The Universe in a Nutshell

As some who has been fascinated with astronomy and related subjects for more than 7 decades, I am always seeking out books and other material to increase my knowledge. This is why when I saw this 216-page hard cover edition while browsing on Amazon (The universe in a nutshell by Stephen Hawking) I decided to purchase this fantastic book.This book is filled with clear and detailed illustrations. This volume provides an overview of numerous research discoveries that have changed the way we think about the cosmos. This book was written after his most popular bestselling book, “ A brief history of time.”This excellent book is organized into 7 chapters covering the following material: “A brief history of relativity, the shape of time, the universe in a nutshell, predicting the future, protecting the past, our future Star Trek or not, and brane new world.”The late Stephen Hawking has a unique way of explaining the complex astronomical and cosmological theories in a way that even non-scientists understand. If you are a fan of Stephen Hawking’s books this is one you may want to check out.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Tactical principles of the most effective Combative Systems).

Bought this for my granddaughter who wants to go into Astro physics. She loves it.

Well written by a master - used to gain insight into the cutting edge of physics and cosmology.

Scholarship is great. But you know what? Most real scholarship is rare and is probably incommunicable. Enter a book like this with wonderful color illustrations, a writer with a reasonable sense of humor, and a text that gives if you work on it. Yes, I said work. There is no other way. Books have to be read; it is the only way of discovering what they contain. Worst luck, it takes time and energy. But the rewards are great and will include your being a welcome asset at dinner parties, especially those parties that discuss the origin of the universe, the nature of matter, the distortion of space-time by gravity, and the possibilities of time loops working backward.I read A Brief History of Time, the first book by Stephen, and found much repetition in this his follow-up book. And like a dummy I paid full price at the local Barnes and Noble for The Universe in a Nutshell when I should have ordered from Amazon. After reading the book and rereading it, I ordered three as Christmas gifts for my children. I wanted to share with them the knowledge that: 1. The universe is awesome. 2. Our current understanding of the universe is awesome too. And 3. This masterpiece by one of the awesome physicist-mathematicians of our time is awesome as well.

Stephen Hawking, who died in 2018, was a preeminent physicist, and this is one of several books that he wrote describing physics for a non-mathematical audience. In it he discusses such things as whether time had a beginning, the nature of black holes, and progress toward a complete unified theory to explain the universe. I found the book fascinating, primarily for the science but also for incidental remarks about the scientists.To my surprise, it was a fairly quick read, the prose free of abtruse contortions, and the text interspersed with diagrams and illustrations. That said, there were times when I was deeply perplexed. I read chapter two twice to understand it better, and there were five places in the subsequent chapters where I wrote question marks to indicate my confusion. Chapter six, where Hawking turns from physics to biology and computers, appealed to me less than the rest of the book. (I found myself questioning his assertions there in a way that I didn't in the physics sections.)I mentioned that I found this a quicker read than I'd expected. The downside to that is that I'd have appreciated more detail, but that may be hard to achieve without getting into nitty-gritty mathematics. Overall, this strikes me as a very good introduction to the areas of theoretical physics that Hawking studied. Interested readers, myself included, can then scurry away to find further books on the subject. Highly recommended.About my book reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

Extremely happy with the collectible book in perfect condition including transcription inside hard shell book binder / cover. 😃 📕Seller was also very kind and helpful, who quickly was able to answer a bunch of questions I had about it, and done so in a personable way, and shared even more history about it’s origins and the prior owner (who was a prolific scientist and engineer!).Would highly recommend purchase anything from this trustworthy and helpful seller.

Hubby loves it. Anything to do with outer space, history, etc. he is all for it.

As always, Steve knocked it out of the park! I would highly recommend this book to anyone (and have had), if for no other reason, it will make you THINK - and ask questions! Some of it will be over most people's heads, but the concepts are presented in a most understandable way (I have a BSEE degree and am a big fan of astrophysics). I am so sorry Steve is no longer with us to tease our brains, but his words live on! RIP Steve Hawking, you are missed.