A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes

Written by Stephen Hawking

Narrated by Michael Jackson

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

One of the greatest minds of our time explores profound questions such as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends?

Told in language we all can understand, A Brief History of Time plunges into the exotic realms of black holes and quarks, of antimatter and “arrows of time,” of the big bang and a bigger God—where the possibilities are wondrous and unexpected. Stephen Hawking brings us closer to the ultimate secrets at the very heart of creation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phoenix Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9781607472209

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.

Reviews for A Brief History of Time

[mattmcmanus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Though there are parts I'm sure I did not completely understand, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What surprised me was how much this very scientific book is also a book on philosophy and the nature of God. Those thoughts were some of his most engaging.

[antao-3 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 1987)Will having read Hawking's book help me understand the way a horse-fly "grasps" the arrow of time?For starters, I'm great at killing horse-flies by hand. Should I get some black pyjamas and a balaclava and become a ninja? And there was me thinking that the horse-fly's all round vision and short nerve pathway had something to do with their reaction speed. Being a horse-fly-killing-ninja, what do I need Hawking’s book for? Move aside Hawking!The best investment I made was a high voltage zapper in the shape of a tennis racquet, hours of Jedi entertainment and aerobic exercise from a pound shop. Has anyone tried downing a horse-fly with a laser to see if they are indeed faster than light? Many hours of fun at my Granny's house...I suppose there are flies and flies. House-flies are damned elusive but horse-flies, which are only a little bigger, are dozy buggers, although persistent and aware of the advantages of mass attack. Tsetse-flies are of similar disposition.I could postulate time is the same for us and the horse-fly: a solid turd moving at 1 m/s will have the same speed for both. But if a horse-fly can perceive at a faster rate, and if its reactions are faster than ours, it is living in stretched time (i.e. it can perceive more, and do more in one second than we can). Then, even though perception of time is subjective, and time remains the same for two objects moving at similar speeds, the horse-fly will have more time to live (a longer life) in one second than we do. Of course, they have a shorter life span, so we catch up to them over time :) I have swatted many a horse-fly head-on with a regular fly-swatter using some corollaries resulting directly from my own theorem “How to Kill Juicy Horse-Flies without a Horse-Fly-Swatter”.A final thought before the “bottom-line”: What’s the last thing to go through a flies head when it hits a car windscreen.......Its arse. Ta daahhh!!Bottom-line: Time is a measure of perception. Time is the expression of our reality. Our perception changes the reality. What perception of time would a horse-fly have? Our perception is based on the size and shape of our planet and its closer neighbours. Minutes and seconds, days and weeks, years and ages, and many others. Would a juicy horse-fly see day and night and count them? Could a horse-fly perceive time at all, or is it in the now only, with nothing to measure time with? Or is a horse-fly here and not here, in a quantum kind of way? Maybe an horse-fly is just me in another Multiverse…My brain is now moving so fast I appear stunned as I sit with my fly-swatter contemplating black flies, mosquitos, and .........oh my 'noseeums'. Biting midges are definitely in a quantum reality here in Lisbon, not to mention solid flying turds... And no. You don't need this book to be able to kill horse-flies with a fly-swatter or barehanded. It's all in the wrist you see...

[Paul T Hoffman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Difficult concepts explained so well that even a layman, such as myself, can exit each chapter profoundly educated on the science behind the fundamental underpinning s of our reality.

[Ras · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a bit fun and challenging and informative.

[berthashaver · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This books tries to scientifically answer the big question "Where did we come from and where are we going?" This fascinating read took me back to my college science class days explaining the natural laws that govern the universe. Unfortunately, science does not completely answer all our questions. There are always some unknowns...."With the success of scientific theories in describing events, most people have come to believe that God allows the universe to evolve according to a set of laws and does not intervene in the universe to break these laws. However, the laws to not tell us what the universe should have looked like when it started--it would still be up to God to wind up the clockwork and choose how to start it off. So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really completely self-contained, having no boundary or edge,it would have neither beginning nor end: it would simply be. What place then, for a creator?"

[andrewlovesoldbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Self = geek. With that admission out of the way, this book is a lot of fun. Hawking, an uber-genius, has an almost boyish sense of wonder at the makeup of the universe. Note that since the writing of this book, the author has altered some of his theories, especially with regard to singularities.

[benfulton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can't really say if I think this is a great book or not. To my mind, it leans too far in the direction of the layman, glossing over mathematics and detailed explanations in favor of overviews and quick touches on a lot of subjects. I suppose that's how it became "brief". But I don't think it compares to other great science books like Godel, Escher, Bach or some of Einstein's books on relativity that were also aimed at the non-expert.

[RebeccaRue · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review isn’t about the content of the book, but the narration: the narrator, strangely, says “um” and “uh” quite a lot, in a sort of conversational way. It’s still worth a listen, I just found that aspect sort of jarring and a bit annoying (don’t add things the author didn’t write!) Personal preference I suppose

[justine_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A classic of science for the popular audience. But very dense, a tough read, not too dumbed down.

[chersbookitlist · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love books about the origins, workings and mysteries of the universe, and books by Stephen Hawking in particular. He makes the complex and unfathomable more accessible to the layperson using very entertaining prose.

[jrthebutler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A concise but sometimes overwhelming explanation of time, the origins of the universe, and Einstein's theory of relativity.

[plenilune · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eminently readable and graspable. My brain is not wired for physics but Hawking makes it fun to read. Tough in spots (at least for someone who struggles w/ science in general and physics in particular) but worth it. Also, he's funny.

[jmcdbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rated: C+difficult to stay on his plan of thought regarding space and time; he presents theories of how the universe began & will end; references to God are from New Age perspective vs. Creator

[razinha-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read the illustrated version bundled with The Universe in a Nutshell, but decided to set the latter aside for some time next year. This was a re-read, but with a few more years behind me and a broader awareness of the subject, I took in more this time around. One of the New Scientist top 25 most influential popular science books (August 2012) that made the final reader vote cut in the number two spot of the top ten. I had read I think five of them already, this being one, and decided I would work through them all.

Despite some of the not-so-glowing comments on Goodreads, I found the subjects covered very accessible. Excellent read, particularly when paired with Lawrence Krauss and Brian Greene.

[duranfan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a big fan of Carl Sagan's Cosmos series back in the 70s, I love this book. Hawking does an incredible job of explaining physics and cosmology in layman's terms. I remember reading about Quantum Physics and having complete understand of how it all worked. I couldn't explain it now, but while reading it, it all made perfect sense. Amazing read.

[malexmave · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very interesting read about the history of physics. Hawking manages to explain the concepts behind many old and new theories in physics, and even though it gets a bit hard to follow in the end, I nevertheless enjoyed the read.

[vinbert-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This series just gets better and better! I find myself waiting in anticipation for the last one!

[kayprime · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Considering that I haven't taken a physics class since high shcool, I started this book expecting to follow only a minority of the information presented. However, Hawking does an excellent job explaining complex mathematical theories in the most basic of terms.Even so, the book did require my undivided attention and still I couldn't follow every single idea. (For example: it was difficult for me to wrap my mind around imaginary time and to think in four dimensions.)I absolutely loved this book (so much, in fact, that I read it twice) and can't wait to read more from Hawking. I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the universe in which they live ranging from the extraordinarily vast (general theory of relativity) to the extraordinarily small (quantum mechanics) and the search for the Theory of Everything (uniting the two theories in a quantum theory of gravity).

[amerynth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stephen Hawking says in "A Brief History of Time" that his book is one of the most owned but unread. He says he's sold one book for every 750 people on Earth!It's a shame that those copies go unread... Hawking's book is a pretty readable lesson on physics and the general ideas behind work relating to space and time.I've never taken a physics class and mostly found the book interesting. As his thoughts grew more complex at the end of chapters, I did find myself getting a bit lost (mainly because some of these concepts are beyond me.) However, Hawking frequently "dumbs things down" by giving concrete real world examples that help at least provide a general idea. Glad I read this one, though it did confirm that a career path in science was not for me!

[natejordon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hawking presents a scientific and philosophical view of the universe via the most complicated theories of mathematics and science in layman's terms. That said, the book requires a second reading. There's so much intriguing information in the book's 191 pages that on a first reading, I believe it would be difficult for anyone (without advanced knowledge of astrophysics, quantum mechanics, etc.) to conceptualize all the book contains and postulates. Nonetheless, an incredible book for anyone asking such questions as: how did we get here and where are we going? among others.

[spaceyacey · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The introduction to relativity was good. The ideas he attempts to explain are too complex for words without equations or at least some technical detail. I don't see why books on physics are either 90% or 0% equations.

His explanation for why nothing exists before the big bang concerns me. Current theories cannot predict events beyond a singularity — hence history before the Big Bang doesn't exist. I've seen him answer the question of pre-Big Bang history on television, instead of telling people 'We have no idea' he makes it sound like we know that nothing existed previously. The two statements are equivalent to logical positivists, but not to anyone else. Statements like these can give the wrong idea to people about science.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Let's just get this part out of the way. I am the epitome of the lay person when it comes to physics. I could understand the book's introduction, general statements, and conclusion. That's about it. So, for what it's worth, my take away is that humans continue to be driven to make meaning of their existence and scientists do so by trying to find absolutes.

[nmg1-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

not for your average layman, but if you have an interest in space/physics it is definitely worth a read.

[cohenja · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was a math major, and I took the physics required of math majors- admittedly not that much at the University at Buffalo. Still, I have always believed that I should understand books on relativity and quantum theory, at least at the level of a laymen. But after reading several books on these topics, supposedly written for the layperson level, and capping off that series with Hawking's book, I am finally disabused of this belief forever. Yes, the book omits the math that Hawking used to theorize, but the book is still inaccessible to those without a deep background in physics. I plodded through the book, and nearly made it to the end, but I had to conclude that it was hopeless for me to understand. I gave it three stars out respect for Hawking, but I would understand any star level for this book.

[carebear36 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very thought provoking read.I'd love to say I understood everything in this book, but having never taken a physics coarse, there were some things that were difficult for me to understand. However, I think Hawking does a good job of simplifying the information and giving real-world examples that make the concepts easier to digest. His various jokes and light hearted tone also made the book entertaining. I enjoyed this book and think it is an important resource to bring theory to laypeople in order to gain knowledge of the universe and how we as humans have come to understand it.

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For the most part I was following along, up to chapter seven or so. Then I encountered portions where my eyes glazed over and I had to skim the details, just trying to grasp the big picture. While the presentation is very good (especially in the illustrated edition), there's a lot here to retain. The humour was welcome, and I can always appreciate a good metaphor. The Einstein biography I read last autumn provided a stepping stool, and this book in turn provides good background for understanding certain science-fiction novels more clearly (e.g. Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War", Dan Simmons' "Ilium", etc.). I'm sorry that I'll most likely never have the pleasure of attending a Stephen Hawking lecture, I'm sure it would be fascinating.

[martin444_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would say one would really need to be a mathematician with a major grounding in theoretical physics or at least have a lot more spare time than I do to fully appreciate what this work contains. That may suggest the author lacked the ability to explain his subject but I think it has more to do with the extraordinary difficulty of the subject so I admired his attempt to explain it to people like me (with little physics in my background) and suggest he probably did the best job possible.

[rose999-383069 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ha, what can you say about this book? I liked it a lot, the concepts are extremely difficult to grasp at times but we are talking about theories that are being worked on by some of the most intelligent people on the planet and these people have dedicated their lives to it, of course you won't understand it perfectly with a 300 pages book, that's not the point.

The point is to get a surface idea of everything, and in that way the book is successful, the difficult concepts are explained in the most simple manner they can be and even though some paragraphs may take a few rereads it's all understandable in the end.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A friend of mine loves this book and has read it more than once. Reassuring, since like me, she doesn't hold a doctorate in the sciences! In fact, as someone who used to do a lot of science reading--I read many a astronomy book by Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan once upon a time--most of the concepts here were very familiar. Well, until we reached the very weird land of quantum mechanics and string theory and imaginary numbers, where I admit I was pretty lost. Hawking gives the history of the science surrounding the ultimate questions of the universe starting from the arguments of Aristotle in 340 B.C. for a round earth to the very strange land of today's physics of quantum mechanics with its different colored quarks and antimatter on the micro level and the strange interstellar beasties of relativistic physics of dark matter, black holes, quasars, and neutron stars and the very weird string theory that might unite both. I do think his explanations are lucid and elegant. I can't remember a better description of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity by explaining its historic relationship to Newton and how the theory tried to answer questions about the relationship between space and time. And Hawking manages to explain some sophisticated concepts without loading the book with jargon or equations. Hawking was also great at explaining how the theory of Relativity fits--or rather doesn't fit--with Quantum Mechanics and the search for a theory that could unify them both. I'm not saying I understood everything in the book. The concepts are counter-intuitive and hard to digest, and there's only so far you can go in explaining difficult subjects in simple terms to people lacking the background. But I understood it better, and certainly got the implications Hawking spelled out. About the only stylistic quirk I had an issue with was Hawking's refusal to use the B-word. (A Briticism?). I find it a lot easier to wrap my mind around ten billion than "ten thousand million." The edition I read was written in 1996, updated from the first edition from 1988 which was a enormous bestseller. In the Foreword to that revised edition, Hawking wrote he thought that "within a few years we should know whether we can believe that we live in a universe that is completely self-contained and without beginning or end." Hawking definitely leaves me wanting to read more to find out the verdict. Worth reading, although not always easy to grasp.

[sjh4255 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Defniitely a must read if you have ever wondered about how the universe and even life on earth came to be and the quest to find the mathematical equation to explain EVERYTHING. Not over the top in terms of equations and math, but is written in a way where anybody could comprehend how specific ideas came to be.