Listen free for 30 days
-
Brief Answers to the Big Questions
- Narrated by: Garrick Hagon, Lucy Hawking, Ben Whishaw
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $17.48
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
You may also enjoy...
-
A Brief History of Time
- Written by: Stephen Hawking
- Narrated by: Michael Jackson
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This landmark book is for those of us who prefer words to equations; this is the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge, the ongoing search for the secrets at the heart of time and space. Its author, Stephen W. Hawking, is arguably the greatest mind since Einstein. From the vantage point of the wheelchair, where he has spent the last 20 years trapped by Lou Gehrig's disease, Professor Hawking has transformed our view of the universe. A Brief History of Time is Hawking's classic introduction to today's most important scientific ideas.
-
-
change the narrator
- By V Camp on 2018-07-10
Written by: Stephen Hawking
-
The Theory of Everything
- The Origin and Fate of the Universe
- Written by: Stephen Hawking
- Narrated by: Michael York
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hawking takes us on a fascinating journey through the telescopic lens of modern physics to gain a new glimpse of the universe--the nature of black holes, the space-time continuum, and new information about the origin of the universe. He uses this scientific basis to come up with a "unified theory of everything" that the author claims will be "the ultimate triumph of human reason."
-
-
Listen, repeat
- By Linda in Nepean, Canada on 2024-01-14
Written by: Stephen Hawking
-
The Grand Design
- Written by: Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
question what you already know
- By khristian Olano on 2022-11-03
Written by: Stephen Hawking, and others
-
The Universe in a Nutshell
- Written by: Stephen Hawking
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most influential thinkers of our time, Stephen Hawking is an intellectual icon, known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of theoretical physics, where truth is often stranger than fiction, to explain in laymen’s terms the principles that control our universe.
-
-
enlightening read
- By Jason on 2021-07-11
Written by: Stephen Hawking
-
Civilization and Its Discontents
- Written by: Sigmund Freud
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1930, Civilization and Its Discontents is one of the most influential works of pioneering psychologist Sigmund Freud. Focusing on the tension between the primitive drives of the individual and the demands of civilization for order and conformity, Freud draws upon his psychoanalytic theories to explain the fundamental structures, conflicts, and consequences of society.
-
-
A short essay. Not a lot of food for thought.
- By Vahid Vaezian on 2019-10-02
Written by: Sigmund Freud
-
The Self-Made Billionaire Effect
- How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value
- Written by: John Sviokla, Mitch Cohen
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine what Atari might have achieved if Steve Jobs had stayed there to develop the first massmarket personal computer. Or what Steve Case might have done for PepsiCo if he hadn't left for a gaming start-up that eventually became AOL. What if Salomon Brothers had kept Michael Bloomberg, or Bear Stearns had exploited the inventive ideas of Stephen Ross? Scores of top-tier entrepreneurs worked for established corporations before they struck out on their own and became self-made billionaires.
-
-
Wasn’t very good
- By jeremy w. on 2023-07-08
Written by: John Sviokla, and others
-
A Brief History of Time
- Written by: Stephen Hawking
- Narrated by: Michael Jackson
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This landmark book is for those of us who prefer words to equations; this is the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge, the ongoing search for the secrets at the heart of time and space. Its author, Stephen W. Hawking, is arguably the greatest mind since Einstein. From the vantage point of the wheelchair, where he has spent the last 20 years trapped by Lou Gehrig's disease, Professor Hawking has transformed our view of the universe. A Brief History of Time is Hawking's classic introduction to today's most important scientific ideas.
-
-
change the narrator
- By V Camp on 2018-07-10
Written by: Stephen Hawking
-
The Theory of Everything
- The Origin and Fate of the Universe
- Written by: Stephen Hawking
- Narrated by: Michael York
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hawking takes us on a fascinating journey through the telescopic lens of modern physics to gain a new glimpse of the universe--the nature of black holes, the space-time continuum, and new information about the origin of the universe. He uses this scientific basis to come up with a "unified theory of everything" that the author claims will be "the ultimate triumph of human reason."
-
-
Listen, repeat
- By Linda in Nepean, Canada on 2024-01-14
Written by: Stephen Hawking
-
The Grand Design
- Written by: Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
question what you already know
- By khristian Olano on 2022-11-03
Written by: Stephen Hawking, and others
-
The Universe in a Nutshell
- Written by: Stephen Hawking
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most influential thinkers of our time, Stephen Hawking is an intellectual icon, known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of theoretical physics, where truth is often stranger than fiction, to explain in laymen’s terms the principles that control our universe.
-
-
enlightening read
- By Jason on 2021-07-11
Written by: Stephen Hawking
-
Civilization and Its Discontents
- Written by: Sigmund Freud
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1930, Civilization and Its Discontents is one of the most influential works of pioneering psychologist Sigmund Freud. Focusing on the tension between the primitive drives of the individual and the demands of civilization for order and conformity, Freud draws upon his psychoanalytic theories to explain the fundamental structures, conflicts, and consequences of society.
-
-
A short essay. Not a lot of food for thought.
- By Vahid Vaezian on 2019-10-02
Written by: Sigmund Freud
-
The Self-Made Billionaire Effect
- How Extreme Producers Create Massive Value
- Written by: John Sviokla, Mitch Cohen
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine what Atari might have achieved if Steve Jobs had stayed there to develop the first massmarket personal computer. Or what Steve Case might have done for PepsiCo if he hadn't left for a gaming start-up that eventually became AOL. What if Salomon Brothers had kept Michael Bloomberg, or Bear Stearns had exploited the inventive ideas of Stephen Ross? Scores of top-tier entrepreneurs worked for established corporations before they struck out on their own and became self-made billionaires.
-
-
Wasn’t very good
- By jeremy w. on 2023-07-08
Written by: John Sviokla, and others
-
The Hidden Reality
- Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
- Written by: Brian Greene
- Narrated by: Brian Greene
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There was a time when “universe” meant all there is. Everything. Yet, in recent years discoveries in physics and cosmology have led a number of scientists to conclude that our universe may be one among many. With crystal-clear prose and inspired use of analogy, Brian Greene shows how a range of different “multiverse” proposals emerges from theories developed to explain the most refined observations of both subatomic particles and the dark depths of space.
-
-
Intriguing
- By Under Ether on 2020-02-02
Written by: Brian Greene
-
Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition
- Written by: Richard Wolfson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Wolfson
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Wolfson at the outset of these 24 lectures on what may be the most important subjects in the universe: relativity and quantum physics. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind them are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. These dynamic and illuminating lectures begin with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics.
-
-
good but old
- By James on 2021-02-25
Written by: Richard Wolfson, and others
-
The Edge of Knowledge
- Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos
- Written by: Lawrence M. Krauss
- Narrated by: Lawrence M. Krauss
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three of the most important words in science are I don't know. Not knowing implies a universe of opportunities—the possibility of discovery and surprise. Our understanding of science has advanced immeasurably over the last 500 years, yet many fundamental mysteries of existence persist: How did our universe begin? How big is the universe? Is time travel possible? What’s at the center of a black hole? How did life on Earth arise? Are we alone? What is consciousness, and can we create it?
Written by: Lawrence M. Krauss
-
A Brief History of Black Holes
- And Why Nearly Everything You Know About Them Is Wrong
- Written by: Dr Becky Smethurst
- Narrated by: Dr. Becky Smethurst
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Right now, you are orbiting a black hole. The Earth goes around the Sun, and the Sun goes around the centre of the Milky Way: a supermassive black hole—the strangest and most misunderstood phenomenon in the galaxy. In A Brief History of Black Holes, University of Oxford astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst charts the scientific breakthroughs that have uncovered the weird and wonderful world of black holes, from Hawking radiation to the iconic first photographs of a black hole in 2019.
-
-
Best history book
- By Anonymous User on 2022-12-02
Written by: Dr Becky Smethurst
-
The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality
- Written by: Don Lincoln, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Don Lincoln
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of his career, Albert Einstein was pursuing a dream far more ambitious than the theory of relativity. He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology.
-
-
Needs to be re-recorded
- By WTL on 2019-09-17
Written by: Don Lincoln, and others
-
The Selfish Gene
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
-
-
Life changing book
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-07-25
Written by: Richard Dawkins
-
Starry Messenger
- Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
- Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment—a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science. After thinking deeply about how science sees the world and about Earth as a planet, the human brain has the capacity to reset and recalibrates life’s priorities, shaping the actions we might take in response. No outlook on culture, society, or civilization remains untouched.
-
-
There is really nothing deep about the book.
- By Client Kindle on 2023-11-16
Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
-
The God Equation
- The Quest for a Theory of Everything
- Written by: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since then, physicists have been placing new forces into ever-grander theories. But perhaps the ultimate challenge is achieving a monumental synthesis of the two remaining theories—relativity and the quantum theory. This would be the crowning achievement of science, a profound merging of all the forces of nature into one beautiful, magnificent equation to unlock the deepest mysteries in science: What happened before the Big Bang?
-
-
makes you think .. choice good or bad
- By tom on 2022-09-06
Written by: Michio Kaku
-
The Order of Time
- Written by: Carlo Rovelli
- Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In lyric, accessible prose, Carlo Rovelli invites us to consider questions about the nature of time that continue to puzzle physicists and philosophers alike. For most listeners, this is unfamiliar terrain. We all experience time, but the more scientists learn about it, the more mysterious it appears. We think of it as uniform and universal, moving steadily from past to future, measured by clocks. Rovelli tears down these assumptions one by one, revealing a strange universe where, at the most fundamental level, time disappears.
-
-
More like this please
- By Jihane Mriouah on 2019-04-19
Written by: Carlo Rovelli
-
On the Origin of Time
- Stephen Hawking's Final Theory
- Written by: Thomas Hertog
- Narrated by: Ethan Kelly
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Perhaps the biggest question Stephen Hawking tried to answer in his extraordinary life was how the universe could have created conditions so perfectly hospitable to life. In order to solve this mystery, Hawking studied the big bang origin of the universe, but his early work ran into a crisis when the math predicted many big bangs producing a multiverse—countless different universes, most of which would be far too bizarre to harbor life.
-
-
Difficult
- By rmack on 2023-09-25
Written by: Thomas Hertog
-
Quantum Supremacy
- How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything
- Written by: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The runaway success of the microchip processor may be reaching its end. Running up against the physical constraints of smaller and smaller sizes, traditional silicon chips are not likely to prove useful in solving humanity’s greatest challenges, from climate change, to global starvation, to incurable diseases. But the quantum computer, which harnesses the power and complexity of the atomic realm, already promises to be every bit as revolutionary as the transistor and microchip once were.
-
-
Yet another science history book
- By Niqomi on 2024-02-27
Written by: Michio Kaku
-
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
- Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There's no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in digestible chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.
-
-
make the world smart again.
- By a2thak on 2017-10-19
Written by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Publisher's Summary
Number-one New York Times best seller
The world-famous cosmologist and author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the biggest questions facing humankind.
"Hawking’s parting gift to humanity...a book every thinking person worried about humanity’s future should read." (NPR)
Named one of the best books of the year by The Guardian and Wired
Stephen Hawking was the most renowned scientist since Einstein, known both for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and for his mischievous sense of humor. He educated millions of readers about the origins of the universe and the nature of black holes, and inspired millions more by defying a terrifying early prognosis of ALS, which originally gave him only two years to live. In later life he could communicate only by using a few facial muscles, but he continued to advance his field and serve as a revered voice on social and humanitarian issues.
Hawking not only unraveled some of the universe's greatest mysteries but also believed science plays a critical role in fixing problems here on Earth. Now, as we face immense challenges on our planet - including climate change, the threat of nuclear war, and the development of artificial intelligence - he turns his attention to the most urgent issues facing us. Will humanity survive? Should we colonize space? Does God exist?
These are just a few of the questions Hawking addresses in this wide-ranging, passionately argued final book from one of the greatest minds in history. Featuring a foreword by Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar playing Stephen Hawking, an introduction by Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne, and an afterword from Hawking's daughter, Lucy, Brief Answers to the Big Questions is a brilliant last message to the world.
Praise for Brief Answers to the Big Questions:
"[Hawking is] a symbol of the soaring power of the human mind." (The Washington Post)
"Hawking's final message to readers...is a hopeful one." (CNN)
"Brisk, lucid peeks into the future of science and of humanity." (The Wall Street Journal)
"Hawking pulls no punches on subjects like machines taking over, the biggest threat to Earth, and the possibilities of intelligent life in space." (Quartz)
"Effortlessly instructive, absorbing, up to the minute and - where it matters - witty." (The Guardian)
"This beautiful little book is a fitting last twinkle from a new star in the firmament above." (The Telegraph)
What the critics say
"This beautiful little book is a fitting last twinkle from a new star in the firmament above.” (The Telegraph)
"It’s a book every thinking person worried about humanity’s future should read. . . . Hawking’s parting gift to humanity.” (NPR)
“[Hawking is] a symbol of the soaring power of the human mind.” (The Washington Post)
More from the same
What listeners say about Brief Answers to the Big Questions
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- dsaund
- 2018-12-31
Outstanding man, outstanding story.
I've never listened to so much wisdom and knowledge in my life. I'm feeling fascinated, inspired, frightened, and encouraged. Every human should listen to this... hopefully much earlier in life than myself. I'm 35. Much to do!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ahmad Hamdi Alkhatib
- 2020-09-05
Pertinent, readable despite immense complexity
Pertinent, easy to follow despite immense complexity, and well read. In Stephen Hawking's final book he imparts wisdom, knowledge, and insights from a lifetime's work in the sciences to help answer some of the most pertinent questions on life and the challenges facing the human species. If you are interested in these questions, then this book is a valuable and enjoyable read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2018-12-17
Book
Great work by a great mind. I disagree with his understanding of religion and it’s articulation in the book as the logical conclusion. But Mr. Hawking gave us so much knowledge that I will be indebted to his services to humanity.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lilo Forsyth
- 2018-10-25
Stephen Hawking
what an extremely interesting book and an intense mind boggle. I loved it thank you
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David St-Hilaire
- 2019-04-30
This book is fantastic.
I really enjoyed Stephen's insight on the big questions and also the introduction by Kip Thorne and the conclusion by Lucy Hawkins!
It was a truly remarkable book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert Peck
- 2020-06-14
Daunting
I am glad I read it. However much of what Hawking said was way over my head... I heard and understood individual words but the logical arguments in the sentences and paragraphs were often beyond my understanding.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JC
- 2021-05-05
Good answers to excellent questions
Easy to inderstand, a must read (listen) for every concerned citizen. No science background required.
The squeaky female voice (of Lucy Hawking?) was distracting, I wish she didn't speak here!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-04-09
brilliant man
everyone should read to get a glimpse of these science topics. he is really good at putting it in basic terms for non science experts to understand. can be quite detailed but ends with inspiring thoughts and scary predictions
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Selina Gabriele
- 2019-01-08
The perfect audio book doesn't exi..
This is the perfect audio book.
Eloquently written chapters followed by the clever answers spoken my Hawking himself, this book is a masterpiece. Listening to it, I couldn't take my headphones out. The narrator was captivating, and the afterword at the end had me nearly in tears. I have recommended it to everyone that I've spoken to since. Breathtaking.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jacques Huot
- 2019-05-25
Excellent Book
Like this title much more than "A Brief History of Time". Definitely on my list od books to listen to again.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!