In 1963, Stephen Hawking contracted motor neurone disease and was given two years to live. Yet he went on to Cambridge to become a brilliant researcher and Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. For thirty years he held the post of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge, the chair held by Isaac Newton in 1663. Professor Hawking has over a dozen honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Science.
It is 13 years since A Brief History of Time became an unexpected bestseller. It sold millions and was translated into 40 languages, while being described as a book people bought but did not read. This new book is only partly an update; each chapter stands alone to a great extent while reporting on some of the most active fields of research. Its stated aim is to present a snapshot of the picture of reality as we currently understand it; a picture that changes as new scientific method allows further investigation. Is this book more accessible than its predecessor? The answer is yes and no. Make no mistake, dealing with relativity and the shape of time, black holes, supersymmetry, string theory and a universe with 11 dimensions - it is certainly challenging. It demands you read it slowly and avoid distractions. And, yes, there is good and powerful explanation here. It is beautifully produced and illustrated (the illustrations fill it out - the text alone would run to barely 100 pages). There are digressions to give more detail about matters peripheral to the main text, for example about people like John Wheeler who coined the name 'black hole'. The text consists of good basic description of core concepts such as the expansion of the universe, and tantalising material on even more complex issues, the brevity of which will leave the enthusiast frustrated and wanting more, others bewildered. The book seems like the result of a publisher's meeting determined to make it more truly accessible and throwing in every device possible to make it so except lengthier explanation. There are more quips than before, again apparently included to lighten the load ('This microwave radiation is not much good for defrosting frozen pizza, but...'). Nevertheless, the book is worthwhile. Enthusiasts for the subject will want to know what this icon of science has to say. Others will find its descriptions mindboggling, which is as it should be, but also a beautiful and fascinating introduction to how the world works. If so then they will find that one effect of A Brief History of Time's success was to encourage a proliferation of good science books. There are longer, more detailed and ultimately more satisfying books about the universe for those keen to explore further. None may guarantee you understand completely - part of the fascination here is that no-one understands all this - but they will take you further and stagger your imagination as they do so. (Kirkus UK)