Universe in a Nutshell/Illustrated Brief History of Time (Boxed Set) [BOX SET] (Hardcover)

by Stephen William Hawking (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Universe in a Nutshell
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.

The Illustrated Brief History of Time
In the years since its publication in 1988, Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time has established itself as a landmark volume in scientific writing. It has also become an international publishing phenomenon, translated into forty languages and selling over nine million copies. The book was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the nature of the universe, but since then there have been extraordinary advances in the technology of observing both the micro- and the macrocosmic world. These observations have confirmed many of Professor Hawking's theoretical predictions in the first edition of his book, including the recent discoveries of the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite (COBE), which probed back in time to within 300,000 years of the universe's beginning and revealed the wrinkles in the fabric of space-time that he had projected.

Eager to bring to his original text the new knowledge revealed by these many observations, as well as his most recent research, for this revised and expanded edition Hawking has prepared a new introduction to the book, revised and updated the original chapters throughout, and written an entirely new chapter on the fascinating subject of wormholes and time travel.

In addition, to heighten understanding of complex concepts that readers may have found difficult to grasp despite the clarity and wit of Hawking's writing, this edition is magnificently enhanced throughout with more than 240 full-color illustrations, including satellite images, photographs made possible by spectacular new technological advances such as the Hubble telescope, and computer- generated images of three- and four-dimensional realities. Detailed captions clarify these illustrations, enabling readers to experience the vastness of intergalactic space, the nature of black holes, and the microcosmic world of particle physics in which matter and antimatter collide.

A classic work that now brings to the reader the latest understanding of cosmology, The Illustrated A Brief History of Time is the story of the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Bantam Dell Pub Group (Trd) (October 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553676431
• ISBN-13: 978-0553676433
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but redundant, March 15, 2003

By	CH (Stony Brook, NY United States) - See all my reviews

I bought this set because it was not much more than just purchasing an Ilustrated Brief History of Time. After reading both, it was apparent to me I could have chosen just one and gotten 90% of the information contained in both.

I first read Illustrated Brief History of Time. Hawking does a great job of explaining complex subjects in simple plain speak which does not feel over your head. His descriptions of Relativity, Quantum Theory, String Theory, and other topics are great and easily understood by someone with a limited science background. Those with a science background, such as myself, my wish for more in depth analysis at times, but that is not the focus of book, it is more an overview. There is a list of further reading books if one is interested.

I then read Universe in a Nutshell. The book started very similar to Brief History and although it was layed out a bit different the content was very similar, in fact some of the illustrations were exactly the same. There was a little more on String Theory in this book, but not enough to justify buying both unless you are a die hard Hawking fan.

Overall, I would recommend buying just one and saving a few bucks to buy one of the other books on the recommended reading list if you want to delve deeper.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great books, December 12, 2002

By	Robert J. Hickey "yogibob" (Ellensburg, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read both, and assuming you have basic physics/mathematics in your background (say, an intro college class or a good high school class), they are excellent! Otherwise, probably a bit deep.... The guy is amazing.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explaining the Unexplainable, May 24, 2003

By	Chris Richardson-Child (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

When I bought Stephen Hawkings first book, the multimillion best seller, A Brief History of Time, I didn't know why I bought it and along with 90% of others, I didn't read it.

There is much speculation about why we all did this. Inquisitivenes of a Physically Impaired Physicist? Egotistical dinner party host who not only chooses great wine, but understands physics as well!

Did the 'upwardly mobile' set all cruelly steal this from Stephen's first book, just as nature was cruelling stealing his mobility.

No. The answer is that we are all secretly fascinated about what is 'out there', where did we come from. What's it all about Stevie?

This second volume, The Universe in a Nutshell attempts to explain the unexplainable with beautiful Salvador Dali-like illustrations, and a style of words which are easy to digest.

Buy the set if you want to be inched closer to the ultimate truth of how we got here, and what are the forces that hold us together. But like an ant in a balloon, dont expect to know who blew up the ballon, or who's watching you through it, as you try to figure it all out. Steven provides some educated guesses, and they provide a wonderful voyage through space and time. Fear not if you don't follow it all - to paraphase the great scientist Heisenberg when talking of quantum mechanics, if you think you've understood it - then you don't really understand it