Huh? ( )

I finally finished this book. It's engaging, witty, and of course fascinating, but all the same I had to read it in spurts. Most of it was not new information, but it helped solidify a lot of concepts in my head through analogies plucked from real life. I'm still a tad shaky on string theory, but I do have a better understanding of black holes than I did before. This is what a layman's science book should be like: no equations or jargon, lots of pictures, and a very friendly narrative tone. ( )

For the most part I was following along, up to chapter seven or so. Then I encountered portions where my eyes glazed over and I had to skim the details, just trying to grasp the big picture. While the presentation is very good (especially in the illustrated edition), there's a lot here to retain. The humour was welcome, and I can always appreciate a good metaphor. The Einstein biography I read last autumn provided a stepping stool, and this book in turn provides good background for understanding certain science-fiction novels more clearly (e.g. Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War", Dan Simmons' "Ilium", etc.). I'm sorry that I'll most likely never have the pleasure of attending a Stephen Hawking lecture, I'm sure it would be fascinating. ( )

Well-written enough that 95% was still comprehensible while listening to the audio version. ( )

It was nice to revisit this book, I read the original back in early 1996, and this edition came out in 1998. A Brief History of Time was the first book that pushed me toward the idea of a bigger and more complex reality than I assumed. Honestly thirteen years after my first read, I can't say what is different, better or worse, but as a whole I enjoyed the read.

Stephen Hawking covers pretty much all the big questions of the universe, what are space and time, and what (little) do we know about them. Why is the universe expanding, and a myriad of topics related, such as what fuels it, and will it ever cease. He discusses Black Holes, Time Travel, particles and the Arrow of time. He even includes such big topics as the origin and fate of the entire universe.

One thing I like now (and liked when I first read the book) was his ability to mix simplified data with complex data. So the reader doesn't necessarily felt talked down to, the book is understandable (as much as anything dealing with quantum physics is) through just his explanations, but more information is there for those who can process more on the detailed parts.

His humour and humility make it a comfortable read, as he confesses his own inability to truly understand or visual the concepts being discussed, or when he lightheartedly talks about humanity being incinerated when the Sun explodes. It might not be the most up-to-date book on the subject, but I was more rereading it for the personal experience, than to read something on the cutting edge, all in all, I enjoyed working my way through it again. ( )