The Grand Design

By Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow

The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow
  • Release Date: 2010-09-07
  • Genre: Astronomy
Score: 4
4
From 319 Ratings

Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A whirlwind tour of fundamental physics and cosmology.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Fascinating . . . a wealth of ideas [that] leave us with a clearer understanding of modern physics in all its invigorating complexity.”—Los Angeles Times

When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? What is the nature of reality? Is the apparent “grand design” of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motion—or does science offer another explanation? In The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most illuminating scientific thinking about these and other abiding mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by brilliance and simplicity.

According to quantum theory, the cosmos does not have just a single existence or history. The authors explain that we ourselves are the product of quantum fluctuations in the early universe and show how quantum theory predicts the “multiverse”—the idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature. They conclude with a riveting assessment of M-theory, an explanation of the laws governing our universe that is currently the only viable candidate for a “theory of everything”: the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, which, if confirmed, would represent the ultimate triumph of human reason.
 
A succinct, startling, and lavishly illustrated guide to discoveries that are altering our understanding and threatening some of our most cherished belief systems, The Grand Design is a book that will inform—and provoke—like no other.

Reviews

  • A dream

    5
    By Ali J.Salim
    This book takes your mined off your reality .. Like video game .. You'll seem to have the choice to change your reality whenever you want .. You'll have the choice to change your whole life if you'd love to Thank you very much for this rich book
  • M-theory+gravity+space energy=Nothing caused the universe spontaneously

    2
    By TheVisualAngel
    Multiverse M-theory (with no evidence that it exists or of what caused it) + law of gravity (a law can not cause anything) + space filled vacuum energy (which is not nothing) = nothing caused the universe spontaneously. It’s not surprising the book claimed philosophy is dead. Common sense & philosophers are exposing the contradictions, false arguments & conclusions & the total lack of evidence for the multi-verse or the space filled vacuum energy from before the universe’s beginning. Only an atheist who needs to believe that the universe came from mindlessness to validate their atheist faith will believe such selfcontradictory nonsense coated in scientic jargon. What caused the multiverse? What caused the space filled vacuum energy? What caused the law of gravity? How does nothing (the absence of anything/non-being) cause a universe? Where is the evidence of the multiverse/space filled vacuum energy? If you can propose a M-theory without any evidence then you can also propose a SM-theory (Super Mind theory ie a super intelligent mind beyond the universe caused the universe) without evidence. What’s the difference?
  • Worth my time

    5
    By *Marilyn*23
    I liked this book maybe a bit more compared to his others because of where the authors actually write as if you don't have a physics degree. Perfect for me because I don't, but do have a curiosity of our universe!
  • Humbling experience

    5
    By A geologist in Florida
    I'm a scientist by education and experience, but portions of this were a stretch for me. Nevertheless, it is an inspiring read and one which I expect to revisit while exploring related literature in cosmology.
  • Great Book

    5
    By guitar1414
    Does anyone else feel like their brain was beat into submission by logic after reading this?
  • A great opportunity

    5
    By MaryLeblon
    Reading this book was a great opportunity for me to refresh my thoughts about the fundamentals of physics, something not so easy to do even within the best circles of friends. Thank you for taking your time to put all these ideas together! Mary de Sa : Science teacher in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Amazing Book

    5
    By Hassant94
    This book really makes you think
  • Excelente

    5
    By jorescal
    Me hubiera gustado que profundizara mas en el concepto que la mente genera patrones de lo material que esta fuera de nuestros sentidos.
  • The Grand Design

    5
    By GAP1
    Fantastic
  • Very interesting read

    4
    By Big Ed Thirty-3
    If you're interested in physics and the origin an workings of the universe, then you'll love this book. Complex quantum physics theories are toned down in order to grasp the general ideas although I believe a general knowledge of physics is still required to follow along. Still not an easy read but definitely worth taking the time to understand the concepts. I highly enjoyed it.