Book Review: The Grand Design by Hawking

[Ad Astra]

Steven Hawking's latest offering is a slim little volume that really does a nice job of laying out current thinking in cosmology / astrophysics for the layman (or the amateur astronomer!)

If you've had curiosity about the big bang theory or M-theory, strings and multiverses - but wondered where to jump in, or where the devil these theorists get their crazy ideas from - this book is a great place to start.

For the phobic, let me assure you that the volume is literally math-free. But it doesn't skimp on the content for all that. Hawking and Mlodinow take you through the complete revolution in thinking that has happened over the last 25 years and convincingly demonstrate that we are closing in on a "theory of everything" - and that it opens new vistas in thought and science.

Hawking is a wonderful author, witty and concise without skimping on the explanations. The power of his pen is such that you find yourself thinking that all this astrophysics stuff isn't so hard after all, and why do so many others muck it up when they try to explain it and make it seem difficult???

A very enjoyable quick read for a weekend when all is cloudy and the scopes and eyepieces cannot come out to play!

Dan

[idlelimey]

Thanks for this Dan. I didn't even know this he had authored a new book. I've just finished 'How to Destroy the Universe: And 34 Other Really Interesting Uses of Physics' (link below) so I'm looking for my next read.

I've read and enjoyed Hawkings other books so I'll pick this up at the weekend. Thanks again for the post and for bringing the book to my attention.

How to Destroy the Universe: And 34 Other Really Interesting Uses of Physics: Amazon.co.uk: Dr. Paul Parsons: Books

[Macavity]

To my shame (as a onetime particle physicist) I found his "Brief History of Time" almost too technical!

In the vein of this book, I wish he (and collaborator) had written more...

[Moonshane]

I agree this is an excellent book. His sense of humour caught me by surprise when I read another of his books.

Sections have to be read several times if you are a noob like me to all of this but it's certainly readable, even on a rush hour train with people waffling on about the latest soap opera crisis.

[Superewza]

Well just checked Waterstones, since i have a voucher for them, and...

82 days until publication

Say what?

[Ad Astra]

82 days until publication???? How come I got a book by a famous British author in the States quicker than you can get it in the UK?

Makes no sense at all. FWIW, I got mine from the Scientific American Book Club (Science Books, Technology Books - Scientific American Book Club).

This month's selection just arrived today:

1. The Book of Universes - John Barrow (another Cambridge physics / astro prof I adore!)

2. Quantum Man [biography of Richard Feynman] - Lawrence Krauss (Arizona State University)

3. Cycles of Time - Roger Penrose (Hawking, Barrow, and Penrose - the perfect Trifecta of Astrophysics!!!)

All 3 for about $55, including shipping.

I've started on Barrow's book first, I'll let you know about it as I get on.

Dan

[Superewza]

Hmm, just double checked and i think it was the paperback version, but still - hardbacks are expensive