Customer Reviews
Outstanding listen 
2008-07-24
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 
2008-07-20
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? 2008-07-19
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.
Easiest One Yet to Read and Understand 2008-07-18
Of all of Hawking's books, and I believe I own and have read them all, this one is by far the easiest to read and understand. Difficult topics to comprehend are taken step by step, mostly in laymen's terms, from the beginnings of astronomy thru current efforts to find a unified theory for everything. If you really want to begin to understand our place in the universe this is a good place to start, followed by earlier books written by Dr. Hawking. You can knock this book out on a Saturday morning a dazzle your friends with your newfound knowledge on Saturday night.
Scientifically exciting 2008-07-03
This is an excellent book. It is easy to understand with good illustrations. I liked the first book, A Brief History of Time, and this one was even better with more illustrations and updated information including information on the string theory.
Decent, short book with color illustrations 
2008-07-01
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.
a more understanble approach for the layman 2008-06-29
Hawking is the foremost physicist in the world, occupying the Newton chair at Oxford and he has attempted to explain in lay terms the complex mathematics underlying the structure of the universe. He is very helpful in a culture which pays so little attention to science
Briefer review 2008-06-13
Some of the most complex topics in physics are presented in an entertaining and understandable way. The kind of book you read in one sitting.
Concepts without the math 2008-06-09
I thought this book was awesome. I never read the first one, but I couldn't putthis one down. Pretty understandable and perfect for those of us that should have been physics majors but did something else instead.
Life, the universe and everything for everybody 2008-06-05
I haven't read "A Brief History of Time", but this book is written in a style that is easily understandable, even though the concepts discussed may be far beyond anything you might think about in your day-to-day life.
Definitely a five star read!
