Jesse Pinkman is never wrong.
It’s never too late to stop learning. To stop wanting to learn new things. In whatever you want to know things in. And there’s never just one way of seeking out new knowledge.
The last book I finished reading was A Brief History Of Time: From Big Bang To Black Holes by Stephen Hawking. It’s been on my ‘to-read’ list for a little while. Alternately put off and encouraged to read it from reading various reviews saying that there’s just too much high level scientific jargon going on in there for the every day Joe.
It has been a very long time since I read a non-fiction book. Very long time. And usually a non-fiction for me is an autobiography of some sort. So it was nice to read a proper non-fiction.
Thing is. I understood maybe, 40% of the book. Maybe 80% of the actual words. However, I enjoyed reading 100% of it. If I was taught physics this way in school, I would have been a whole lot more interested in it. Stephen Hawking is so enthusiastic about it in his writing that you can’t help but get just as enthusiastic.
Of the 40% that I understood, I feel like I have learnt a lot from it. The opening chapters about theories on how the universe began and how far back the human race has been theorizing about it, blew my tiny little mind. How scientists and philosophers drew conclusions astounds me. Do we know if the universe is expanding into nothing? Will it start contracting? Why? So many questions and so many answers that are still unanswered. But it’s so damn interesting just to read about it.
Me finishing A Brief History Of Time coincided with the start of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Which is doing a fantastic job of keeping me buzzed about science and space and all that amazing stuff that is continuing to blow my mind. If you’re not up for reading a book, make a start on watching Cosmos.
Think I also read this book years ago and it is really interesting stuff. I probably didn’t understand part of it either….it has been way too long since last reading it.
The non-fiction book I read was possibly Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku, which was very interesting. Basically he writes after researching it and talking with other scientists what he thinks the future will look like. Really enjoyed reading it.
Think A Brief History of Time will be a book I come back to in a year or so to come. It seems like a very re-readable sort of book.
Have added Physics of the Future to my wishlist. Will look that one up after I’m done with my current book. Sounds really interesting, thanks for the rec!
Very cool, Jaina. I loved reading this. Stephen Hawking is my hero. On the same level as David Attenborough, Bobby McFerrin and Bear Grylls 🙂
Stephen Hawking is an amazing human being. You should maybe try to read this one! It’s tough.. but so worth it 🙂
I would also highly recommend “Why does E=mc²” by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw. Cox is always readable and explanation of time and space and space time start to make sense!
Cheers, Russ! Added to my wishlist 🙂 Getting a kick out of this science malarkey 😉
I think I’d like to read that book! I hope I always have a heart to keep learning.
Do! It’s a fascinating read. And I’m sure you’ll understand more of it than I did!
Great post. I’m quite opposite. I rarely read fiction. I gravitate towards nonfiction for a number of reasons. That being said, lately I haven’t read much of anything! I gotta fix that.
Yes, do! And this is a perfect book to get that going again 😉
I can’t wait to start watching Cosmos, people say it’s the best show of the year so far! (And this is the year of True Detective, right?).
Anyway, Chris from moviesandsongs365 recommended your post to me because I actually read this book last month too. And my thoughts on it were almost the same as yours: it blew my mind. I guess I understood 60% of it, if that doesn’t sound like bullshitting but there was a big lot I didn’t know about before and that just… changed my world, I guess. Non-fiction is great. Science is geat! Gah, I need to read more stuff like this.
I think the only “bad” thing I can say about Cosmos is the score music. Alan Silvestri’s done a brilliant job, but it just seems a little intrusive at times. But I’m notpicking! It really is one of the top new TV shows this year.
Science is GREAT. A big part of me wishes I’d really embraced it a few years ago rather than now.
Must give Chris a wee gift for sending you over my way 😀
Do that, he will be happy 🙂
By the way, if you’re looking for some more great non-fiction, you should try Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. Read it a month ago and fell in love.
Thanks Mette – added that book to my wishlist. Will need a non-fiction after I’m finished with It 🙂
I don’t know how I’ve managed to miss the start of Cosmos! I loved Carl Sagan’s Cosmos when it was first broadcast. Must get my act together and read the TV listings instead of going straight to Netflix. Good for you reading Hawking’s book right through. Most people I know never finished it.
Don’t blame you for going straight to Netflix. I honestly can’t remember the last time i sat down and “tuned into” the TV. Rather than watching a recording/stream.