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The Grand Design

Written by: Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow
Narrated by: Steve West
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Publisher's Summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A whirlwind tour of fundamental physics and cosmology.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Fascinating . . . a wealth of ideas [that] leave us with a clearer understanding of modern physics in all its invigorating complexity.”—Los Angeles Times

When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? What is the nature of reality? Is the apparent “grand design” of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motion—or 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 “multiverse”—the 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 “theory of everything”: the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, which, if confirmed, would represent the ultimate triumph of human reason.

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 inform—and provoke—like no other.

©2010 Steven Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow (P)2010 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“Introduces the reader to topics at the frontier of theoretical physics . . . more clearly for general readers than I have seen before.” (Steven Weinberg, The New York Review of Books)

“Provocative pop science, an exploration of the latest thinking about the origins of our universe.” (The New York Times)

What listeners say about The Grand Design

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question what you already know

amazing book, they made a very complex matter easier to understand. strongly recommend this book for anyone curious about the what, the why, and the how of life

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Inspiring

Truly inspiring

R.I.P Professor Hawking. Thank you for your mind. This book wonderfully explains the universe we're home to. Answering some of our most burning questions in an easy to understand way, this is must read for all. Magnificent work by the legendary Stephen Hawking and wonderfully intelligent Dr. Leonard Mlodinow.

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My Bible

One of the greatest books I have ever read, I miss Stephen a lot. I have kept the book in hardcopy for years but the audiobook from audible.ca is something much more convenient that can be combined with the PDF version to get an audio visual sensation.

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