s the only reason why I suffered through everything else, lol
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I was lucky to understand any part of this, and I’m honestly still not sure. I need to look up string theory on Wikipedia to see if that explanation will make sense. I mean I *kind of* got what Professor Hawking was talking about, but I wouldn’t want to take an essay test on it.
I actually never took physics! It wasn’t a requirement, though I wish I had. Maybe I’d have a better understanding of that book lol. I remember my one college roommate used complain all the time about her physics class that nearly everyone failed. She had to take it for her sports medicine degree. With math, the highest I took was Trig and Precalc. I wanted to take Calculus, but just never had the chance.
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I’m horrible at math and most physics concepts, but I got through it (barely) because I wanted to get into the electronics field. In college I had to take up to Calculus level 3, just for one stupid concept that I’ve never used in my entire career thus far, lol.
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Don’t you love that? They make you take something as a requirement and you don’t even need it. My roommate had no clue why she had to take physics for sport’s medicine. I guess they want you to understand how injuries could occur? I have no idea.
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I love Professor Hawking, I just don’t know how much I would actually understand if I read his books! I love science but I feel like some of this stuff is beyond me. I’m still tempted to try though 🙂
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I’d give it a try! There are some concepts that were pretty easy to grasp, but others where I had to read and reread over again and then say, “O…kay, I kind of get it.” It’s definitely not light, bedtime reading. I needed to pay attention like science class :p
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Well, you have convinced me! 😉 I think I might just challenge myself and check it out. I love learning new concepts and ideas.
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There’s also Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which I just added per a friend’s recommendation. That one is probably WAY more accessible than Professor Hawking’s. I really liked Dr. Tyson’s version of Cosmos, and he’s fairly easy to understand 🙂
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Awesome, I’ll check it out! 🙂
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I bought this book several years ago and have yet to read it. I don’t know what has held me back. I have spent the last couple years or so delving into human nature from a cynic’s point of view, and I haven’t made time to take a closer look at the universe’s perspective. It’s time I put Vonnegut aside for a bit and put my physics goggles on. Maybe even put the money I spent on that book to good use.
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I just added Vonnegut to my TBR list a few weeks ago :p I’d definitely recommend reading this though some of Professor Hawking’s views on religion/God are a bit dated; it’s still a really good reference.
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Slaughthouse Five is wonderful. But my favorite is Mother Night. Heck, I like all of them. I plan to pick Brief History up this weekend and dust it off. I’m glad I read your post.
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I think Mother Night is the one on my list!
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You should float that item to the top of your books list, then!
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I’m actually doing this thing where I download samples of all the books there in added order. It’s quite a project let me tell you lol. I have almost 500 items because I’m a glutton for punishment :p Once I read the sample, I decide whether to pass, keep, or keep along with putting it on my really-want-to-read list. With what you’re saying about Mother Night, I think it’s going to find its way there!
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Not to beat a dead horse, but yes, yes you absolutely should escort that book title to your special list.
I saw where you followed me. Thanks 🙂
Be forewarned, though. On that particular blog, I just vent. Lately all about one thing. It’s tiresome, really.
But you are certainly welcome to share in my wallowing.
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Blogs are for whatever you want to talk or wallow about, and whomever wishes to follow can follow and whomever doesn’t doesn’t have to. I skimmed it just now and it seems like many of the feelings you have aren’t too dissimilar to my own or at least in how I process the.
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Melodrama suits me. I’m quite good at it. On paper, anyway.
I’m transitioning. One of these days I might even crack a joke.
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