#22 in Popular science
A Brief History of Time
- 243
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 8 weeks on the list, peaked at #2
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Our view
“A Brief History of Time” is short, though not every reader finds it quick. Hawking writes for the general public and opens with the great theories from Newton to Einstein, yet some find the later chapters on black holes and the nature of time very dense. Some grounding in physics helps, they add; the reward is a clear map of the big questions.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world renowned physicist - generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers. It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders. This new edition includes updates from Stephen Hawking with his latest thoughts about the No Boundary Proposal and offers new information about dark energy, the information paradox, eternal inflation, the microwave background radiation observations, and the discovery of gravitational waves. It was published in tandem with the app, Stephen Hawking's Pocket Universe. 'This book marries a child's wonder to a genius's intellect. We journey into Hawking's universe while marvelling at his mind.' The Sunday Times
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 1,250 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 89% of the weight and the score stays at 8.3 — the Popular science average of 8.3 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.3 | 237 | 19% |
| Google Books | 9.0 | 19 | 2% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 994 | 80% |
Frequently asked
How long is A Brief History of Time?
It has 243 pages — shorter than 77% of the ranked books in Popular science.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Popular science — with scores between 8.3 and 8.4, closest to this book.
