The Universe in a Nutshell - Hardcover

Stephen Hawking

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 055380202X ISBN 13: 9780553802023

Publisher: Bantam, 2001

Synopsis

Stephen Hawking’s phenomenal, multimillion-copy bestseller, A Brief History of Time, introduced the ideas of this brilliant theoretical physicist to readers all over the world.

Now, in a major publishing event, Hawking returns with a lavishly illustrated sequel that unravels the mysteries of the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the years since the release of his acclaimed first book.

The Universe in a Nutshell

· Quantum mechanics
· M-theory
· General relativity
· 11-dimensional supergravity
· 10-dimensional membranes
· Superstrings
· P-branes
· Black holes

One of the most influential thinkers of our time, Stephen Hawking is an intellectual icon, known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of theoretical physics, where truth is often stranger than fiction, to explain in laymen’s terms the principles that control our universe.

Like many in the community of theoretical physicists, Professor Hawking is seeking to uncover the grail of science — the elusive Theory of Everything that lies at the heart of the cosmos. In his accessible and often playful style, he guides us on his search to uncover the secrets of the universe — from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality.

He takes us to the wild frontiers of science, where superstring theory and p-branes may hold the final clue to the puzzle. And he lets us behind the scenes of one of his most exciting intellectual adventures as he seeks “to combine Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity and Richard Feynman’s idea of multiple histories into one complete unified theory that will describe everything that happens in the universe.”

With characteristic exuberance, Professor Hawking invites us to be fellow travelers on this extraordinary voyage through space-time. Copious four-color illustrations help clarify this journey into a surreal wonderland where particles, sheets, and strings move in eleven dimensions; where black holes evaporate and disappear, taking their secret with them; and where the original cosmic seed from which our own universe sprang was a tiny nut.

The Universe in a Nutshell is essential reading for all of us who want to understand the universe in which we live. Like its companion volume, A Brief History of Time, it conveys the excitement felt within the scientific community as the secrets of the cosmos reveal themselves.

About this title

Review:

Stephen Hawking, science's first real rock star, may be the least-read bestselling author in history--it's no secret that many people who own A Brief History of Time have never finished it. Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell aims to remedy the situation, with a plethora of friendly illustrations to help readers grok some of the most brain-bending ideas ever conceived.

Does it succeed? Yes and no. While Hawking offers genuinely accessible context for such complexities as string theory and the nature of time, it's when he must translate equations to sentences that the limits of language get in the way. But Hawking has simplified the origin of the universe, the nature of space and time, and what holds it all together to an unprecedented degree, inviting nonscientists to share his obvious awe and love of the unseen forces that shape it all.

Yes, it's difficult reading, but it's worth it. Hawking is one of the great geniuses of our time, a man whose life has been devoted to thinking in the abstract about the universe. With his help, and pictures--lots of pictures--we can seek to understand a bit more of the cosmos. --Therese Littleton

From the Back Cover:

“Clear, concise and accessible. And he leavens it further with occasional wry humor.”
— St Louis Post-Dispatch

“Provocative and informed ... plenty of comprehensible analogies and no small amount of humor, often self-deprecating.... Best of all, the book is liberally sprinkled with well-conceived, gorgeously rendered and frequently whimsical illustrations.”
— Time magazine
Acclaim for A Brief History of Time:

“Lively and provocative ... Hawking clearly possesses a natural teacher’s gifts — easy, good-natured humor and an ability to illustrate highly complex propositions with analogies plucked from daily life.”
— The New York Times

“This book marries a child’s wonder to a genius’ intellect. We journey into Hawking’s universe, while marvelling at his mind.”
— The Sunday Times (London)

“A masterful summary of what physicists now think the world is made of and how it got that way.”
— The Wall Street Journal

“Charming and lucid ... gives the general reader an opportunity to learn some deep science from the source.... [A book of] sunny brilliance.”
— The New Yorker

“Stephen Hawking proves himself to be a master of clarity.... It’s difficult to think of anyone else living who could have put these mathematically formidable subjects more clearly.”
— Chicago Tribune

“He can explain the complexities of cosmological physics with an engaging combination of clarity and wit.”
— The New York Review of Books

“Probably the best single book on astrophysics for the common reader. Thank you, Dr. Hawking!”
— Booklist

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 055380202X
• ISBN 13: 9780553802023
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224