Nineteen in '19: Brief Answers to the Big Questions

I've read far less in recent years than I would like. To help remedy this, I've set myself the modest target of reading nineteen books in 2019. When I finish one, a thumbnail review here will follow.

17/19: Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking

The blurb: Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even as his theoretical work on black holes, imaginary time and multiple histories took his mind to the furthest reaches of space, Hawking always believed that science could also be used to fix the problems on our planet.

And now, as we face potentially catastrophic changes here on Earth - from climate change to dwindling natural resources to the threat of artificial super-intelligence - Stephen Hawking turns his attention to the most urgent issues for humankind.

Wide-ranging, intellectually stimulating, passionately argued, and infused with his characteristic humour, BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS, the final book from one of the greatest minds in history, is a personal view on the challenges we face as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next.

The review: well, in a minute. Because first, an apology. Despite the modest nature of the reading challenge I set myself, I failed. I only managed 17 books in 2019, not 19 as planned. This will be the last review in this series, and it's in arrears. Sorry, my bad, mea culpa, all the rest.

Anyway, the book. I may have mentioned before but when I was trying (and failing) S-level Physics in the Sixth Form, it was something of a rite of passage to read Hawking's most famous work, A Brief History of Time. Indeed, the consensus was that if you got past page eleven and still understood everything, well, you were doing okay. This, his last book, is a different kettle of fish - yes, there's some physics in there, but it's not going to give you a headache, honest. In fact, this is about as far from a book on theoretical physics as Hawking was ever likely to get. His introduction suggests that he wanted to collect his answers to the big questions he was most commonly asked, regardless of subject. Hence we get chapters on issues relevant to his specialism, such as "What is inside a black hole?" and "Is time travel possible?" but also on wider issues, such as "Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?" and "Should we colonise space?" Still science-y, and clearly the sort of question Joe Public would ask Hawking because, you know, he was a famous science guy. Ask anyone under 30 what three things pop into their head when you mention Stephen Hawking and they'd probably say wheelchair, speech synthesiser and science. Or possibly Eddie Redmayne.

And here's where my slight beef which this generally excellent book comes in. Hawking was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge for 30 years, and an absolutely brilliant theoretical physicist. His Amazon bio states that he "is generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers", and I can't really argue with that - the man's achievements were immense. But trying to answer questions like "Is there a God?" in just a few pages seems ambitious, and something Hawking was no better qualified to answer than anyone else. You might just as well ask me for my thoughts on the current state of women's tennis - I have an opinion¹, of course, and you might like/agree with it, but it's unqualified. Not even Hawking, brilliant as he was, could prove the existence or otherwise of a god, but calling a book "Personal Opinions on the Big Questions" probably would have harmed sales.

It is only a minor beef though, for this is a good book, tackling big topics in an accessible manner. Much is made in other reviews of Hawking's trademark humour; well, it's not Monty Python but equally it's clear that some of this material has been given many times in public lectures, when Hawking would have to prepare answers to pre-submitted questions in advance. It's been honed, refined, polished, in other words. It makes for a very readable book and keeps the pages turning, even when you get to the occasional paragraph that you have to read twice to ensure your understanding.

It also serves as a fitting epitaph to a remarkable man - he was working on this right up to his death, and it feels like it (it was completed with input from his family and academic colleagues). Here was a man, perhaps aware of his advancing years, stating his case, once and for all: this is what I think, and why. He'd written his autobiography five years earlier, but this feels like a memoir too: a biography of ideas.

The bottom line: thought-provoking, illuminating and impeccably argued brief answers and big opinions, and the perfect way in which to sign off.

Since everything online is rated these days: ★★★★★☆

¹ Women's tennis is as good as it has ever been, and there are more players at a higher standard than ever before, but no-one is consistent enough to dominate in the manner of Navratilova, Graf, Hingis, Seles, Williams...