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Introducing Graphic Guides
Introducing Stephen Hawking: A Graphic Guide
Stephen Hawking is the world-famous physicist with a cameo in "The Simpsons on his CV", but outside his academic field his work is little understood. To the public he is a tragic figure - a brilliant scientist and author of the 9 million-copy-selling "A Brief History of Time", and yet confined to a wheelchair and almost completely paralysed. Hawking's major contribution to science has been to integrate the two great theories of 20th-century physics - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. J.P. McEvoy and Oscar Zarate's brilliant graphic guide explores Hawking's life, the evolution of his work from his days as a student, and his breathtaking discoveries about where these fundamental laws break down or overlap, such as on the edge of a Black Hole or at the origin of the Universe itself.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
August 18, 2022
If you are a person who had heard a lot about Stephen Hawking but was not able to read a single book written by him or written about him, this is the best book to start. This one will be a fascinating read for a starter who is new to the world of Stephen Hawking. This is one of my favorite books from the whole introducing series. It will give you the necessary foundation to read and understand more books written by him.
June 1, 2023
This book will introduce you to the black holes and the world of Stephen Hawking. It also discusses a few of his works which will motivate you to read more about him, especially the books written about him, like Travelling to Infinity and books written by him, A Brief History of Time.
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March 14, 2018
مدخل بسيط للتعرف على ستيفن هوكينج وإنجازاته ونظرياته وأرائه المختلفة .. وخاصة تلك المتعلقة بالثقوب السوداء.
في انتظار القراءة له مع قادم الأيام إن شاء الله :)
في انتظار القراءة له مع قادم الأيام إن شاء الله :)
August 7, 2017
اي شخص يريد ان يشرح اي شئ عن الفيزياء علم الكونيات ، فضاء ، جاذبية وغيرها ..يجب عليه اولا ان يشرح نظرية النسبية وعبقرية اينشتين قبل ما يقول كلمة عن الكتاب.
الكتاب بيتكلم عن عبقري اخر وهو هوكنج وحتي يشرح لك انجازات هوكنج كان يجب ان يتحدث عن نيوتن ثم أينشتين وعلماء اخرون كل منهم ساهم بشكل او اخر في نظريات وقوانين علمية مهمة استفدت منها وتعتبر اختصار مفيد وبسيط نوعا ما لبعض نظريات الفيزياء
اكثر جزء أعجبني في الكتاب هو الكلام عن الثقوب السوداء
كتاب جيد
الكتاب بيتكلم عن عبقري اخر وهو هوكنج وحتي يشرح لك انجازات هوكنج كان يجب ان يتحدث عن نيوتن ثم أينشتين وعلماء اخرون كل منهم ساهم بشكل او اخر في نظريات وقوانين علمية مهمة استفدت منها وتعتبر اختصار مفيد وبسيط نوعا ما لبعض نظريات الفيزياء
اكثر جزء أعجبني في الكتاب هو الكلام عن الثقوب السوداء
كتاب جيد
March 19, 2016
Aristoteles ve Batlmayus'un dünya merkezli evreni, Kopernik'in güneş merkezli sistemi, Le Maitre'nin Kozmik Yumurtası ve Hawking'in Sınırsızlık Önermesi yalnızca Evreni ve bizim Evren içindeki yerimizi daha iyi anlama yolunda atılmış birer adım. Yolculuk üzerinde düşünmek, onu anlamak ve ondan keyif almaksa herkesin hakkı
March 14, 2018
وداعا أيها العظيم، وداعا لتداعيات العقل والعبقرية بعدك
July 24, 2020
A surprisingly light read - it could be read in a few sittings.
I don’t feel like I fully understand all his work (applying my GCSE Physics knowledge here...) but I think the author does a good job of discussing the theories in context/history of the field. Although I probably didn’t understand every page perfectly, I have a general idea about his theories and the work they are built on.
Also heartbroken he didn’t get a Nobel (spoiler 😢)
I don’t feel like I fully understand all his work (applying my GCSE Physics knowledge here...) but I think the author does a good job of discussing the theories in context/history of the field. Although I probably didn’t understand every page perfectly, I have a general idea about his theories and the work they are built on.
Also heartbroken he didn’t get a Nobel (spoiler 😢)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2018
الكتاب مهم لكن الترجمة سيئة رغم أن نسختي هي الطبعة الثانية المنقحة
June 27, 2016
This is a frustrating book. Key ideas are tossed out without much or with no explanatory text about how the authors got to their bottom line.* Much of the illustration and text is about Hawking as a personality, functioning at the highest intellectual level despite his disability, with the text breezing through his ideas.
Hawking’s singularity theory, the authors write, is “a point at which time comes to an end and the laws of physics break down.” Does this mean that time is the movement/dissipation of heat energy which stops under a singularity event? Presumably, the same goes for “space” (the authors introduce the idea by referencing “space-time” but then revert just to “time”) because it is bound up in some ultra-contraction event. Interestingly, does this mean that the big bang is not an explosion into pre-existing space, but rather, an explosion that creates space as energy and matter moves outward? This is an interesting question because the authors’ diagram (pp. 82-83) of a big bang scenario has the explosion going outward “into space,” begging the question as to what lies outside the lines of the diagram indicating the explosive expansion.
In a singularity event (“gravitationally collapsed stars,” renamed now as black holes), Hawking says that the “laws of quantum gravity take over.” This is where Einstein’s general relativity (gravitational collapse into a singularity) is a last bastion of classic physics, though the authors are not clear why this is so unless it’s meant that under singularity conditions, gravity pulls matter and energy so tight that no other gravitational effect is possible (no further room to go; is this the infinity of physicists?). One might think that this is too much for energy and matter to handle (a forcing together of sub-sub particles/energy quanta), resulting in an explosion, but Hawking does not go there. But neither does he say that energy and matter remain bound up forever (as the big bang name itself conveys). This moves the discussion into Hawking’s theory on black hole radiation where energy is released and eventually the black hole disappears, its energy having been reintegrated into the cosmic energy field.
The authors describe particles and anti-particles interacting at the boundary of the black hole, with one being absorbed and the other bouncing out and they say that this is the Hawking radiation. How does one make sense of this? The black hole per se does not disappear; rather, the radiation occurs at the black hole boundary, the event horizon. How absorption of “one of the particles into the hole” reduces the black hole’s mass density the authors don’t say.** This all has something to do with entropy and the dissipation of heat energy (movement from hot to cold), though it is not clear how that works. But clearly something is missing from that explanation as the authors later state, simply, that it is in fact the black hole itself that disappears. Quoting Freeman Dyson, the authors write that “A black hole is not absolutely permanent but will ultimately evaporate into pure radiation.” In any event, whatever happens at the event horizon, the authors describe it as the boundary between classical physics (gravity, the pulling of matter-energy into itself under the general theory of relativity) and quantum physics (uncertainty principle and what happens inside of the event horizon) and that it was Hawking, not Einstein, who unites classical and quantum physics.***
The book mentions at the end that the then pope (John Paul) was ok with modern physics to a point. Quoting what the pope reportedly said, the authors write: ‘“ It’s all right to study the evolution of the universe after the big bang, but don’t inquire into the big bang itself, because that’s the moment of creation and therefore the work of God.’”
*E.g., The authors state, for example, that Einstein dismisses the force of gravity, which made it unnecessary therefore “to explain the odd coincidence that inertial and gravitational mass are exactly the same.” The book is filled with these leaping statements that makes it hard for the lay reader to follow its key arguments.
**“Hawking considered what might happen at the surface of a black hole (i.e., at the event horizon), “where the intense gravitational field interacts with these virtual pairs [particle and antiparticle]. It seems the intense gravity at the surface of the black hole can attract one of the particles of the virtual pair into the hole (negative energy), reducing the mass of the black hole, while the other unpaired particle (positive energy) escapes in the form of radiation and can be detected by an outside observer….”
***Hawking “was in effect combining quantum mechanics and general relativity in a single calculation for the very first time.”
Hawking’s singularity theory, the authors write, is “a point at which time comes to an end and the laws of physics break down.” Does this mean that time is the movement/dissipation of heat energy which stops under a singularity event? Presumably, the same goes for “space” (the authors introduce the idea by referencing “space-time” but then revert just to “time”) because it is bound up in some ultra-contraction event. Interestingly, does this mean that the big bang is not an explosion into pre-existing space, but rather, an explosion that creates space as energy and matter moves outward? This is an interesting question because the authors’ diagram (pp. 82-83) of a big bang scenario has the explosion going outward “into space,” begging the question as to what lies outside the lines of the diagram indicating the explosive expansion.
In a singularity event (“gravitationally collapsed stars,” renamed now as black holes), Hawking says that the “laws of quantum gravity take over.” This is where Einstein’s general relativity (gravitational collapse into a singularity) is a last bastion of classic physics, though the authors are not clear why this is so unless it’s meant that under singularity conditions, gravity pulls matter and energy so tight that no other gravitational effect is possible (no further room to go; is this the infinity of physicists?). One might think that this is too much for energy and matter to handle (a forcing together of sub-sub particles/energy quanta), resulting in an explosion, but Hawking does not go there. But neither does he say that energy and matter remain bound up forever (as the big bang name itself conveys). This moves the discussion into Hawking’s theory on black hole radiation where energy is released and eventually the black hole disappears, its energy having been reintegrated into the cosmic energy field.
The authors describe particles and anti-particles interacting at the boundary of the black hole, with one being absorbed and the other bouncing out and they say that this is the Hawking radiation. How does one make sense of this? The black hole per se does not disappear; rather, the radiation occurs at the black hole boundary, the event horizon. How absorption of “one of the particles into the hole” reduces the black hole’s mass density the authors don’t say.** This all has something to do with entropy and the dissipation of heat energy (movement from hot to cold), though it is not clear how that works. But clearly something is missing from that explanation as the authors later state, simply, that it is in fact the black hole itself that disappears. Quoting Freeman Dyson, the authors write that “A black hole is not absolutely permanent but will ultimately evaporate into pure radiation.” In any event, whatever happens at the event horizon, the authors describe it as the boundary between classical physics (gravity, the pulling of matter-energy into itself under the general theory of relativity) and quantum physics (uncertainty principle and what happens inside of the event horizon) and that it was Hawking, not Einstein, who unites classical and quantum physics.***
The book mentions at the end that the then pope (John Paul) was ok with modern physics to a point. Quoting what the pope reportedly said, the authors write: ‘“ It’s all right to study the evolution of the universe after the big bang, but don’t inquire into the big bang itself, because that’s the moment of creation and therefore the work of God.’”
*E.g., The authors state, for example, that Einstein dismisses the force of gravity, which made it unnecessary therefore “to explain the odd coincidence that inertial and gravitational mass are exactly the same.” The book is filled with these leaping statements that makes it hard for the lay reader to follow its key arguments.
**“Hawking considered what might happen at the surface of a black hole (i.e., at the event horizon), “where the intense gravitational field interacts with these virtual pairs [particle and antiparticle]. It seems the intense gravity at the surface of the black hole can attract one of the particles of the virtual pair into the hole (negative energy), reducing the mass of the black hole, while the other unpaired particle (positive energy) escapes in the form of radiation and can be detected by an outside observer….”
***Hawking “was in effect combining quantum mechanics and general relativity in a single calculation for the very first time.”
June 1, 2019
Wonderful book
This book is the best book I read about the Stephen hawking contributions to cosmological, yes it is very simple and avoid the technical details and depend on the mental pictures just as hawking himself used to do after his ALS.
This book is the best book I read about the Stephen hawking contributions to cosmological, yes it is very simple and avoid the technical details and depend on the mental pictures just as hawking himself used to do after his ALS.
May 27, 2018
A beautiful read. While very light (can be easily read in an afternoon while enjoying the wonderful pictures), it doesn't shy away from the concepts it has to explain in order to understand the Professor's legacy.
Every concept shown is first introduced in its historical context: where were we before? What did we know? And which ideas were floating in the air? It moves from the beginning of the XXth Century, when science was believed to be finished, to the atomic revolution during WWII, introducing Oppenheimer and Wheeler as well as their rivalry. It moves to the sixties, to Hawking, to Penrose... Every character is, as should be, put in their corresponding context.
Once the context is well understood, the author makes a pause. He explains the topic at hand, be it the formation and death of stars, thermal radiation or general relativity as well as it can be done without delving into the math. Of course, this may sometimes become, as some other critics have mentioned, hand-wavy and unrigurous: what do they mean by "Imaginary time", for example? However, it must be understood that cosmology, like General Relativity, is born from mathematics, and the concepts often come from mind-bogging abstractions that can't be possibly explained in a (very entertaining, beautifully written) comic book.
But, as I said, the author performs as smoothly as he possibly could have when dealing with such a topic. All in all, a very good read.
Every concept shown is first introduced in its historical context: where were we before? What did we know? And which ideas were floating in the air? It moves from the beginning of the XXth Century, when science was believed to be finished, to the atomic revolution during WWII, introducing Oppenheimer and Wheeler as well as their rivalry. It moves to the sixties, to Hawking, to Penrose... Every character is, as should be, put in their corresponding context.
Once the context is well understood, the author makes a pause. He explains the topic at hand, be it the formation and death of stars, thermal radiation or general relativity as well as it can be done without delving into the math. Of course, this may sometimes become, as some other critics have mentioned, hand-wavy and unrigurous: what do they mean by "Imaginary time", for example? However, it must be understood that cosmology, like General Relativity, is born from mathematics, and the concepts often come from mind-bogging abstractions that can't be possibly explained in a (very entertaining, beautifully written) comic book.
But, as I said, the author performs as smoothly as he possibly could have when dealing with such a topic. All in all, a very good read.
April 7, 2014
I must say I did enjoy every single page of this book! If you care to take interest into our universe and how things work in it, then this book is definitely a good place to start your journey of discovery and gathering of knowledge.
I don't remember much of the physics taught back in school and I was probably also rarely attending the classes. It was no obstacle to perfectly well understand the theories and natural laws described in here. Perhaps I thought a few times there could've been a little less pictures and more information, but all in all you get a pretty good overview of the history of quantum physics up to the birth of the Big Bang theory and further developments until 1995, when the book was launched. Should check for a sequel, if it exists :)
So, no fancy scientific talk in here - totally digestable even to a blondie like me ;)
I don't remember much of the physics taught back in school and I was probably also rarely attending the classes. It was no obstacle to perfectly well understand the theories and natural laws described in here. Perhaps I thought a few times there could've been a little less pictures and more information, but all in all you get a pretty good overview of the history of quantum physics up to the birth of the Big Bang theory and further developments until 1995, when the book was launched. Should check for a sequel, if it exists :)
So, no fancy scientific talk in here - totally digestable even to a blondie like me ;)
February 20, 2016
ربما كان هذا واحداً من أسوأ الكتب ترجمة على الإطلاق، من المؤسف أن مجموعة رائعة مثل (أقدم لك) لم تجد من يعتني أكثر بمستوى ترجمتها.
على كل حال وبالرغم من كل شيء أتممت قراءة الكتاب. يمكن القول أني أصريت على قراءته بسبب الرسوم والشروح الرائعة وبالرغم من الترجمة السيئة.
على كل حال وبالرغم من كل شيء أتممت قراءة الكتاب. يمكن القول أني أصريت على قراءته بسبب الرسوم والشروح الرائعة وبالرغم من الترجمة السيئة.
February 26, 2021
The title, 'Hawking for beginners', implies two things; a biography about Stephen Hawking ('Hawking') and an easy-to-understand explanation of his theories ('for beginners').
And, although the book is now laughably outdated, stemming from 1995 (not the book's fault), I have a pretty good idea of Hawking's life up to that point.
But the explanation of his theories? Well, even though the authors copiously use cartoons and very clearly label exposition regarding his theory as 'what you should know', the pace is absolutely breackneck. I had to reread big chunks of the book before I was ready to move on because I had trouble understanding.
I couldn't resist comparing this book to a book from my childhood. I read a Dutch translation of that one (of this one too), but the original title is either 'Time and space with uncle Albert', 'Black holes and uncle Albert' or 'Uncle Albert and the quantum quest'. I don't have the brain for physics or astronomy (I have a language/people brain), but that book managed to describe Albert Einstein's work in such easy terms that teenage me understood the theory of relativity through that book. It used a LOT of creativity in order to accomplish that.
This book uses none of that and simply explains the theory, but does not succeed in breaking it down enough. For that I think it could've used an additional fifty pages, which is a shame.
I still like knowing about Hawking's life though.
And, although the book is now laughably outdated, stemming from 1995 (not the book's fault), I have a pretty good idea of Hawking's life up to that point.
But the explanation of his theories? Well, even though the authors copiously use cartoons and very clearly label exposition regarding his theory as 'what you should know', the pace is absolutely breackneck. I had to reread big chunks of the book before I was ready to move on because I had trouble understanding.
I couldn't resist comparing this book to a book from my childhood. I read a Dutch translation of that one (of this one too), but the original title is either 'Time and space with uncle Albert', 'Black holes and uncle Albert' or 'Uncle Albert and the quantum quest'. I don't have the brain for physics or astronomy (I have a language/people brain), but that book managed to describe Albert Einstein's work in such easy terms that teenage me understood the theory of relativity through that book. It used a LOT of creativity in order to accomplish that.
This book uses none of that and simply explains the theory, but does not succeed in breaking it down enough. For that I think it could've used an additional fifty pages, which is a shame.
I still like knowing about Hawking's life though.
November 9, 2021
Breve guía introductoria al trabajo de Stephen Hawking, con especial énfasis en su vida. Las partes complicadas (que son muchas) de los trabajos de hawking han sido no solo extirpadas, sino reseccionadas con un buen trozo de materia sana alrededor, quedando en el texto solo breves pinceladas que no llegan a explicarse bien, por miedo a que algún concepto complicado se les cuele en el libro. La verdad es que en la parte puramente divulgativa lo han dejado cojo. El hecho de que SH fuera capaz de tener una vida (científica y personal) tan fructífera cuando los médicos le dieron en su juventud un par de años de vida ocupa muchas más páginas. No está mal lo que hay, pero sabe a poco si lo que buscamos es una introducción a su trabajo.
March 28, 2021
Jeg må nok erkende at teoretisk fysik ikke er min kop the 🙃
Bogen er virkelig fin illustreret - nyder virkelig at bladrer igennem de meget underholdende karakteristiske streger!
Bogen er virkelig fin illustreret - nyder virkelig at bladrer igennem de meget underholdende karakteristiske streger!
August 21, 2019
This book was very great.
March 3, 2017
Really interesting and a good introduction to Hawkins's theory and astrophysics for those like me who did physics only until the GSCE.
May 14, 2021
Quiet people have the loudest minds
Stephen Hawking is a worldwide famous scientist. But why? Just because he is a cosmologist? Or because he wrote the bestselling book 'A Brief History of Time'? Or because he had the disease which made him unable to speak or write?
If you don't, read this book. A brief introduction to Stephen Hawking's accomplishments, and also the ones who lived before him. The book literally explains everything, ranging from gravity to quantum gravity, from the big bang to black holes, from Newton to Hawking. Also, it contains pictures, making it easier to understand.
The only problem is that the illustration is black-and-white. Because of this, some pictures are not easy to understand. When I came to the chapter which taught us about the electromagnetic spectrum, it was difficult to analyse it. That was the only mistake. Apart from that, the book was amazing, informative, humourous, and full of inspiration.
Stephen Hawking is a worldwide famous scientist. But why? Just because he is a cosmologist? Or because he wrote the bestselling book 'A Brief History of Time'? Or because he had the disease which made him unable to speak or write?
If you don't, read this book. A brief introduction to Stephen Hawking's accomplishments, and also the ones who lived before him. The book literally explains everything, ranging from gravity to quantum gravity, from the big bang to black holes, from Newton to Hawking. Also, it contains pictures, making it easier to understand.
The only problem is that the illustration is black-and-white. Because of this, some pictures are not easy to understand. When I came to the chapter which taught us about the electromagnetic spectrum, it was difficult to analyse it. That was the only mistake. Apart from that, the book was amazing, informative, humourous, and full of inspiration.
November 17, 2011
'An ideal introduction' Independent 'Astonishingly comprehensive - clearer than Hawking himself' Focus
Stephen Hawking is the world-famous physicist with a cameo in "The Simpsons on his CV", but outside his academic field his work is little understood. To the public he is a tragic figure - a brilliant scientist and author of the 9 million-copy-selling "A Brief History of Time", and yet confined to a wheelchair and almost completely paralysed. Hawking's major contribution to science has been to integrate the two great theories of 20th-century physics - Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. J.P. McEvoy and Oscar Zarate's brilliant graphic guide explores Hawking's life, the evolution of his work from his days as a student, and his breathtaking discoveries about where these fundamental laws break down or overlap, such as on the edge of a Black Hole or at the origin of the Universe itself.
August 10, 2015
Herşeyin Teorisi filmini izledikten sonra bu kitabı okumak gayet güzel oluyor, filmde olay biraz magazinleştirilse de kitapta daha çok bilim odaklı gelişmelere yer verilmiş, onun hikayesini merak ediyorsanız kesin okuyun derim
September 8, 2020
Introducing Stephen Hawking: a graphic guide by J. P. McEvoy & Oscar Zarate
📓Genre: Biography Science Graphic Novel
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔖I wasn't exactly planning to read a biography, but the first few pages kept me captivated & I ended up finishing the book in a couple of days.
🔖The book not only talks about Stephen Hawking's scientific achievements, but also beautifully highlights the life's works of the world-famous physicist with simple diagrams for better understanding.
🔖Stuck with motor neurone disease and subsequently bound to a wheel-chair while still in his twenties, Hawking rarely ever spoke about his disabilities and his fiercely independent mindset never allowed him to accept sympathy or help from others regarding his physical and medical challenges.
🔖But, Hawking, who was called a relativistic cosmologist, wasn't just known for being a talented scientist. He was admired worldwide as the author of the immensely popular book (A Brief History of Time), and to the general mass, he was a beacon of hope, who had shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.
🔖The book is based on the extensive discussions & interviews, which the author conducted with Hawking. The writing style is simple yet engaging.
🔖The book gives a basic tour of knowledge to any beginner interested in the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology and the works of Stephen Hawking.
🔖However, even those who are new to the general principles of physics or think of it as a boring subject ― will surely find this book interesting.
🔸Final verdict: Great.
🔸Book cover: The cover could've been more interesting.
🔸Writing style: Engaging.
📓Genre: Biography Science Graphic Novel
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔖I wasn't exactly planning to read a biography, but the first few pages kept me captivated & I ended up finishing the book in a couple of days.
🔖The book not only talks about Stephen Hawking's scientific achievements, but also beautifully highlights the life's works of the world-famous physicist with simple diagrams for better understanding.
🔖Stuck with motor neurone disease and subsequently bound to a wheel-chair while still in his twenties, Hawking rarely ever spoke about his disabilities and his fiercely independent mindset never allowed him to accept sympathy or help from others regarding his physical and medical challenges.
🔖But, Hawking, who was called a relativistic cosmologist, wasn't just known for being a talented scientist. He was admired worldwide as the author of the immensely popular book (A Brief History of Time), and to the general mass, he was a beacon of hope, who had shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.
🔖The book is based on the extensive discussions & interviews, which the author conducted with Hawking. The writing style is simple yet engaging.
🔖The book gives a basic tour of knowledge to any beginner interested in the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology and the works of Stephen Hawking.
🔖However, even those who are new to the general principles of physics or think of it as a boring subject ― will surely find this book interesting.
🔸Final verdict: Great.
🔸Book cover: The cover could've been more interesting.
🔸Writing style: Engaging.
August 28, 2020
I didn't expect that I would've truly, truly enjoyed this book! I had several of the introducing series and this one definitely will stay on the top list. The writer and illustrator didn't only talk about Hawking's life per se, but also the basics of Newton Laws and Einstein's contribution in physics, as well as some other scientists who was working on similar topic!
I've been learning physics since middle school but this is the first time that I came to truly appreciate the beauty of it. Also, he was made a Fellow to the Royal Society when he was only 32 years old! 32! In the world of scientists and researchers that is VERY YOUNG. Very young indeed.
Thanks to this book I have appreciated this man a lot more than a cool theoretical physicist who is known for his work on black hole. His amazing mind connected one law of physics to another beautifully.
The author himself received a PhD in Physics, so truly understood what he was writing. Love this book. Loove this book.
I've been learning physics since middle school but this is the first time that I came to truly appreciate the beauty of it. Also, he was made a Fellow to the Royal Society when he was only 32 years old! 32! In the world of scientists and researchers that is VERY YOUNG. Very young indeed.
Thanks to this book I have appreciated this man a lot more than a cool theoretical physicist who is known for his work on black hole. His amazing mind connected one law of physics to another beautifully.
The author himself received a PhD in Physics, so truly understood what he was writing. Love this book. Loove this book.
February 21, 2021
The book is quite interesting because of two reasons. Firstly, it describes the history of such a difficult science as cosmology in a very detailed way but you don't need any special knowledge to understand it. You just read and see how understanding of the Universe has been changing through the 20th century. The book gives an opportunity to follow the greatest scientists in their fascinating investigations.
And secondly, in this book you see scientists as real men not ideal persons. You see that they were people with their weaknesses, as we are: they quarreled, made mistakes, some of them were conceited and other selflessly helped fellows and young talents.
This book definitely makes the world of science closer. The only disadvantage - it doesn't inspire. I don't know why: there are a lot of cool things in this book, but it doesn't make you love the Universe, doesn't show you how wonderful is the Universe. The book about Stephen Hawking must inspire, but it doesn't.
And secondly, in this book you see scientists as real men not ideal persons. You see that they were people with their weaknesses, as we are: they quarreled, made mistakes, some of them were conceited and other selflessly helped fellows and young talents.
This book definitely makes the world of science closer. The only disadvantage - it doesn't inspire. I don't know why: there are a lot of cool things in this book, but it doesn't make you love the Universe, doesn't show you how wonderful is the Universe. The book about Stephen Hawking must inspire, but it doesn't.
May 28, 2021
For me this book was more of an introduction to the science Stephen Hawking worked on than the individual himself. However I am not complaining since the science was introduced in one of the most interesting and easiest ways. Even with the author's skills of breaking down physics into simpler bits, I had trouble understanding some concepts completely (like the Anthropic Principle, No Boundary Proposal). The illustrations too worked for me unlike some of the other books in the Introducing series. Overall, I thought this to be one of the best introductions to the world of physics and of course, Stephen Hawking himself.
September 13, 2019
Great intro/refresher. Passed on to middle school aged neighbor after reading.
My one takeaway quote:
"The uncertainty principle, as elucidated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927, states that there are limits on how accurately we can observe certain physical quantities, such as position, momentum, energy and even time. This is not a limit on our instruments but an inherent characteristic of the Universe, which does not reveal any (emphasis in original) quantity with absolute precision."
-McEvoy and Zarate
My one takeaway quote:
"The uncertainty principle, as elucidated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927, states that there are limits on how accurately we can observe certain physical quantities, such as position, momentum, energy and even time. This is not a limit on our instruments but an inherent characteristic of the Universe, which does not reveal any (emphasis in original) quantity with absolute precision."
-McEvoy and Zarate
October 11, 2019
The book introduces contributions Stephen Hawking made to scientific world. The author tried to make the concepts understandable to someone having basic science background.
I missed reading more about Hawkings personal life, challenges. Hawking told the author that he feels he is lucky to have got ALS but still having sharp mind. But going deeper into his lifestyle is something I wanted to read more.
The book is good read to get general idea of Einstein theory of relativity, quantum physics and thermodynamics. All these were combined by Hawking.
I missed reading more about Hawkings personal life, challenges. Hawking told the author that he feels he is lucky to have got ALS but still having sharp mind. But going deeper into his lifestyle is something I wanted to read more.
The book is good read to get general idea of Einstein theory of relativity, quantum physics and thermodynamics. All these were combined by Hawking.
June 3, 2019
One of the better Introducing... books! This one goes in depth on its subject, but also does a good job of imparting knowledge of the surrounding topics and necessary background information. It ties them in very smoothly and balances peripheral and specific Hawking knowledge perfectly.
My only complaint about this book is that it hasn’t been revised or appended since its release in 1995, despite being released in a new format. It does seem quite dated.
My only complaint about this book is that it hasn’t been revised or appended since its release in 1995, despite being released in a new format. It does seem quite dated.
April 20, 2020
The book makes for a nice reading at leisure. It suites complete beginers to physics or people with no science background as they get to follow the creation of a genius in view of the theories he proposes. Following the line of theories that make our present understanding of the cosmos today is a great journey put into the book with astonishing clarity and ease.
Even people with a physics background will find the development of the story interesting and the graphics just makes it better.
Even people with a physics background will find the development of the story interesting and the graphics just makes it better.
January 29, 2021
To be honest I was already quite familiar with a lot of the ideas here, so can't judge how well it works as an "introduction" (this was a Christmas gift that I might not have picked up for myself). However the explanations felt very clear and well-written. The illustrations are great: helpful in explaining the concepts and often quite witty. It was a fun read, but I found it a bit of a shame the book never really talked about Hawking's role as a communicator and populariser of science.
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