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hecaldwell's review against another edition
4.0
I’m going to have to read this again to get a better understanding. However I really enjoyed the writing style of Hawking and would like to read more of his books
genteelblackhole's review against another edition
I really don't know how to rate this book... so I won't. The majority of the scientific concepts went straight over my head. Perhaps it would've been better to read it on paper at a slower pace, instead of letting the audiobook go in one ear and out the other - but I'm still not sure that would've helped. Physics has never been my strong suit, and so it remains...
I will say that, as a disabled reader, I enjoyed Hawking's wry sense of humour and his matter-of-fact way of mentioning his own disability. I'd probably enjoy reading his memoir more than I enjoyed this.
I will say that, as a disabled reader, I enjoyed Hawking's wry sense of humour and his matter-of-fact way of mentioning his own disability. I'd probably enjoy reading his memoir more than I enjoyed this.
joeturner's review against another edition
3.5
Probably the definitive work in popular cosmology, therefore a must-read for anyone interested in the nature and origin of the universe. For the most part, Hawking does well to make very challenging concepts digestible to the lay reader, eschewing complex mathematics entirely, and using analogies and diagrams (I read the illustrated edition) to provide edification. In fact, it's a fairly quick read, though one that requires a good deal of concentration from the reader to get through the trickiest parts. Hawking never slows down, nor does he really recap anything, which keeps the book brief, but contributes to a dizzying sense of losing one's bearings (I would say this is the book's main flaw, though perhaps a necessary one). The concepts themselves are simply astounding, among the most profound ideas ever put on paper. Throughout the book Hawking generously acknowledges the contributions of dozens of scientists who added to our understanding of the cosmos (however, the epilogue consisting of the biographies of Galileo, Newton and Einstein, is rather trivial). In sum, despite the inherent difficulty of the material, <i>A Brief History of Time</i> belongs in the canon of science literature.
arianah's review against another edition
4.0
This book was actually very intriguing. He explain complicated ideas really simply and made it seem like you read 50 pages when you only read 10. When I first picked it up I thought I would be really confused and bored considering I barely know anything about quantum physics, but it was pretty straight forward and information dense.
pacifism0928's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Very informative and well put.
Sometimes (rare) to really understand everything you either have to have previous knowledge or use external resources to get the full picture.
Sometimes (rare) to really understand everything you either have to have previous knowledge or use external resources to get the full picture.
em_jay's review against another edition
5.0
I was so nervous and scared to read this book after having it sit on my shelf for so long. Following along with the audiobook and the companion book made it much more comfortable - and….I really enjoyed the little specks of humor laced throughout. Did I understand it all - NOPE, but I got the just of it and would read it again! Counting this and the companion as one book for the Read What You Own Challenge.