While this book is shorter and more entertaining than its not-as-brief predecessor, I found it still unable to make the very esoteric subjects of space-time curvature, quantum mechanics and the behavior of sub-atomic particles understandable to me (MS Computer Science). Hawking clearly has a great sense of humor, and his effort to explain some of the results of his life's work to the general public is laudable, but this book failed to do that, at least for this reader.

Excellent presentation of complex scientific theories. Stephen Hawking knows how to extract core principals and shape them into digestible morsels for his readers to consume and enjoy. The material is an update from his earlier Brief History of Time, and has the same cast of characters.

If only he wrote fiction!

Even briefer, this material requires a few readings to wrap the brain around. Very good examples though.

As the almost forgotten Mr. Rumsfeld observed, there are known unknowns and then there are unknown unknowns. Some of us are curious enough to at least wonder about the former. Most of the rest of us lack the time or the dedication or, let's admit it, the intellectual capacity to take the hard journey to the frontiers between what we know or we believe we know today and what's on the other side - and the frontiers are moving farther and farther away from us. It takes a down-to-Earth genius like Stephen Hawking to give us a guided tour to the current limits of human knowledge and back and we can even get a hint of what may be lying across the border. It's a high altitude flight and very little experience is necessary for us to follow our guide but, when it's over, most of us are likely to agree that we gained a better understanding of the world in which we live than we had before we started reading. Unless we are string theorists ourselves, of course :)

I found the book to be relatively easy to read, interesting and informative. Even the little digressions into Newton's 'real' character (not a very nice person) were welcome. It is, indeed, a history, in the sense that it maps the human understanding of reality as it grew and evolved in time.

In the end... I still have no idea what TIME really is (does anyone?) but I enjoyed reading the book because, many time, I had the feeling that 'aha, I DO understand this now'.

I have not read the earlier version of this book yet, but this one was great. I was able to read it in two sittings. He uses pictures and describes everything in detail to make it easier to understand. That being said, this book is not for the faint of heart, but he does an excellent job over all.

I purchased the audio version of the book; complex topic made amazingly simple in a superb narration.

If all audiobooks are this good, I will look forward to my 27 mile commute to work!

Briefer isn't always better. While this treatment is much more accessible than the merely Brief version, it is disappointing by not exploring the more paradoxical and complex issues of quantum uncertainty and paired-particles.

If you haven't read Hawkings before, read this book first. If you are still curious, then read the denser, "merely brief" version for a fuller treatment.

I've heard it said that Stephen Hawking's 1988 bestseller A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME is the book everybody owns but hardly anyone has read. In this 2005 book Hawking adds an "er" to the title and makes the content much more accessible to a lay audience while bringing them up to date with the latest developments in string theory and the discovery of dark energy. In 150 pages everything important in the field is discussed from the work of early astronomers to the possibility of time travel. Helpful color pictures/diagrams are included as well as a glossary of terms related to the content. The writing may be a little dry in a few places but when the book is finished the reader will have a much better understanding of the difficult but fascinating concepts addressed.

Of all of Hawking's books, and I believe I own and have read them all, this one is by far the easiest to read and understand. Difficult topics to comprehend are taken step by step, mostly in laymen's terms, from the beginnings of astronomy thru current efforts to find a unified theory for everything. If you really want to begin to understand our place in the universe this is a good place to start, followed by earlier books written by Dr. Hawking. You can knock this book out on a Saturday morning a dazzle your friends with your newfound knowledge on Saturday night.

This is an excellent book. It is easy to understand with good illustrations. I liked the first book, A Brief History of Time, and this one was even better with more illustrations and updated information including information on the string theory.

Yeah, there is some interesting things in here. It is quite accessible to the lay reader like me. By the end though it is either too simplified or it is just a bunch of gobbleligook. I was left wondering, do people really believe this stuff? P-branes and super strings. Yeah, baby.

Hawking is the foremost physicist in the world, occupying the Newton chair at Oxford and he has attempted to explain in lay terms the complex mathematics underlying the structure of the universe. He is very helpful in a culture which pays so little attention to science

Some of the most complex topics in physics are presented in an entertaining and understandable way. The kind of book you read in one sitting.

I thought this book was awesome. I never read the first one, but I couldn't putthis one down. Pretty understandable and perfect for those of us that should have been physics majors but did something else instead.

I haven't read "A Brief History of Time", but this book is written in a style that is easily understandable, even though the concepts discussed may be far beyond anything you might think about in your day-to-day life.
Definitely a five star read!

Having read both the "brief" and the "briefer" versions of this book, I am happy I did. Perhaps reading the first one twice might also have given me a better understanding of this huge subject, but the "briefer" certainly gives a clearer illustration of it for an interested novice like me.

This is a good book if you want a quick insight to the whys of science and events that shaped the scientific world. Hawkings other books History of time and Brief History of time go more indepth.

Professor Hawking's A Briefer History of Time is an updated version (yes, shorter) of his 1988 surprise best-seller A Brief History of Time. The intent is to give the reader an overview of what the top minds are thinking about the origins and future of the universe. As expected Hawking does this with great wit, explaining complicated topics without any equations, as his publisher told him that each equation used will reduce sales by 50%.

It is not really necessary to read this book, if you have read the earlier work. There is some new material, but not much. As Hawking ages, he seems to have increased his metaphysical considerations, as this new work contains his thoughts on the role of God in all of this creation.

I saw Hawking speak (he uses a computer generated voice synthesizer) at a recent event in DC and he is truly an inspiration. Keep in mind that all of his great scientific work was accomplished after he was stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease.