Reviews

Uma Breve História do Tempo by Stephen Hawking

itsjstcaro's review against another edition

4.0

It really is astonishing how Hawking can bring complex physical theories to unknowing readers such as myself.

Surprisingly I understood most of the concepts discussed in A Brief History of Time, even though I have absolutely no knowledge of physics at all as I never had to take the class in school for example.
Nevertheless, I found it hard to really grasp certain theories and concepts discussed, e.g. imaginary time, which may be due to my lack of knowledge or english being my second language.

The simple beauty of the book also showed me the beauty of physics and inspired me to pick up more books about physics and also to apply for a physics degree in university.

~ 4 stars

parita_g's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

3.75

leggup's review against another edition

5.0

A very challenging read. I had to flip back many times and reread sections. I had to Google and Wiki many things I forgot since high school physics (... 16 yrs ago). Any time I felt confident the topic seemed to jump past my edge of knowledge.

I plan to reread in 5-10 years, probably in physical copy. The ebook had some scanning issues with graphics.

heloise_lifeinbooks's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

Surprised by both the length (not that long) and the readability (pretty easy!) of this book, compared to my expectations.

Hawkins turns out to be a really good writer, managing to make an extremely dense and informative book read like a novel, and the information easy to absorb!

This was on my tbr for a long time, and I’m glad I finally got around to it! 

laburnumflowers's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.5

x_oblivionxx's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

elusorius's review against another edition

3.0

I feel quite conflicted about what rating to give this book. In terms of enjoyment, I would rate it quite low. Maybe 1 or 2 stars, as it put me into a bit of a reading slump. However, I would rate it 4 or 5 stars in terms of quality. Hawkings is great at explaining the science in clear terms and making it more accesible to the public. The problem is that reading this book made me realise that in not that interested in physics. Some facts here and there were interesting, and it's nice to have a basic understanding of physics. But I think this book was just not for me, and that's okay.

I will rate it 3/5, because it's not the book's fault

fahotheguy's review against another edition

funny informative reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.25

incognateo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

5.0

kcrouth's review against another edition

4.0

This is a fascinating book. Hardcore scientists will not be satisfied by the level at which Hawking presents the information, but for someone like me who loves technical things, but has not followed the last 25 years of discoveries in these areas of research and study, it was fascinating. I'd like to re-read it to get a bit more familiar with the subjects covered! I recommend this book to folks who appreciate and enjoy science but are not looking for details only comprehendible by specialists in the field. Hawking has a endearing sense of humor, and is not afraid to throw in some philosophical comments as well. An enjoyable read!