The Grand Design
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Average rating3.9
Along with Caltech physicist Mlodinow (The Drunkard's Walk), University of Cambridge cosmologist Hawking (A Brief History of Time) deftly mixes cutting-edge physics to answer three key questions -- Why is there something rather than nothing? Why do we exist? Why this particular set of laws and not some other? -- and explains that scientists are approaching what is called "M-theory," a collection of overlapping theories (including string theory) that fill in many (but not all) the blank spots in quantum physics. This collection is known as the "Grand Unified Field Theories."
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Short non-fiction read whilst I descide what to read next.
I've wanted to read a Stephen Hawking book for a while and wasn't disappointed, I have to admit I only have a passing interest in science (mainly the fun space stuff) but as this was a short book it felt like the right size.
I'd recommend The Grand Design to anyone wanting to try something new, it's a quick read (I did half on my Kindle and half Audio book). If you have no interest in science, this isn't for you (obviously).
I would need to read this several times to truly appreciate it's content.
I think this book does exactly what it intends to, which is to explain the very surface of the current physics and what it means. I know a lot of people have tried to depict it as saying God doesn't exist. It does not say that. The book states that we do not need to use any kind of religion to explain the universe. In the same way that we do not need to use religion to explain the so many things. That does not mean that religion is unnecessary. But I see why so many get uncomfortable. It's the Sam discomfort that acknowledging that the sun is that the center of the solar system caused. At first it feels as if all of theology is threatened.
But if you set that aside you get a very good overview of cosmology, something Hawking is the world's thought leader in.
