Review: Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking #nonfictionnovember

Posted November 19, 2020 by Stephanie in Reviews / 4 Comments

Title: Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Author: Stephen Hawking
Publication: March 5th 2020 by John Murray
Genre: Nonfiction, Science
Find it on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo
Rating: 4/5

Stephen Hawking was recognized as one of the greatest minds of our time and a figure of inspiration after defying his ALS diagnosis at age twenty-one. He is known for both his breakthroughs in theoretical physics as well as his ability to make complex concepts accessible for all, and was beloved for his mischievous sense of humor. At the time of his death, Hawking was working on a final project: a book compiling his answers to the “big” questions that he was so often posed–questions that ranged beyond his academic field.

Within these pages, he provides his personal views on our biggest challenges as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next. Each section will be introduced by a leading thinker offering his or her own insight into Professor Hawking’s contribution to our understanding.

I’ve always had the greatest respect and awe for Professor Stephen Hawking but even so I had never read a book of his before. I’ve always wanted to but I just hadn’t gotten around to it, until this month. But oh I’m so very happy I read this book now. I highly enjoyed it and flew through it in no time!

The title of the book already gives away what this book is about. In it Stephen Hawking answers some of the big questions we all have. Some of these are is there a God?, is there other intelligent life in the universe?, what is inside a black hole?, will we survive on Earth?, will artificial intelligence outsmart us? and more!

One thing I was a little worried about before starting this book was if I were going to understand it well enough with all the science terms but I’m glad to say I shouldn’t have worried about that because the writing itself and the science-y words and such were all very understandable to me. There was even some humor in it, which I definitely adored.

Other things I loved about this book was the fact that the chapters weren’t too long. Brief answers, indeed! I also liked reading the foreword by Eddie Redmayne, the actor who played Stephen Hawking in the movie, The Theory of Everything, and the afterword by Stephen Hawking’s daughter, Lucy Hawking. Both the foreword and afterword were just so touching to read. I loved them.

About the author:
Stephen Hawking’s ability to make science understandable and compelling to a lay audience was established with the publication of his first book, A Brief History of Time, which has sold nearly 10 million copies in 40 languages. Hawking has authored or participated in the creation of numerous other popular science books, including The Universe in a Nutshell, A Briefer History of Time, On the Shoulders of Giants, The Illustrated On the Shoulders of Giants, and George’s Secret Key to the Universe.
He passed away on March 14, 2018.
Website | Amazon

 

4 responses to “Review: Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking #nonfictionnovember

  1. I feel like this is kind of similar to Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s books, in that they each know how to make science easily understandable and approachable!

  2. verushka

    When I saw the cover and read the blurb, the fist thing I thought was that it would be too complex for anyone but a science buff, so I’m glad to hear of the normal-ness of it, I guess? 🙂

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