Stephen Hawking’s Universe
John Boslough
I deviated from my non-fiction preferences to tackle quite the thorn in my side. I have had this book residing on my bookshelf since my early teen years. I don’t know HOW it weaseled its way into my room, but there it sat, high upon the shelf, taunting me. Over the years I’ve cracked it and stumbled through the introduction before either dozing off, and giving up in favor of much easier reads. This weekend though I was not to be deterred. I hefted the slim volume; it felt so small. It’s mere 145 pages shouldn’t last me more than an hour or so.
Oh how wrong I was. 7 hours have passed since I started reading. Sure, I had interruptions, but at times I looked forward to them, if only for a brief brain rest. Having now bested this long time foe, I can look back with a certain fondness upon it.
Boslough sets out to introduce us to Hawking, described as one of the brightest minds of the 20th century. The story involves a short introduction to Hawkin’s past, including his depression following the diagnosis of motor neuron disease. This wasting disease stole all but Hawkin’s mind, which thankfully, was all he really needed anyway.
Hawking and his beliefs don’t exist in a vacuum, and the book sets out to explore those who came before. Looking back into mankind’s ever changing understanding of the universe is a joyful, but mind bending proposition. Lacking any background in physics or knowledge of relativity, reading about Einstein’s life work fascinated me. I can’t say I fully understood it, the math of curved geometry and understanding of time-space is beyond me, but I was left with a generalized feeling of new knowledge.
It was this progression past Einstein to Hawking’s ideas that was truly worth the read. Again, I can’t claim to possess a true understanding of the specifics, but the general knowledge of the universe passed down to me cannot be understated. Discussions of black holes, big bang’s, bubble theories, and the expansion of the universe were difficult to comprehend. A few bits really sank in, and made me stop to think. The implications are astounding. I’m afraid I won’t get into a specific discussion about the theories presented; I simply lack the way to describe them.
Regardless of its difficulty (for me), this is a book that merits repeat reading if the origins and make-up of the universe are of even a passing interest. In fact, I think I’ll add Hawking’s own “Brief history of Time” to my reading list…even though I doubt much will make sense to me.
Rating: Very Good
Bottom Line: Tough stuff to get through. Utterly fascinating if you are at all interested in the origins of the universe OR who this Stephen Hawking’s guy is.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Edgar Allen Poe
I’m sure I’ve read some of Poe’s classics in school, but I certainly don’t recall any. That certainly won’t be the case with “The Fall of the House of Usher”. Having recently worked through several H.P. Lovecraft works, I was well prepared for a dose of Poe.
We begin with our poor soul overlooking a dilapidated, ancient family home. He has been summoned to aid his childhood friend, the last remaining son of a cursed lineage. Every detail is explained in dripping, horrific, and panic inducing clarity. While it is a short work, each sentence is filled with a certain palpable dread. The story progresses slowly; yet each passing paragraph heightens the reader’s internal discomfort at the situation.
The novel reaches a crescendo very late, yet it is with a true shock, and tangible horror that the story ends. I was thoroughly pleased with this dark tale. While I generally prefer more laid back and less terrifying works, this served up a great scare that even haunted my dreams. Truly a recommended read, especially considering it’s brief length.
Rating: Excellent
Bottom Line: If you like being scared, this does it for me
