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The Grand Design Audiobook
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(3.00) - 15,188 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the nature of reality? Why are the laws of nature so finely tuned as to allow for the existence of beings like ourselves? And, finally, is the apparent “grand design” of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motion—or does science offer another explanation?
The most fundamental questions about the origins of the universe and of life itself, once the province of philosophy, now occupy the territory where scientists, philosophers, and theologians meet—if only to disagree. In their new book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about the mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by both brilliance and simplicity.
In The Grand Design they explain that according to quantum theory, the cosmos does not have just a single existence or history, but rather that every possible history of the universe exists simultaneously. When applied to the universe as a whole, this idea calls into question the very notion of cause and effect. But the “top-down” approach to cosmology that Hawking and Mlodinow describe would say that the fact that the past takes no definite form means that we create history by observing it, rather than that history creates us. The authors further explain that we ourselves are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe, and show how quantum theory predicts the “multiverse”—the idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature.
Along the way Hawking and Mlodinow question the conventional concept of reality, posing a “model-dependent” theory of reality as the best we can hope to find. And they conclude with a riveting assessment of M-theory, an explanation of the laws governing us and our universe that is currently the only viable candidate for a complete “theory of everything.” If confirmed, they write, it will be the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, and the ultimate triumph of human reason.
A succinct, startling, and lavishly illustrated guide to discoveries that are altering our understanding and threatening some of our most cherished belief systems, The Grand Design is a book that will inform—and provoke—like no other.
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"Hawking ve Mlodinow, olabildigince basitlestirilmis bir dille evren, kuantum teorisi, gorelilik kuramlari ve benzeri konulari, bilimsel gercekler ve inanclari cok da karsi karsiya getirmeden, tabiri caiz ise kibarca anlatiyorlar. Kitabin hosuma gitmeyen tek yani, okuyucunun ilgisini canli tutmak amaciyla sayfalar arasina serpistirilmis tatsiz karikaturler. Kitap biraz okuyucuyu gucendirmek, yabancilastirmak ve sikmak endiselerini tasiyor olsa da, kolay okunan ve benzer kitaplara kiyasla kolay anlasilan bir usluba sahip."
— Mandana (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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The authors bring together an anecdotal clarity that is something of a first for the genre. . . . Making science like this interesting is not all that hard; making it accessible is the real trick, one that The Grand Design pulls off.
— Time -
In this short and sprightly book, Messrs. Hawking and Mlodinow take the reader through a whirlwind tour of fundamental physics and cosmology.
— The Wall Street Journal -
Fascinating . . . a wealth of ideas [that] leave us with a clearer understanding of modern physics in all its invigorating complexity.
— Los Angeles Times -
Groundbreaking.
— The Washington Post
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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A New York Times Notable Book
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Amazon Top 10 Book
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A New York Times Editor’s Choice
The Grand Design Listener Reviews
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" Not a lot new in this one. I come away from this book with the question: Will our theories continue to improve? It also reminds me that all we have are theories. "
— Jeanne, 2/13/2014 -
" Man, I can't believe I'm sitting here and saying to myself, "I expected more out of Stephen Hawking." "
— Bryce, 2/1/2014 -
" Great book! Summarizing using the best quote from the book - Philosophy is dead. "
— Vahe, 1/29/2014 -
" saya pikir buku ini tidak seperti gaya tulisan hawking yang biasa saya baca, dimana opini2 yg diberikan dalam buku ini kurang frontal dan setengah2... tidak ada ilmu yang benar2 utuh memilih seperti tulisan hawking sebelumnya... "
— hoAAah, 1/29/2014 -
" Good book. All concepts talked about were understandable. Most of it made sense to a non physicist like me. "
— Emmanuel, 1/22/2014 -
" Way above my scientifically challenged head. I have no idea what to think of this book other than the general suspicion that the authors are simply replacing one faith (God) for another (materialism). Wake me up when this theory gets some legs and has been empirically tested. "
— Pat, 1/17/2014 -
" Great book as an introduction to modern work in physics. "
— Tom, 1/11/2014 -
" Intriguing physical analysis of scientific theories to dispel the need for a Godlike being to explain the ultimate question of "Why are we here, and where did our universe come from?". Hawking breaks down complex cosmic quantum theories very well with simple examples. "
— Mrspetev, 10/12/2013 -
" Instead of clarity the new science book is leading us to the vagueness and uncertainties of the complicated reality. "
— Anand, 10/3/2013 -
" it looks easy but it's not. at least for me, the ideas are clear but there are some complicated details which could be understood in a second reading but hey it's not bad to read it once for a non specialist. I still like the " A briefer history of time" more than this though they are not the same. "
— Mohammed, 10/1/2013 -
" While I enjoyed the book and recommend it, I don't think it was able to provide enough scientific data to support their current theories. Made dry physics and math actually readable and understandable. "
— Deborah, 9/1/2013 -
" Nice layperson's introduction to quantum physics and why the universe is the way it is. "
— Ducson, 5/3/2013 -
" Very interesting and easy to understand. Great explanations. "
— Erin, 7/1/2012 -
" A decent read, but I was hoping for a bit more revelation. "
— Gus, 6/30/2012 -
" Stephen Hawking is some kind of new age hippy who thinks the past doesn't exist till you measure it, and the entire universe popped into existence from nothing. pfft...science. "
— Greg, 1/19/2012 -
" harder to read but is really nice ... love you book you teach me a lot... "
— Juan, 12/2/2011 -
" Not nearly as good as brief history of time. No surprise, given the mind-bending nature of quantum physics, i suppose, but still not particularly enjoyable. "
— Cam, 11/22/2011 -
" This is surprisingly accessible. Thanks for the pictures! "
— Kj, 5/23/2011 -
" Lots of good physics, well-written and will make your brain hurt. "
— Tony61, 5/9/2011 -
" Preferred A Brief History Of Time, but a nice update. "
— Tom-kenneth, 5/8/2011 -
" Brian Greene's books are better. I still love you Stephen! "
— Jason, 5/4/2011 -
" The books interesting but difficult to keep up with. Theirs a lot of concepts that are over explained but overall its a good book "
— Jonathan, 4/24/2011 -
" I love Stephen Hawking books. Although I felt that 'A Brief History In Time' was better - this is almost it's equal "
— Outofmyarse, 4/24/2011 -
" Instead of clarity the new science book is leading us to the vagueness and uncertainties of the complicated reality. "
— Anand, 4/19/2011
About the Authors
Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. His ability to make science understandable and compelling was established with his first book, A Brief History of Time, which has sold nearly ten million copies worldwide. Hugely influential in his field, he authored or participated in the creation of countless other popular science books, including The Universe in a Nutshell, A Briefer History of Time, On the Shoulders of Giants, and George’s Secret Key to the Universe. He had served as director of research at the Institute for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge.
Leonard Mlodinow is an American physicist, mathematician, and author known for his books for the general reading audience, including the New York Times bestsellers The Grand Design, coauthored with Stephen Hawking, and The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, which was a finalist for the Royal Society Science Book Prize. He received his PhD in theoretical physics from the University of California, Berkeley, was an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the Max Planck Institute, and was on the faculty of the California Institute of Technology.
About Steve West
Steve West, the winner of multiple Earphones Awards for narration, is an international actor who has starred on London’s prestigious West End stage, including productions of Mamma Mia! and Oh, What a Night! He is widely known for his television and film work in both the United States and the UK, and he has performed for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He hosts his own television show for the UK live from Los Angeles.