A Brief History of Time

By: Stephen Hawking

Narrated by: Michael Jackson

Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

This landmark book is for those of us who prefer words to equations; this is the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge, the ongoing search for the secrets at the heart of time and space. Its author, Stephen W. Hawking, is arguably the greatest mind since Einstein. From the vantage point of the wheelchair, where he has spent the last 20 years trapped by Lou Gehrig's disease, Professor Hawking has transformed our view of the universe. A Brief History of Time is Hawking's classic introduction to today's most important scientific ideas about the cosmos. It is read here by the Emmy Award-winning host of The Michael Jackson Show on KABC-TV.

©1988 Stephen W. Hawking (P)2005 Phoenix Books, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A masterful summary of what physicists now think the world is made of and how it got that way." (The Wall Street Journal)

"Lively and provocative, Hawking clearly possesses a natural teacher's gift, easy, good-natured humor, and an ability to illustrate highly complex propositions with analogies plucked from daily life." (The New York Times)

very well done

While it was odd hearing Hawking's words without his computer generated voice it was clear that his genius is not only in physics but also it was applied here to clearly relate and explain extremely complex ideas to a non-scientist audience. Many physicists and other scientists are brilliant in their field but cannot relate this to non-scientist.

Enlightening and Helpful

This book fascinates me in its ability to convey very complicated concepts in simple explanations. Examples really illustrate the concepts. I listen to it again and again to let the concepts sink in.

I also use texts like this to help with insomnia because it fatigues my mind as I wrestle with the concepts. I do the same thing with calculus textbooks, though I love calculus. This is no insult to this book, it only means the concepts are abstract enough to fatigue a mind that refuses to slow down for sleep.

A glimpse into a brilliant man's thoughts....

After the passing of Dr. Hawking this has become a must read for physics enthusiasts, it's a wonderful read as well as insightful.

Awful narration

Good lord. the narrator says, "Uh," a few dozen times while reading this book. He also leaves long pauses in awkward spots, and you can hear him turning pages. It's pretty bad.

I Gained Something by Reading This

Though I certainly struggled to follow at many points of the book, particularly once quantum theory was introduced, I feel like I really gained something by reading it. I will note that I was a bit conflicted about the reader. The occasional pauses, uhs, and audible page turns did not have the feel of the more polished readings on audible, and were occasionally distracting. most of the time it was fairly charming, though, and whenever I heard him spontaneously chuckle at one of Hawking's jokes it warmed my heart.

Very wonderfully read

I enjoyed this content very much. Was very well read and is an execellent book

Great for learning

This book is great if you're looking to learn more about physics.I would highly recommend it.

bien

excelentes descripciones. Muy recomendable para los que somos curiosos y queremos escuchar a s científicos

Basically well done, just outdated now

Much of the theories in the book have been long since disproven such as the universe expanding and slowing followed by " the Big Crunch". This had been now shown that the universe is actually expanding at an ever increasing rate and will end in a quiet fade to dark. But at the time this was written this information was not known. No fault of the author as things change as new discoveries are made. Still worth a listen.

And expose of theoretical physics and cosmology.

This is an in ordinate Lee lucid presentation of complex astrophysics which may allow for why dissemination of the important series of modern thought.