A Brief History of Time, author Stephen Hawking

Who do I dare follow up Albert Einstein with?!? Why the master of space and time thats who!!! Stephen Hawking himself. A Brief History of Time is Stephen Hawking's first trip into the public's literary gauntlet and although it was originally published in 1988, I personally bought the updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition. This means I get some updated insights from the master himself. One can find this book at http://www.amazon.ca/Brief-History-Time-Expanded-Anniversary/dp/0553380168.

The best part about this book is how it is not just about the many accomplishments of his career, he goes out of his way to essentially weave together how modern physics came to be. He starts from the beginning and builds his way to world where people are willing to accept his ideas, unlike many of his predecessors. I enjoy reading about successful theoretical physicists, because unlike their experimental counter parts, they have no solid evidence other than ideas and mathematical proofs. Hawking shows how he and other scientists before him predicted the wonders of Neutron Stars, and Black Holes long before they could have ever been found. It is in this beauty of mathematics and physics that I find so interesting. He explains one of the main goals of theoretical physics today the search for the GUT. The Grand Unified Theory is what many are searching for, a way to combine Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity. Again like the Einstein book I read previously, despite popular belief anyone with just a very elementary understanding of science will be able to read this book and be awed by it. At the end of his book he puts in some little blurps about some very famous physicists before him, my favorite is how everyone hates Isaac Newton. People constantly describe him as horrible to be around and a man who pretty much went out of his way to make sure if he didn't like you, you were not going to be an academic. Great use of power Isaac!! There is just so many facets of Theoretical Astro-Physics explained herein that you feel you might just be a little smarter after you read this. Most importantly after you are done you can truly say that just like Stephen Hawking you too now know about Black Holes and @#$#.