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    A Briefer History of Time
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    A Briefer History of Time
    Unavailable
    A Briefer History of Time
    Audiobook4 hours

    A Briefer History of Time

    Written by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

    Narrated by Erik Davies

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    FROM ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT MINDS OF OUR TIME COMES A BOOK THAT CLARIFIES HIS MOST IMPORTANT IDEAS

    Stephen Hawking's worldwide bestseller A Brief History of Time remains a landmark volume in scientific writing. But for readers who have asked for a more accessible formulation of its key concepts-the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, and the history and future of the universe-A Briefer History of Time is Professor Hawking's response.

    Although "briefer," this book is much more than a mere explanation of Hawking's earlier work. A Briefer History of Time both clarifies and expands on the great subjects of the original, and records the latest developments in the field-from string theory to the search for a unified theory of all the forces of physics. A Briefer History of Time is an exhilarating and must-have addition in its own right to the great literature of science and ideas.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 27, 2005
    ISBN9780739321881
    Unavailable
    A Briefer History of Time
    Author

    Stephen Hawking

    Stephen Hawking was a brilliant theoretical physicist and is generally considered to have been one of the world’s greatest thinkers. He held the position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for thirty years and is the author of A Brief History of Time, which was an international bestseller. His other books for general readers include A Briefer History of Time, the essay collection Black Holes and Baby Universes, The Universe in a Nutshell, The Grand Design, and Black Holes: The BBC Reith Lectures, as well as the books in the George’s Secret Key series. He died in 2018.

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    Reviews for A Briefer History of Time

    4/5

    471 ratings25 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      An outstanding overview of various scientific theories (Newtonian, General Theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, String Theory) along with various cosmological concepts. Covered in an easy to understand, entertaining manner. A truly profound introductory read.
    • 4/5
      As its name suggests, this is a shorter, and less technical, version of the great scientist's most famous work, which I have read to mark his recent passing. It covers in fairly crisp form the main historical developments in our understanding of the history of the universe, and the nature of time and space, and sub-atomic physics. In places, it still got a bit too technical for a lay reader like me, but for the most part offered a fairly easily digestible summary of some mind-blowing theories and chains of reasoning. This is mind-expanding stuff, that puts our concerns on planet Earth into a unique perspective. The diagrams I thought were not very good, though.
    • 4/5
      I'm no expert on this stuff, and much of it was over my head, but I was still fascinated. I might need to go over it a few more times to let some of the really abstract concepts sink in. For this initial pass, I just let a few of the denser explanations pass by me. I did learn that the universe is much stranger than I previously thought. It also gave me greater respect for science as a discipline, in mathematically modeling and quantifying its findings, and in being ready to question all assumptions and shed old conclusions when the evidence starts to point elsewhere.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant book written by a passionate man that explains our quest to knowledge and also sets up the expectations. All the scientific principles are explained in easy to follow language thus making its lecture a thrilling experience.
    • 4/5
      Mind=Blown
    • 4/5
      Hawking does a good job of explaining the unexplainable though it's still not accessible for a general audience. As a physician, I found this book valuable for a better general primer on physics, yet I doubt the average reader will find this unlocks the mysteries of the Universe for them.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic explanation of exotic science.
    • 3/5
      Explains quite well the very complex material. It is however still hard work to get most of it.
    • 4/5
      As stated by the authors, this was easier to digest than its predecessor. Since I have a very limited understanding of science, I appreciated the straight forward style of this book.
    • 4/5
      In this (companion? sequel?) to A Brief History of Time, Hawking goes into more depth regarding some of the more intriguing aspects of the first book. It's quite an easy read and really gets you thinking.
    • 4/5
      This is the updated and shortened version of the phenomenal A Brief History of Time. I loved the first one, and quite liked this one, as well. It's an intro piece to another book: Lisa Randall's Warped Passages (also phenomenal).
    • 4/5
      A more concise version of the already condensed physics primer, this book still packs a scientific wallop. Short and not at all sweet, Hawking takes you back through high school and collegiate level physics in an entertaining and informative way. For people like myself who are not astrophysicists, the last two chapters elicited more brow furrowing that I am proud to admit. All in all, not a bad way to spend your time.
    • 5/5
      This was an excellent book for those who want to learn about such things, but do not have a strong background in physics, cosmology, or other such sciences.
    • 5/5
      There's nothing like the contemplation of the universe for making one feel simultaneously awe struck and incredibly insignificant.

      Kind of random, but I loved Hawking's frequent use of the exclamation mark. For example::

      "However, when an antiparticle and a particle meet, they annihilate each other. So if you meet your antiself, don't shake hands - you would both vanish in a great flash of light!"
      and
      "The supermassive black hole has a star orbiting it at about 2 percent the speed of light, faster than the average speed of an electron orbiting the nucleus in an atom!"

      His pure excitement regarding the subject matter and specific points being made is almost palpable. I wanted to yell "Preach it, Mr. Hawking! Science is awesome!"

      I also learned, much to my surprise, that the world apparently doesn't revolve around me.

    • 4/5
      Renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking provides a concise follow-up to his best-selling "A Brief History of Time" in this slim volume. He boils it down to the most essential concepts pertaining to scientific understanding of the universe, space and time from the ancient Greeks to the present. I must concede that I learned at least 90% of this material in high school physics class, still, Hawking presents it the material in a fresh, witty way and has included more recent theories. Hawking gives a cogent summary of the essential points of Einstein's theory of relativity, as well as the quantum mechanics of Planck and others. The prose is highly readable to general audiences without being dumbed down- which is a formidable task within itself. Unlike his "Brief History of Time" which reads like a wonkish college course in astrophysics or cosmology, "A Briefer History of Time" is readily accessible to non-scientific readers. He also incorporates some more recent theories and discoveries, including developments in string theory and others. I highly recommend this book to any general reader looking for a fascinating, concise crash course on the space-time continuum and the essential scientific underpinnings to how the universe functions and evolves. If you want the wonkish details and to delve deeper into the technical science, I also recommend the original "A Brief History of Time."
    • 3/5
      In short: a quick and fun read with a disappointing final chapter. Also, unless you're feeling nostalgic about your school years, you really should choose the longer version.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books I've ever read. Stephen Hawking puts complex matters into such simple terms, an average 6th grade student could comprehend easily.
    • 1/5
      Another entertaining book of Stephen Hawking beliefs and mere speculation. What? Is believing about unproven unknown is science. I don't believe in his speculation and belief. Well if that is the case, science is all about faith.
    • 5/5
      great audiobook, I enjoyed listening to it. It's very informative.
    • 4/5
      A concise and engaging overview of cosmological theory and argument as it currently stands. Spoiled only in the closing chapters by reference to God's relationship to physics, and the claim that an understanding of physical cosmological theory need not exclude a belief in God. Essentially the addition of the God references come over as an effort to placate American Christian fundamentalist. Theology in a science text is inappropriate.
    • 4/5
      Of course a masterpiece
      But could be a little esoteric and abstruce but hey what do you expect when one of the greatest minds on earth speaks his mind!!?

      Loved it
      And actually loved that is it not too pedantic

      Highly recommended
    • 2/5
      Eric Davies is a wonderful reader, with a mellow voice that makes the material even more interesting. Unfortunately, this is probably not the best subject for an audiobook for a commute for someone like me with little background in physics. I found that I had to listen to sections over and over, and even then I did not always completely understand what was being discussed. The last CD in the audiobook is “enhanced” with a PDF of pictures from the book that you can view on your computer. What would have made it better would have been some animations of some of the concepts discussed in the book (orbits, parallax, the Doppler effect, etc.) which would have been more effective than a still illustration. The audiobook also includes a reading of the glossary, which I found rather puzzling.
    • 4/5
      Although “briefer,” this book is much more than a mere explanation of Hawking’s earlier work. A Briefer History of Time both clarifies and expands on the great subjects of the original, and records the latest developments in the field—from string theory to the search for a unified theory of all the forces of physics. Thirty-seven full-color illustrations enhance the text and make A Briefer History of Time an exhilarating and must-have addition in its own right to the great literature of science and ideas.
    • 3/5
      I can only call this 'interesting'.This is a good, accessible read on cosmology, but it seriously lacks depth. Instead, it flits to-and-fro different areas of physics, always making space for a God. Why? He's the only one that knows.A Brief History… is far superior, if you can manage it. If not, I would recommend avoiding this book, instead looking toward Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell or, possibly, The Grand Design (I'm still to read the latter, but I've flicked through my copy and it looks much better).
    • 4/5
      This was a great little book, even better than its predecessor, "A Brief History of Time" which is one of the best selling books of all time. This book is a lot thinner than the original, but actually covers a greater amount of information. Dr. Hawking has a terrific way with words and the ability to explain extremely complex things like quantum physics in lay terms that anyone can grasp and understand. This book isn't going to give you a terrific scientific education, but it will certainly fill in a lot of gaps and at least enable you to understand the highlights of what makes the universe the way it is. It was well written, nicely illustrated, easy to read and understand. The only real complaint I had about it was that it's format was too large to fit into my purse easily, so it was impossible for me to cart around with me to read at odd moments. It was the book on my bedside table, and it was interesting enough that it didn't put me right to sleep.