Review of
Black
Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays, by Stephen
Hawking ISBN 0553095234
Four out of five stars
When he writes
about physics, Stephen Hawking is superb at taking extremely complex natural
phenomena and making it understandable to those without a background in
cosmology. However, when he tries to interject humor, it doesn’t play well to
the scientifically knowledgeable. Although I am sure many readers find it
amusing.
This book is a
collection of essays by Hawking, generally derived from lectures that he made.
The one exception is the last entry, which is an interview that was conducted
on Christmas Day in 1992. The subject matter ranges from the autobiographical
to a discussion of Hawking’s work on the radiation emitted by black holes. It
is interesting to read Hawking as he puts forward an understandable explanation
of the principles of quantum mechanics that allow black holes to leak matter
and energy. Hawking rivals the great Isaac Asimov in his ability to explain
complicated scientific matters. If you are interested in black holes, this book
will help you, although more of an explanation of imaginary time would have strengthened
the book.
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