A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes by Stephen Hawking

Title: A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes
Author: Stephen Hawking
Publisher: Bantam Books
Release Date: 1988
Genre: Non-fiction, Science

Summary:
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes provides an insight into the mind of Stephen Hawking and his thoughts into the history of the universe. He aims to answer, or at least unable readers to understand, his lifetime work of pinpointing a precise moment when the universe, and time and space, began.

Review:
As some of you may know, my boyfriend, and most of my friends, are physicists (they are like the plague at my university - they are everywhere!). I therefore get exposed to really long, complicated conversations where they speak in abbreviations and use weird words which I do not understand. I therefore felt it was my duty to see if this book would help me understand at least some of what they are talking about - maybe then I could stop saying the answer is pi all the time...

A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes does exactly what it says on the tin, Hawkings explores different concepts, theories and scientific discoveries and steps to enable readers to understand and grasp his idea of space and time starting at one historical event.

I was a bit apprehensive at first as I was worried that I would not understand any of the scientific words but was surprised that I actually understand most of it and loved it so much I read it in a day! However, I feel that this was due to the the many dissertations, assignments and presentations that I have proof-read and helped with over the past year. I also have a personal interest in space and astrophysics, which helped a lot.

For the average reader, this book may be a bit inaccessible and complicated. There is therefore also the option of A Briefer History of Time by Leonard Mlodinow and Stephen Hawking (available from Amazon here). Nonetheless, Hawking's explains everything clearly and in a simple language to make it accessible as possible and, for the more complicated ideas, draws in metaphors.

The ideas discussed in the book itself are also quite interesting - not just the science! Hawking, unlike many scientists, discusses, and somewhat recognises, the involvement of God in the creation of space. He says suggests that maybe - just maybe - both God and the Big Bang are possible reasons for the creation of the universe.

Similarly, the overall purpose of Hawking's work was to create a theory to explain the whole universe. The point of this he states in this book was to make advanced science and this knowledge accessible to everyone in the world - not just the elite, academic few. By doing this it achieves the ultimate level of human reason and knowledge as he states through this 'we would know the mind of God'. I mean what a sentence to finish your book on!

Rating: 10/10. Loved it!

You can buy A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes from Amazon here.