Not simple but who thought it would be?

Sometimes hard to follow bit surely that isn't a surprise considering the subject matter. Concepts are explained well and I really enjoyed the book, it has sparked an interest for me to read further on the subject.

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Thought provoking but not as in depth as I hoped.

Im a big fan of Stephen Hawking's books so jumped at the chance to listen to this one. I particularly loved the introductions around historical philosophies, that worked well to introduce the more modern scientific theories and discoveries and then to link it off towards future discoveries. As thought provoking as it way, it was not as in depth as I hoped, I'd have happily paid and listened to a lengthier, more in depth version.

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Good but doesn't go much further than SH's others

Good but doesn't go much further than SH's others. Can listen in 4 hours so good for an afternoon.

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Is the Science is correct? Brill nevertheless!

Captivating description of modern science. However I suspect some of the recent leaps of faith may not stand up to as much scrutiny as Einstein did.

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Brilliant Ideas+Born Communicator = True Genius

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Endlessly fascinating and accessible examination of Life, the Universe and Everything. Even Marvin would approve...probably.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Grand Design?

Everything between the covers.

What does Steve West bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Just the right voice and delivery for the subject. A full range of emotional expression to do justice to a brilliantly lucid examination of the mysteries which consume us all.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me excited to explore the physical universe and the hidden universe of sub atomic particles, to be allowed to journey on the coattails of a great mind and someone with a great thirst for knowledge and wonderful sense of enthusiasm for life as well as a fine sense of humour.

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Fantastic, thought provoking book

This is one of the most interesting a thought provoking books I have ever read. Some of the concepts are so mind blowing I had to listen twice to even begin to understand. The books gives a very readable overview of the current thinking on the theory of 'life, the universe and everything'.

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5 people found this helpful

Really interesting but you need to listen

The book is excellent in fact I don’t think I can produce the superlatives to explain the joy I found in this book and the pleasure of finishing it only to want to start reading it again.

But it isn’t a light read so don't pick it up unless you are really willing to commit to it

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Brilliant

Incredibly interesting and thought provoking. The only problem is the narrators monotone voice, which not only diminishes how fascinating the topics are, but also makes all the jokes fall flat. It's not, however, so distracting as to stop you from learning the unbelievable ways in which we are beginning to understand out universe.

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Mind boggling book, well read....

A mind boggling book, as you might expect from Stephen Hawkins, where he argues from the "No Boundaries" theory of alternative histories for abandoning the search for a single unified "Theory of Everything", and instead adopt "Model Dependant Realism", underpinning a network of different scientific theories, which may not always be fully compatible (e.g. QM and Relativity).

This web of theories is the famous "M Theory", involving supergravity, string
theory, QM, Relativity, Brane theory and so on. Interestingly, although the authors argue consistently against the need for a divine creative intelligence, their thesis was more consistent with Process Philosophy, than with our conventional Cartesian substance ontology.

Some crass statements jar, such as the arguments for determinism (and against free will), which is surprising as they elsewhere argue for the non-deterministic nature of quantum uncertainty. They also repeat the over simplistic "Heroic Science" myth of the Copernican model being opposed on religious grounds, without mentioning the then valid scientific grounds for opposition such as the parallax problem. The book is also quite short at 4.5 hrs. However, these are minor quibbles.

The reader: Steve West is excellent: measured and concise, and easy to listen to. I can only think that the reviewer who found it hurried, had their iPad/iPhone set to 2x reading speed! Judge for yourself on the sample! Overall, an excellent
audiobook if you like popular science.

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1 person found this helpful

A glimpse into such a beautiful mind

Such a beautiful read, although I couldn't grasp the full extent of all the concepts. It was a real privilege to glimpse into such a beautiful mind. Often humorous, always insightful. Occasionally the authors frustrations surface at the still Neanderthal behaviour of society. I feel more a ease knowing minds like these are at work and play pondering the meaning of it all.

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