Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time is the ultimate guide to understanding the universe—or, in my case, realising just how little I actually understand. It’s like Hawking sat down, took the most complex concepts in physics, and thought, “Let’s see how far I can push this before people’s brains short-circuit.” Spoiler alert: mine did.

This book is a mind-bending journey through the universe, addressing concepts like black holes, time travel, and the Big Bang. Hawking is brilliant at simplifying the most complex ideas, but let’s be real—it’s still rocket science. For instance, I learned that black holes also make a star appearance and Hawking discusses how they form and why they’re the ultimate gravitational bullies. They’re like cosmic vacuum cleaners, sucking in everything nearby. But black holes emit something called “Hawking radiation” which eventually causes them to shrink and disappear. My response? “I can fix him.”

One of the book’s most mind-boggling ideas is that of multiple dimensions. Apparently, there could be more than the three spatial dimensions we experience every day. I can barely navigate this reality, let alone imagine extra dimensions. If they do exist, I hope one of them is the dimension where clothes never get dirty, so I never have to do laundry again.

But here’s the thing: even if you don’t fully grasp all the physics, the book still succeeds in making you marvel at the universe’s complexity. Hawking’s ability to blend profound scientific concepts with a touch of humour is inspiring. It’s the ultimate “I-don’t-get-it-but-wow” kind of read.

A Brief History of Time is perfect if you enjoy having your mind blown, even if half the time you feel like the village idiot of the cosmos. Just remember, if you finish the book and still don’t understand physics, you’re in good company—I’m right there with you.