A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking does both a service and disservice in his presentation of theoretical physics. The serivce provided is that he makes the paradox of a real and abstract Universe accessible and understandable. However, the disservice is that he makes it so accessible to the point that one actually has the feeling that they can actually participate in theoretical physics. That is a great thing and is a testament to the inviting nature of this book and the genius of Stephen Hawking.

After reading "The Grand Design" it was hard to finish this book. Not because it isn't great, but because there is so much overlap. "The Grand Design" and "A Brief History of Time" are great, but I'd skip this one and go straight for the newest material.