A Briefer History of Time | 
 enlarge | Authors: Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow
Publisher: Bantam
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
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Rating:  62 reviews
Sales Rank: 2405
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 176
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6
ISBN: 0553385461
Dewey Decimal Number: 523.1
EAN: 9780553385465
ASIN: 0553385461
Publication Date: May 13, 2008
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Product Description
Stephen Hawking’s worldwide bestseller, A Brief History of Time, has been a landmark volume in scientific writing. Its author’s engaging voice is one reason, and the compelling subjects he addresses is another: the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, the history and future of the universe. But it is also true that in the years since its publication, readers have repeatedly told Professor Hawking of their great difficulty in understanding some of the book’s most important concepts.
This is the origin of and the reason for A Briefer History of Time: its author’s wish to make its content more accessible to readers—as well as to bring it up-to-date with the latest scientific observations and findings.
Although this book is literally somewhat “briefer,” it actually expands on the great subjects of the original. Purely technical concepts, such as the mathematics of chaotic boundary conditions, are gone. Conversely, subjects of wide interest that were difficult to follow because they were interspersed throughout the book have now been given entire chapters of their own, including relativity, curved space, and quantum theory.
This reorganization has allowed the authors to expand areas of special interest and recent progress, from the latest developments in string theory to exciting developments in the search for a complete unified theory of all the forces of physics. Like prior editions of the book—but even more so—A Briefer History of Time will guide nonscientists everywhere in the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 57 more reviews...
 Brief, informative, enjoyable October 5, 2008
As the almost forgotten Mr. Rumsfeld observed, there are known unknowns and then there are unknown unknowns. Some of us are curious enough to at least wonder about the former. Most of the rest of us lack the time or the dedication or, let's admit it, the intellectual capacity to take the hard journey to the frontiers between what we know or we believe we know today and what's on the other side - and the frontiers are moving farther and farther away from us. It takes a down-to-Earth genius like Stephen Hawking to give us a guided tour to the current limits of human knowledge and back and we can even get a hint of what may be lying across the border. It's a high altitude flight and very little experience is necessary for us to follow our guide but, when it's over, most of us are likely to agree that we gained a better understanding of the world in which we live than we had before we started reading. Unless we are string theorists ourselves, of course :)
I found the book to be relatively easy to read, interesting and informative. Even the little digressions into Newton's 'real' character (not a very nice person) were welcome. It is, indeed, a history, in the sense that it maps the human understanding of reality as it grew and evolved in time.
In the end... I still have no idea what TIME really is (does anyone?) but I enjoyed reading the book because, many time, I had the feeling that 'aha, I DO understand this now'.
Great read!!! September 28, 2008
I have not read the earlier version of this book yet, but this one was great. I was able to read it in two sittings. He uses pictures and describes everything in detail to make it easier to understand. That being said, this book is not for the faint of heart, but he does an excellent job over all.
Outstanding listen July 24, 2008
I purchased the audio version of the book; complex topic made amazingly simple in a superb narration.
If all audiobooks are this good, I will look forward to my 27 mile commute to work!
 Modern Physics for Dummies July 20, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Briefer isn't always better. While this treatment is much more accessible than the merely Brief version, it is disappointing by not exploring the more paradoxical and complex issues of quantum uncertainty and paired-particles.
If you haven't read Hawkings before, read this book first. If you are still curious, then read the denser, "merely brief" version for a fuller treatment.
Modern Cosmology For Dummies? July 19, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I've heard it said that Stephen Hawking's 1988 bestseller A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME is the book everybody owns but hardly anyone has read. In this 2005 book Hawking adds an "er" to the title and makes the content much more accessible to a lay audience while bringing them up to date with the latest developments in string theory and the discovery of dark energy. In 150 pages everything important in the field is discussed from the work of early astronomers to the possibility of time travel. Helpful color pictures/diagrams are included as well as a glossary of terms related to the content. The writing may be a little dry in a few places but when the book is finished the reader will have a much better understanding of the difficult but fascinating concepts addressed.
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