Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science

By Michael White, John Gribbin, Michael White

Book Overview

Originally published in 1992 to great acclaim, this updated edition traces the course of Hawking's life and science, successfully marrying biography and physics to tell the story of a remarkable man.

Stephen Hawking is no ordinary scientist. With a career that began over thirty years ago at Cambridge University, he has managed to do more than perhaps any other scientist to broaden our basic understanding of the universe. His theoretical work on black holes and his progress in advancing our knowledge of the origin and nature of the cosmos have been groundbreaking--if not downright revolutionary.

Stephen Hawking has also spent much of his adult life confined to a wheelchair, a victim of ALS, a degenerative motor neuron disease. Clearly his physical limitations have done nothing to confine him intellectually. He simply never allowed his illness to hinder his scientific development. In fact, many would argue that his liberation from the routine chores of life has allowed him to focus his efforts more keenly on his science.

Hawking certainly would have been remarkable for his cutting edge work in theoretical physics alone. However, he has also managed to popularize science in a way unparalleled by other scientists of his stature. He became a household name, achieving almost cult-like fame, with the release of his best-selling book, A Brief History of Time. Although steeped in the potentially overwhelming complexities of cosmology, he succeeded in selling millions of copies to audiences eager to learn even some of what he has to offer.

Science writers White and Gribbin have skillfully painted a portrait of an indefatigable genius and a scientific mind that seemingly knows no bounds. Knitting together clear explanations of Hawking's science with a detailed personal history that is both balanced as well as sensitive, we come to know--and appreciate--both.

As Stephen Hawking's new book, The Universe in a Nutshell, hits the best-seller lists, it is the ideal time for readers to learn more about this remarkable man and his vast body of accomplishments.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0309084105
• ISBN13: 9780309084109
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Joseph Henry Press
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Perspectives on a Man and His Mind

When I first heard of Stephen Hawking, he had already reached his pinnacle of fame. It was the standard draft: "Have you heard of Hawking? He's disabled, nothing left but his mind, but oh! What a mind!" Stephen Hawking A Life in Science filled in the life behind the mind, but it goes further to share the science in the context of physics thought of the modern age. In ways, this book is more accessible than the explanations of A Brief History of Time, providing and illustrative that makes the other approachable. I appreciated the context of pop culture, and Hawking's rise to Hollywood fame. I really enjoyed the entire book. If you have a mind for science and the advancement of theory, so will you.

JoJo's Review

Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science is an excellent biography which presents one of the most celebrated physicists, Stephen Hawking, in an elegant and expressive manner. Michael White tells of the significant events that greatly influenced Stephen King's life, for example the disease that crippled him but he fought valiantly enough to delay his later death. White wrote in a way which kept the readers attention. It had the basic theories that an average reader could fully understand, but the book did not go in depth with the scientific reasoning behind the theories. Overall, I generally liked the book even though at times the book seemed to go on forever. I have to say I honestly learned quite a lot about his theories of black holes etc. The overcoming of his disease inspired me because it showed how strong he wanted to finish work. I would suggest this book to other readers because there is a lot of information that can be understood. It is a pretty long read but it flows pretty nicely especially if you like the science genre.

Good biography of an incredible man

I am an enormous fan of Stephen Hawking, his achievements in physics are incredible and his ability to overcome his illness demonstrates how sturdy the human mind can be. He is touted in the book as the greatest mind since Einstein, which is a claim I also recently read concerning Richard Feynman. I have no opinion on this, as I hold them both in very high regard. To me such debates are silly, as ranking such people is so subjective that it is meaningless and wasteful. That aside, I generally enjoyed the book, finding the explanations of the physics a little too simplistic for my tastes, but certainly within the realm of the general reader. My only real criticism is that there was too much ink spent on some of the minutiae of his life. Even Hawking probably objects to some of the details about his life that appear. However, I was pleased to read that he can be temperamental and shows his anger by running over a person's foot with his wheelchair. It just makes him sound that much more human. This is a good biography of a great man, who lets nothing get in his way. An inspiration who probably does not want the role in any capacity other than as a physicist, he has revolutionized cosmology and it will be a minimum of decades before all the consequences of his work will be known.

Book is very nice.

i would like to have communication address of respected Dr.Stephen Hawking, Michael White & Dr.John Gribbin to give compliment. My email address ; purnimap@hotmail.com

awesome!

i have been following at least Mr. Hawking's writings and research for a while now-as well as Albert Einstein's. I have a great curiousity in what makes our universe "tick" and find it appropriate that people look for the answers. You're doing great!