#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER âĸ âA whirlwind tour of fundamental physics and cosmology.ââThe Wall Street Journal
âFascinating . . . a wealth of ideas [that] leave us with a clearer understanding of modern physics in all its invigorating complexity.ââLos Angeles Times
When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? What is the nature of reality? Is the apparent âgrand designâ of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motionâor does science offer another explanation? In The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most illuminating scientific thinking about these and other abiding mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by brilliance and simplicity.
According to quantum theory, the cosmos does not have just a single existence or history. The authors explain that we ourselves are the product of quantum fluctuations in the early universe and show how quantum theory predicts the âmultiverseââthe idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature. They conclude with a riveting assessment of M-theory, an explanation of the laws governing our universe that is currently the only viable candidate for a âtheory of everythingâ: the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, which, if confirmed, would represent the ultimate triumph of human reason.
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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 informâand provokeâlike no other.