I'm having to use the encyclopedia to look things up. Is it supposed to be this difficult to comprehend?
2006-09-01 08:50:38 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
supposedly, it's considered an "unread bestseller"...
see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_brief_history_of_time
personally i found it condescending. (just kidding, Hawksmeister)
2006-09-01 08:54:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
"A Brief History of Time" was pretty easy to understand. You just need to sit through some physics classes until the basic ideas become almost instinctive.
The harder books are the ones where most of the writing is equations that you've never seen before, and you have to spend an hour finding out what the notation means, another ten minutes to make sure it's dimensionally balanced, a while longer to satisfy yourself that it's plausible to within an order of magnitude or so, then a few more hours setting up test problems to make sure the results are what the author said they would be. Then you read a paragraph of text. Then you start checking out the next equation...
Books with equations are slow reading, if you actually must understand the equations. And sometimes authors skip steps, thinking you can immediately fill in the gaps, but in fact you have to spend a day doing the intermediate derivations.
As I said, "A Brief History of Time" is relatively easy.
2006-09-01 16:02:31 · answer #2 · answered by David S 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is probably one of the most simple discriptions of its topics.
Sadly its topics are about the most difficult things to understand in the world.
Hawking had a lifetime to come to understand what he is telling you about so don't feel too bad. Try rereading it or taking some time with Sagan's books if you're a real astronomy virgin. Vocabulary exersizes could help if it's a simple language comprehension barrier.
Also, I tend to do well with dense books only because I am SUCH a slow reader, I read a page or paragraph and take time to linger on the thought. If I dont get things I go back and read them immediately. It is a hinderance in most English classes but has been great for technical studies... so perhaps just slowing down (or writing about it or joting down notes) will help you.
2006-09-01 21:50:34 · answer #3 · answered by iMi 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The ideas in the book are highly theoretical. They are not something that can be understood intuitively.
In fact, most modern ideas relating to the formation and development of the universe are very mathematical in nature and unless you do not understand basic physical quantities and the laws that govern them and unless you are not ready to apply mathematical formulae to them, you will not understand what is being talked about.
And even if you do all of that, be rest assured that most of the outcomes of that mathematics will go against human common sense.
So do not worry. You are not an idiot. You are only trying to imagine some ideas that are very highly abstract and can be only understood in context of mathematics.
2006-09-01 16:07:41 · answer #4 · answered by zaki_ansari 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You're not alone in finding that a tough read. Hawking last year published "A Briefer History of Time", which is intended to be a more accessible introduction to his cosmological ideas.
2006-09-01 18:47:23 · answer #5 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are unfamiliar with general concepts of physics and astronomy it can be a bit daunting at first. I would recommend reading through it and skipping the more detailed explanations, then after you have finished seek out a little more information from other sources and then read it again.
2006-09-01 15:59:54 · answer #6 · answered by joseFFF 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on if you can actually picture Hawking's analogies in your head. He breaks very complex concepts into easier to understand ones. One should be able to understand these concepts. And if all else fails, find a book thats easier on the mind.
2006-09-01 18:03:07 · answer #7 · answered by jtrigoboff 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything." You might find that more enjoyable or at least more amusing.
2006-09-01 16:37:21 · answer #8 · answered by Sqdr 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read the book - unfortunately everything seems to be based on an unproven premise in the first chapter.
RoyS
2006-09-01 16:14:48 · answer #9 · answered by Roy S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what to say..
I found it not only easy to understand but a bit of a fluff book that
was short on facts...
I was disappointed and found it over-hyped...
2006-09-01 16:50:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
that would be because, compared to SH, you are a f*cking idiot. Me as well. Still, there is some good stuff in there. And he's funny too--shows he doesn't take it all too seriously.
2006-09-01 15:56:45 · answer #11 · answered by Alobar 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋