This was a very accessible and gentle introduction to some of the bigger concepts in Physics. As a complete novice, I found it engaging even if the attempts at humour were entirely dry and I would imagine some readers found the tone Mlodinow/Hawking used as very condescending. For me it was about the right length and provided information at the right points to not overload a reader like myself who needed time to absorb these new concepts. All in all a really good example of a popular science book.

The things that I didn't like were mainly just general points - Mlodinow gets to play second fiddle while Hawking takes all the glory? Whether this was the publisher's decision because they thought it would sell more copies or otherwise, shame on them for not giving equal precedence. The second was that in the first illustration of the double-slit experiment, the authors don't explain that this has to be viewed almost in 2D, not allowing for the buckyballs to take alternative paths around. I had to get a PhD friend to clarify, as this raises obvious questions that then are not elaborated on when the next 3D illustration is shown of the double-slit. There are also some very grand statements made about Philosophy at the beginning of the book that Hawking then contradicts a few chapters after. I'm also sure that the edition didn't need to be that glossy for the sake of a couple of second-rate graphics. The damn thing is only thin and weighs the same as a small hippopotamus...