The Grand Design

by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
The Grand Design cover
Good Books rating 2.17
Science and Innovation
Buy online
Amazon
Format/Price Check
Technical
  • ID: 6266
  • Added: 2025-11-07
  • Updated: 2025-11-07
  • ISBN: 9780553819229
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2011-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

The Grand Design delves into profound questions about the universe's beginning and our place within it, presenting cutting-edge scientific theories in an accessible manner. It explores concepts like model dependent realism, the multiverse, and M-theory, offering a provocative look at how these ideas reshape our understanding of the cosmos. The book is not just a scientific exploration but also a challenge to traditional belief systems, making it a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the intersection of science and philosophy. /n/n Written by one of the world's most renowned thinkers, this book is a succinct and lavishly illustrated guide that promises to inform and provoke. It's a must-read for those seeking to understand the latest discoveries that are altering our perception of the universe and our existence.

Reviews
Kara Reviews · Kara Babcock · 2011-08-27
mixed 3.00

The book is engaging and fun to read, but it also has significant problems that detract from its overall impact. The reviewer enjoyed the content but found it problematic in several areas.

Kara Babcock found The Grand Design to be an engaging and enjoyable read, with a lot of fun elements that make the complex subject matter accessible. However, they also noted that the book has some significant issues that detract from its overall impact. The reviewer appreciated the effort to make complex scientific concepts understandable, but felt that the book's arguments are not always well-supported and sometimes fall short of providing a comprehensive understanding. The reviewer's overall impression is mixed, with a lot of enjoyment tempered by some critical reservations.

Quick quotes

    The Grand Design is certainly an engaging treatise, but it is also problematic.

    I had a lot of fun reading it, and although I have a lot of ...

    The book's arguments are not always well-supported and sometimes fall short of providing a comprehensive understanding.

The Guardian · 2010-09-11
disappointing 2.00

The book sets up a false dichotomy between science and religion, which is unproductive. It fails to present a balanced view of the complex relationship between the two.

The reviewer found the book's approach to be dispiriting, as it pits science against religion in a way that oversimplifies the issues. They argue that this binary opposition does not contribute meaningfully to the discussion. The book's attempt to present a grand unified theory of the universe is commendable, but the reviewer feels it falls short by not acknowledging the nuances and overlaps between scientific inquiry and religious belief. The book's tone and approach are seen as reductive, failing to capture the depth and complexity of the subjects it addresses.

Quick quotes

    Setting religion against science, as the media has quite deliberately done in this case, achieves little.

    It has been a dispiriting experience.

    The book's attempt to present a grand unified theory of the universe is commendable, but it falls short by not acknowledging the nuances and overlaps between scientific inquiry and religious belief.

The New York Times · 2010-09-07
disappointing 1.50

The book is disappointing and inelegant, failing to live up to the high expectations set by the author's previous works. The reviewer found the writing to be tinny and the arguments to be underwhelming.

The reviewer was disappointed by The Grand Design, finding it to be a letdown compared to the author's previous works. They described the book as tinny and inelegant, with arguments that do not hold up well under scrutiny. The reviewer felt that the book's attempt to present a grand unified theory of the universe is not executed with the same level of sophistication and depth as one might expect from such a renowned author. The overall impression is one of disappointment, with the reviewer hoping for more from a book that tackles such important and complex subjects.

Quick quotes

    The real news about The Grand Design is how disappointingly tinny and inelegant it is.

    The spare and earnest voice that Mr. Hawking employed in his earlier works is notably absent here.

    The book's attempt to present a grand unified theory of the universe is not executed with the same level of sophistication and depth as one might expect.

Appears in Lists