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Jun 10, 2012Mark Melnychuk rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Hawkin's A Brief History of Time leaves many aspects of modern and classical physics only half explained. This is partly due to his decision to steer clear of even the simplest mathematics, not wanting to alienate a mathematically incompetent readership. The result is pretty unsatisfactory and explains the books notoriety as one of the most unread bestsellers. A much better popular science book, covering much the same ground, is Why Does E=mc² ? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw. After reading A Brief History of Time, one wonders whether Hawkin's standing in the field is as high as it seems. He doesn't even discuss the concept of gravity as curved space and that is a significant omission. Also, he merely offers tantilizing hints of the reality behind physical phenomena and nothing more. Some say he isn't so great and there are more than a few others that are just as great or greater. In our politically correct, mad society, it is no suprise that a physically-challenged physicist should get undue attention. Forget A Brief History of Time; read instead the alternative mentioned above.