A Briefer History of Time
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4.0 • 22 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Like prior editions of the book - but even more so - A Briefer History of Time will guide non-scientists everywhere in the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space . . .
This is Stephen Hawking's somewhat 'briefer' account of his up-to-date and most recent scientific observations and findings. A great companion to his original worldwide bestseller, A Brief History of Time.
From curved space to quantum theory, the authors have expanded on areas of special interest and recent progress, such as developments in string theory and exciting progress in the search for a force of complete, unified theory of all the forces of physics.
Thirty-eight full-colour illustrations enhance the text and make A Briefer History of Time an exhilarating addition in its own right to the literature of science.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the 17 years since the publication of A Brief History of Time, Dr. Hawking's bestselling exposition of physics, new data from particle physics and observational astronomy have shed light on efforts to find a Grand Unified Theory of Everything that Hawking and Mlodinow use to enhance and update their answers to basic questions about the universe: where it's going and how it began. Discussed at length are the mysterious dark matter and dark energy-both of which can only be observed by their gravitational effects and are believed to make up 90 percent of the universe. Another area of research that has exploded in the past 20 years is string theory. Hawking and Mlodinow provide one of the most lucid discussions of this complex topic ever written for a general audience. Readers will come away with an excellent understanding of the apparent contradictions and conundrums at the forefront of contemporary physics. Recognizing that much of their audience will also be science fiction buffs, they include a chapter on the possibility of time travel. "Don't bet on it," the authors advise. Throughout these discussions, the authors maintain the same wry, lively tone that made the original Brief History such a delight. They close with a discussion of where physics ends and philosophy begins, "Why does the universe exist at all?" They cannot provide the answer, but they do provide an immense amount of food for thought. Highly recommended.
Customer Reviews
Even better than the original!
Even better, and more up-to-date, than the original Brief History. If you don't have either, this is the only version you need. It's just as comprehensive as the original but with even clearer explanations, a better structure, and newer discoveries (such as the accelerating expansion of the Universe).